ot so long ago, broadcasters only invested in playout branding for their main channels, since these were the ones with the most viewers and the highest revenues from advertisers. But today the business landscape has changed radically: broadcasters have a series of channels – some permanent with frequent live content, some thematic and others temporary – to cover a large sporting or cultural event. Nevertheless, all of them need to be branded clearly and effectively to support the broadcaster ’s business model. The power of a broadcaster ’s brand is more important than ever before. Ten years ago, nobody had heard of Netflix, and Amazon Prime wasn’t even on the radar, but now their consumer brands have driven them to the top of the OTT and VOD worlds – especially during the pandemic. The value in these properties is their brand, and when they’re delivering content, they focus on how to maintain their core brand values. Research shows that consumers only need a few negative experiences with one provider before they lose confidence in them and start to look elsewhere. In this scenario, brand loyalty is critical. Consequently, there’s a need for broadcasters to brand all of their content, ensuring viewer
recognition and reinforcing the perception of a brand’s core values
THE IMPORTANCE OF BRANDING When Pixel Power was started almost 35 years ago, there were only a handful of television channels in each market. Audiences pretty much knew where they were, and instinctively developed loyalties to the channels they liked. Today, broadcast platforms offer you hundreds of channels, and streaming services offer the equivalent of hundreds more. Audiences have a real challenge in finding their favourite programmes and discovering new favourites for the future. Branding has become a vital requirement – a must-have for any and every channel. But why is it important that audiences know which channel they are watching at all times? It is all about brand loyalty. We readily accept brand loyalty in other aspects of our lives: it is perfectly normal to have a favourite airline or coffee shop or newspaper. It’s the same with the television channels. As a broadcaster or streaming service, there are very sound reasons why you would want brand loyalty: it’s about viewer retention. You want your audience to keep coming back,
The evolution of branding, and how it’s worth more than money
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