Derek White, CEO of award-winning agency Clearwater, explains that they’ve long since moved their focus from purely designing channel imaging and creating promos, to a philosophy he calls UX (User Experience).
“I believe very strongly that in the promo making and imaging industry worldwide, the craft of design and animation is becoming a bit of a commodity with so many companies and small start-ups doing much the same thing equally well,’ explains White. “We realised a while ago that the future of our business doesn’t lie in that. The market is overtraded, technology is constantly evolving and our clients demand far more than a good idea and a pretty picture.’
He believes that a promo is not just a mechanism for encouraging people to watch a show. “It’s part of something much bigger, it’s part of the complete user experience, which has many components. This includes the choice and content of the shows that we’re promoting, the imaging and communication that surrounds them, the intelligence and convenience of scheduling, the interactive media supporting them, right down to how the customer experiences and interacts with the channel’s brand. These, among many others, collectively shape a viewer’s opinion.’
“For us, the real value our customers gain is not just from the audience ratings (ARs) we help generate from the promotion of a particular show, but from the user experience we create for a viewer engaging the brand over a period of time. Shows spike and dip, it’s the complete package that we’re interested in, and I believe promotion is playing an ever more significant role in forming the perception of our client’s brands and the user experience those brands deliver.’
White explains that there are three elements to UX: visibility, functionality and business savvy.
“The visibility aspect is what most people in our industry focus on: making promos, making them sexy, getting some kind of message across, choosing the right music, the right voice artist and designing smart graphics. However, you can craft the most award-winning, visually beautiful piece, if its function is poorly considered and it isn’t sensibly rooted in business savvy, then in my view it’s a waste of airtime and money. It seems so obvious, but I’m amazed how many over-engineered promos with no clear objectives or links to business savvy are on air right now.’
According to White, although promos are usually the most valuable weapon in the on-air marketer’s arsenal, they also need to be designed in conjunction with what happens off the box, in print and outdoor advertising, online, social media and all the brand’s other touch points. “Collectively, that makes a business case,’ says White.
He adds that, over time, Clearwater’s business has become about brand and business intelligence, more than just craft – a philosophy that developed through their interaction with their clients.
“We’ve been immensely fortunate to have M-Net as a client since the day we opened our doors almost 17 years ago. We’ve built trust with them which has enabled both companies to experiment, measure, adjust and write new chapters on packaging and marketing entertainment content,’ concludes White.
By Linda Loubser
screen africa magazine – october 2012
