Because content is now available to audiences on a wide range of multimedia platforms, it has become increasingly important for channels to promote their content in a way which reflects this. Ideally, a channel's television news bulletin would send viewers to their website and social media pages for more information, and this online content would send them back to the televised content, creating a circle of information for viewers to access (Halbrooks, 2018).
Therefore, to attract these viewers in the first place an interesting promo video is essential. Creating a professional looking channel can be achieved through branding, allowing viewers to easily recognise the content (Digital Marketing Institute, 2018).
Branding is best created if it is targeted towards the specific audience the channel wants to reach. A target audience can be defined by 'demographics, language and interests', creating a specific or niche audience (Creator Academy, s.da). A channel's promo can then be centred around these aims.
Promos can take several different forms depending on these aims:
Therefore, to attract these viewers in the first place an interesting promo video is essential. Creating a professional looking channel can be achieved through branding, allowing viewers to easily recognise the content (Digital Marketing Institute, 2018).
Branding is best created if it is targeted towards the specific audience the channel wants to reach. A target audience can be defined by 'demographics, language and interests', creating a specific or niche audience (Creator Academy, s.da). A channel's promo can then be centred around these aims.
Promos can take several different forms depending on these aims:
- Topical promotion -- this is similar to a coming-up segment, and is shown before the bulletin to promote audience interest in the stories which will be covered that day -- this is best if the channel has an established audience they want to attract to their bulletin
- Back-teasing -- this is used to remind viewers what has already been shown on the channel, and is often used when the next bulletin will add information to a developing story -- also best if the audience is established or if different channels are covering the same story and a channel wants to show they have an exclusive which can inform the audience better than their competition
- Proof of performance -- this shows viewers what the news channel has done, and can show a range of stories which the channel may have got as exclusives or were big events when they happened, therefore archive footage is most often used to do this -- can attract new viewers to a channel since it shows the highlights of their coverage and could prove to viewers that they have the upper hand over their competition (Halbrooks, 2018).
However, videos of less than five minutes are the ones which are usually the most viewed on YouTube (Digital Marketing Institute, 2018). For this reason, promos need to capture the attention of the audience within the first five seconds (Creator Academy, s.da).
This can be done by starting broad so the audience can get a general feel for the channel, before zooming into the specifics (Creator Academy, s.da), or by using a face which is synonymous with the brand, for example that of a presenter or reporter, since this can help the audience engage and relate with the content (Digital Marketing Institute, 2018).
Overall, promos should introduce viewers to, or reinforce to them, what differentiates the channel from the competition.
Our promo
Therefore, it is important to have a short summary of the channel's brand and know what value it holds for viewers (Creator Academy, s.db). While writing the script for our promo I kept this in mind, so that it would be evident to viewers straight away what our channel aims to deliver. I also watched some other promos from a variety of news channels to see how they used these techniques, and drew inspiration from them.
Script
ABC 'World News Tonight with David Muir'
Fig. 1 ABC 'World News Tonight with David Muir' (2018)
For example, in this promo for one of the presenter-led segments on ABC News, graphics are used to show the morals and values of the show, such as the reporter being 'on the scene' (see fig.1), 'committed', and 'connected to you' (ABC 'World News Tonight with David Muir', 2018).
These are values which viewers could be looking for in a news channel since they show authority, trust, and responsibility, and could therefore attract a new audience. They also make clear exactly what the segment will deliver through both the images and words -- the reporter will lead the audience (shown through follow shots) into the places where these stories are happening, no matter what the story is or where it takes place.
I aimed to do this with our promo because it is a quick and effective way to communicate the aims of the brand, and can also be engaging. Some of the values of our channel are that 'we investigate' since we are always 'putting tech to the test'. These show that our channel is a technology channel which aims to cover a wide range of technology to inform our audience, shown through the footage of live reports and reporters trying out technology which accompanies the graphics.
Because our promo will also be online, since we are an online platform, having graphics means the audience can understand our brand without even turning up the volume or paying much attention, which is important since people are more likely to casually watch promos online before another video or even as pop-up ads.
Fox 'Real News. Real Honest Opinion.'
Fig. 2 Real News. Real Honest Opinion. (2018)
This Fox News commercial is also focused on brand values. However, it relies on its presenters to tell the audience what differentiates them from other news channels (see fig.2). One of the presenters even states that she presents her segment in a way in which no information is held back because 'viewers expect that' (Real News. Real Honest Opinion., 2018). This could help attract viewers since seeing the presenters being so open about what they stand for could help build trust as viewers could relate and want to see the values they discuss in a news bulletin.
For this reason, I wrote our promo so that it was presenter-led to give the audience someone to relate to and start building trust even before viewers have seen the presenters report the news. However, to back up the values I wanted to show the reporters doing these things, such as trying technology, because it acts as more solid evidence than them only stating it.
BBC 'Click'
Fig. 3 BBC News Click. (2018)
This approach was also inspired by BBC 'Click', as in their promo they feature lots of footage of their reporters trying technology and being amazed by its possibilities. Audience engagement can be achieved through this since if the reporters are so astonished by the technology, and it can be seen from the promo that they try a lot of technology, then the audience could also be amazed by what they have to show, encouraging them to be curious about it and tune in to see more.
To do this in our commercial, I aimed to get lots of shots of the reporters trying and having fun with technology which the audience could not have seen before, like the phone stand which can hang in a tree, or which they may have seen but has made a comeback, such as the Tamagotchi and Pong game.
Sky 'First for Breaking News'
Fig.4 First for Breaking News (2014)
For footage to be used as evidence the proof of performance technique is used to show what the news channel has done (Halbrooks, 2018). Sky News uses this in their promo to show how they are the first to acquire breaking news stories. Therefore, their reporters are shown live on location (see fig.4), reporting stories which are dangerous or meant they were required to report from places of national importance such as Downing Street. This heightens the value the channel holds for the viewer, since it proves that they report the stories which have the most impact on the country, as well as people all over the world.
This influenced me to also use the proof of performance technique in our promo, since it proves that we have tried a wide range of technology. This is important because our target audience is young people aged 15-35 who have an interest in technology, so they may already have some knowledge of their own, or need to be informed. This therefore helps us build their trust, since it shows our channel can provide what they want to see or need to know.
BBC 'RTS News Channel of the Year'
Fig. 5 BBC World News (2013)
Because our target audience is young people, I wanted the tone of the promo to be light-hearted since showing the technology we try as being fun could help promote their interest in it, and the stories the tech is part of.
This is similar to a BBC News promo which has a light-hearted tone, even though they show that they have covered some serious stories. The promo is therefore balanced with some serious stories and some inspirational ones, such as Felix Baumgartner's jump from space (see fig. 5). This proves the channel cover all of the most important stories which would be of interest to their audience. However, the seriousness of some of the stories promotes them as a still serious channel which is authoritative.
I also wanted to do this with our promo since some of the stories we cover are fun, such as retro games which are still popular, and some are more serious, such as gaming disorder being classified as a mental health condition. For this reason, it was necessary to show the audience both sides, with the promo being light-hearted to show the fun and amazing possibilities of the tech, but also the impact the more serious stories were having. The channel overall covers news so we need to build trust with our audience by showing our responsibility to deliver the truth and keep up with the news cycle. This can be shown by the presence of the reporters, who embody this responsibility and authority, while the light-hearted tone can be conveyed through music and graphics which are fun and inspirational.
Fig. 6 Real News. Real Honest Opinion. (2018)
Fig. 7 First for Breaking News (2014)
At the end of all of these promos, the channel logo is shown, sometimes along with a tag-line (see fig.6 & fig.7). This reinforces how important branding is. A channel's promo needs to direct the viewers to all of their content which needs to be recognisable so that it can be found among the vast amount of content now available to viewers across many platforms.
This therefore influenced us to include our own logo at the end of our promo, and our tagline in the first graphic (see fig.8).
Fig.8 YouTube: GLITCH News (2018)
Our logo is also the profile image of our YouTube channel, helping to define our content and make us distinct from other channels.
Fig. 9 YouTube: GLITCH News (2018)
Final promo:
List of illustrations:
Figure 1. ABC 'World News Tonight with David Muir'. (2018) ABC 'World News Tonight with David Muir' ABC News [Advertisement] At: https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/abc-world-news-tonight-david-muir-54094459 (Accessed on 28 October 2018).
Figure 2. Real News. Real Honest Opinion. (2018) Real News. Real Honest Opinion Fox News [Advertisement] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0cxDRwBqxI&index=3&list=PLc9QYgv46S0PYZ-CD8rKXGKzHyedcNrAr (Accessed on 28 October 2018).
Figure 3. BBC News Click. (2018) BBC News Click. [Advertisement] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1qamoAV_Ck&list=PLc9QYgv46S0PYZ-CD8rKXGKzHyedcNrAr&index=7 (Accessed on 28 October 2018).
Figure 4. First for Breaking News (2014) Sky News: First for Breaking News. [Advertisement] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PTrdayxtkI&list=PLc9QYgv46S0PYZ-CD8rKXGKzHyedcNrAr&index=5 (Accessed on 28 October 2018).
Figure 5. BBC World News (2013) BBC World News - 2013 Relaunch Promo. [Advertisement] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeGqI80DhRU&list=PLc9QYgv46S0PYZ-CD8rKXGKzHyedcNrAr&index=13 (Accessed on 28 October 2018).
Figure 6. Real News. Real Honest Opinion. (2018) Real News. Real Honest Opinion Fox News [Advertisement] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0cxDRwBqxI&index=3&list=PLc9QYgv46S0PYZ-CD8rKXGKzHyedcNrAr (Accessed on 28 October 2018).
Figure 7. First for Breaking News (2014) Sky News: First for Breaking News. [Advertisement] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PTrdayxtkI&list=PLc9QYgv46S0PYZ-CD8rKXGKzHyedcNrAr&index=5 (Accessed on 28 October 2018).
Figure 8. GLITCH News (2018) [YouTube Webpage] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-r9nBdKtRg (Accessed on 1 November 2018).
Figure 9. GLITCH News (2018) [YouTube Webpage] At: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9-SUhHBCuhX0sXRcEbkzRw (Accessed on 1 November 2018).
Figure 8. GLITCH News (2018) [YouTube Webpage] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-r9nBdKtRg (Accessed on 1 November 2018).
Figure 9. GLITCH News (2018) [YouTube Webpage] At: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9-SUhHBCuhX0sXRcEbkzRw (Accessed on 1 November 2018).
Bibliography:
ABC 'World News Tonight with David Muir'. (2018) [advertisement online] ABC News. At: https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/abc-world-news-tonight-david-muir-54094459 (Accessed on 28 October 2018).
Creator Academy. (s.da) 'Advertising your channel'. In: YouTube Creator Academy. [online] At: https://creatoracademy.youtube.com/page/lesson/ad-promotion?hl=en-GB#strategies-zippy-link-5 (Accessed on 28 October 2018).
Creator Academy. (s.db) 'Promote your brand'. In: YouTube Creator Academy. [online] At: https://creatoracademy.youtube.com/page/lesson/communicating-brand?cid=business-skills&hl=en-GB#strategies-zippy-link-3 (Accessed on 28 October 2018).
Digital Marketing Institute. (2018) '10 Ways to Grow Your YouTube Channel in 2018'. At: https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/en-gb/blog/02-02-2019-10-ways-to-grow-your-youtube-channel-in-2018 (Accessed on 28 October 2018).
Halbrooks, G. (2018) 'Key Ways to Promote Your TV Newscast'. In: TheBalanceCareers. [online] At: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/promote-tv-newscast-2315433 (Accessed on 28 October 2018).
Real News. Real Honest Opinion. (2018) [advertisement online] Fox News. At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0cxDRwBqxI&index=3&list=PLc9QYgv46S0PYZ-CD8rKXGKzHyedcNrAr (Accessed on 28 October 2018).
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