Bill Gash – Commercial Director T. 020 7691 6310 M. 07940 178621 Bill.gash@information

1. The Changing Face of Television PG Diploma in Public Communications – 12/13 April 2006 Option Module – MPC1165 – New Media Bill Gash – Commercial Director T. 020 7691 6310 M. 07940 178621 Bill.gash@information.tv

2. The Changing Role of Television • TV Today • What is its attraction • TV Trends • Key Issues for Public Sector Communications • The Phillis Report • 7 Principles for modern government communications • A New Way of using TV • Key Recommendations from Phillis, applied • Some examples of it working.. • Summary

3. Communications Issues • Complex messages to communicate • Multiple audiences and stakeholders, • Internal and external • Seeking public/private partnerships, to fund communication • Role of the news media, distorting their message • Need to quantify results, effects, outcomes and R.O.I • Need to stretch the message and the budget over time • Need to innovate and break new ground

4. TV Today • 70% of homes have multi-channel digital TV • Sky Digital has 7.6m subscribers, plus 595,000 Freesat users • Cable (NTL:, Telewest) has 2.7m • Digital Terrestrial (Freeview) solus homes total 6.5m • 34m VCRs in use in the UK • 1.4m Personal Video Recorders (PVRs), Sky+ • 2.3m DVD recorders • The highest level of digital TV penetration worldwide, ahead of the US (55% homes) in second place • Digital switchover has started, to be completed in 2012 Source: Ofcom, The Communications Market, Digital Progress Report, Digital TV Q4 2005, published 17 March 2006

5. TV remains very popular • TV remains the lead medium for the majority of adults – this is true for all age groups and is irrespective of internet access • The media hierarchy • hours/adults weekdays TV 3.9, Radio 1.3, Internet .8 • Hours/adults weekends TV 4.5, Radio 1.5, Internet 1.0 • TV versus the Internet • 15-24 year olds spend 14.8 hrs per week online • But average 24hrs per week watching TV • Family viewing • 21% of family time watching TV together, 39% at weekends • Watching TV remains the core shared activity in the family home Source: IPA TouchPoints Survey, March 2006, www.ipa.co.uk/touchpiints

6. What is it’s enduring attraction? • 74.7% of people use TV as a talking point with friends, family and colleagues • Adults who live together spend nearly two hours per day watching TV together • One in five people like interacting with their TV • Almost a third of people have used the interactive features on their TV in the last six months • Nearly two-thirds of people agree that TV helps them learn new and different ways of doing things • 44% of consumers report using the internet and the TV at the same • At the same time TV remains more trusted than any other medium, through being a regulated platform* Source: ThinkBox/Future Foundation 2005 Base: 995 Adults aged 15+, UK

7. TV Viewing is changing • from Passive - to Active • from Receipt of message - to Participative • from Collective - to Individual • from Limited choice - to Total access • from Predictable patterns - to Wider repertoires • from Less movement - to Greater flexibility • Existing behaviours and views are being supplemented by new ones TV is capable of more uses

8. We no longer watch TV, but use it Source: ThinkBox/Future Foundation 2005 Base: 995 Adults aged 15+, UK

9. Viewers enjoy exercising control Source: ThinkBox/Future Foundation 2005 Base: 995 Adults aged 15+, UK

10. TV Viewing has Social Currency Source: ThinkBox/Future Foundation 2005 Base: 995 Adults aged 15+, UK

11. Interactivity appeals to younger viewers Source: ThinkBox/Future Foundation 2005 Base: 995 Adults aged 15+, UK

12. TV Trends • Viewer attitudes and behaviours* • 31% find advertising intrusive • 89% find excessive TV advertising irritating • Control shifts from broadcasters to viewers • Empowered by technology, remote controls, Sky+ • Zapping, Time-shifting, self scheduling, ad skipping • More devices – powered by IP or satellite distribution • PCs, Mobile, iPods, Home Media Centres, Taxi, Trains, • TV on demand – ‘watch what you want, when you want’ • Homechoice, BT Vision, NTL: • Traditional business models (ads/sponsorship) • Undermined, under pressure, competing with more media • A potential funding problem, less revenue = fewer programmes • New Business Models • Relaxed regulation Source: IPA TouchPoints Survey, March 2006, www.ipa.co.uk/touchpiints

13. Key Issues for Public Sector Communicators • TV remains popular • TV accounts for the highest share of media time • But the way you can use TV is limited • PR, but ultimately control rests with the news media • Advertising, but often ill suited to many communications campaigns • Broadcast Sponsorship, provided you can find a suitable vehicle • New ways being used include • Client Funded Programmes (Investors in People, National Blood Service) • But requires compromise between you needs and a broadcasters agenda • Message Placement (Teenage Sexual Health in Hollyoakes scripts) • But client message is embedded in what may be a negative environment • The Challenge • How can public sector communications use TV more effectively? • How to use the power of TV to inform, educate, explain and direct viewers? • How to adapt for the on-demand future, where viewers have control?

14. The Phillis Report The fundamental issue addressed by the report was stated as.. ‘The three-way breakdown in trust between government and politicians, the media and the general public’ The Report suggested 7 key principles for modern government communications • Openness, not secrecy. • More direct, unmediated communications to the public • Genuine engagement with the public as part of policy formation, not as an afterthought • Positive presentation of government policies and achievements, not misleading spin • Use of all relevant channels of communication, not excessive emphasis on national press and broadcasters • Co-ordinated communication of issues that cut across departments, not conflicting or duplicated departmental messages • Reinforcement of the Civil Service’s political neutrality, rather than blurring of government and party communications An Independent Review of Government Communications, Chaired by Bob Phillis January 2004 www.gcreview.gov.uk

15. Information TV A New Way of Using TV • Enables better communications • Allows organisations to use their own programmes • Utilises an unconventional broadcast license • Applies a simple business model • Offers inexpensive delivery • For programmes that can inform, engage and direct interested viewers • Choosing watch, seeking advise, ideas, help Insert your programme here

16. How to use programmes to engage your audience • Create programmes that • inform, educate, explain, demonstrate • Guide the viewer on options and next steps • Promote these using existing communications channels • PR, web, email, direct mail, newsletters, advertising, viral, via partners, internal communications • At minimal extra cost • Create a self selecting, interested, receptive audience • Seeking advice, ideas, help, direction • Making a conscious ‘appointment to view’ • Via digital TV (Sky) or broadband Internet • Direct viewers using calls to action embedded within the programme • Call lines, email, web pages, forums, polling, SMS • Viewer feedback, polls, message boards • Measure ‘what people are doing and thinking’ as a result of watching it

17. The ‘Sponsored Programme’ Business Model • All clients • Control the promotion, editorial content and delivery • Decide when to broadcast/frequently repeat • Buy the hours on the channel to deliver their programme • Invite their audience to watch, learn from and act upon the programme • Public bodies (COI, Government departments, NGOs, etc) • Can embed calls to action, within their programme • Can deliver ‘un-mediated communications’ • Commercial businesses • Can “be useful or be entertaining” using branded programmes • Support, fund, promote a public body’s sponsored programme • Can co-sponsor and advertise within these

18. Phillis Recommendations R1: “…the focus of attention should be the general public” • Information TV is an accessible free to air channel R5: “…the public want information that is more relevant to them and where they live” • Information TV permits regional messages to be delivered, integrated and themed to a very local level R8: “We found a culture of secrecy and partial disclosure of information which is at the root of many problems we have examined” • TV is by far the best way of conveying information and Information TV allows government to disclose fully, without selective media spin R10: “A new approach to briefing the media..briefings should be on the record, live on television and radio… daily lobby briefings should also be televised” • Information TV can be used for just this purpose, without political or journalist commentary, allowing the public to form their own judgements R11: “ We found that, although significant resources are being devoted to websites, the impact has been diluted by a lack of integration within departments and across government” • Programmes broadcast on Information TV can functions as a ‘media hub’ allowing the public and stakeholders to understand an issue and directing them onto specific resources and services offered.

19. How can Public Sector Communications use TV? • To provide helpful information and guidance • Explain complex, sensitive or contentious subjects, rationally • Making this accessible and understandable • Let interested viewers, become an informed, engaged audience, • Direct viewers to specific resources to help them further • Use it to seek their feedback and opinions • Deliver un-mediated communications removing media distortion • Control news flow, editorial content and delivery of their messages • Communicate with internal and external audiences, employees, citizens, businesses, stakeholders

20. Who’s using it…? Department of Trade and Industry – targeting business NHS Scotland – targeting the employee Local Government Association - extending the value of events Crime Concern – explaining gun crime and exclusion issues, Royal Television Society – Minister’s speech on PSB / Switchover European Commission – environment, health, food, youth, BT – sponsoring a programme explaining FOI COI – Open I, information programmes for the deaf Food Standards Agency – public consultation events Scottish Executive – ‘Our most effective form of unmediated communications’ Chris Dempsey, Head of Marketing

21. Enough PowerPoint!!Let’s watch some television…

22. Summary • TV is evolving – going digital and offering more choice and greater control to viewers • This creates challenges and opportunities for communicators • Especially as TV remains the No1 medium for most • Viewers are not just watching, but using TV • Its too big to ignore, but how can you harness its power? • A new way of using TV with your own programmes • Where you control promotion, content and delivery • To achieve measurable outcomes and out-takes • By inviting an interested audience seeking help • To ‘watch, learn from and act upon’

23. Thank you Bill Gash – Commercial Director T. 020 7691 6310 M. 07940 178621 Bill.gash@information.tv

24. I am committed to act engagement I believe advocacy I see it matters commitment I understand the message motivation satisfaction I am aware of the message From Awareness to engagement Alex Aiken Head of Communications, Westminster City Council

25. RESULTS: A clear focus on outcomes, rather than outputs OBJECTIVE: Clarity about organisational goals STRUCTURE: Unified communications IMPLEMENTATION by linking communication and business objectives EVALUATION: Thorough research means honest benchmarking and evaluation of projects - measuring everything. ‘ROSIE’ The Route Map Alex Aiken Head of Communications, Westminster City Council

26. Outcomes How did your audience act upon the outputs Outtakes What have people understood and what do they feel Inputs Why do people think and behave as they do Outputs Our activity I understand why recycling is necessary I’m going to recycle I don’t recycle Leaflet • Output measures for management • Outtake measures for communication effectiveness • Outcome measures for the business • Combined role with research/consultation Alex Aiken Head of Communications, Westminster City Council

27. Other views Lucien Hudson – Director of Communications, DCA • Background • Phillis Review 2004 The report called for a redefinition of government communication into a more customer-focused two-way dialogue with the public, based on a strategic pan-media approach. • government communication had traditionally focused on news management and paid-for activity, such as advertising. • modern communications environment and its associated impact on the public's media habits, meant that government needed to redefine its approach • [? Public trust / engagement] • FOI – Operating in a more open environment • Media - Immediacy of news and range of channels – greater demands for news / information due to the availability of more media channels (24-hour news channels, internet). Press and public expectation of more, and more immediate information. Need to be able to respond quickly to developments. • Public (consumers) / stakeholders Lucien Hudson, Director of Communications, DCA November 2005

28. Other views Challenges are • To become more demand / customer focused - embed two-way communication • to bring the views of the public to the centre of policy and service development, not just to tell people about what we are doing. • To identify and work better with stakeholders and delivery partners • To connect better with frontline services - one of our ‘hotlines’ to and from the public– to understand the demand and to engage our people fully in development and delivery of the best services we can manage. • To be more strategic • more proactively identifying and working to meet changing consumer needs • identifying and working to the real priorities

29. Other views To facilitate this • Research • Greater use of research to understand our customers and their needs • Use risk / threats matrix - assess the impact (intensity) and likelihood (persistency) of the demand • Better engagement with specific communities and going beyond our traditional stakeholder / public consultation base. • Closer collaboration with key partners - e.g. across the CJS • DCA example • Has changed structurally; have a dedicated consumer strategy group and developing strengthened communications functions across the Dept and its agencies. • Consumer strategy function works closely with policy and communication colleagues to inform communications and influence policymaking from the start. Aim is to build message about customer focus into all communications, internal and external and to put the customer at the heart of everything that we do. • Strong research function – quantitative and qualitative; use of focus groups; understanding and making links with BME communities and engaging youth, using the right language; communicate through channels that are trusted and appropriate for each group. • Research examples - changes in societal trends in the UK, minority ethnic parents • Using research and closer collaboration with stakeholders and delivery partners in policy and operations - examples – voters and voter registration, CJS (victims advocates), magistrates • Developing new working practices to ensure consumer strategy and comms are involved from the start of projects Lucien Hudson, Director of Communications, DCA November 2005

30. Other views • DH example – Citizens Summit • Major public engagement exercise (announced summer 2005) to design the next stage of reform and improvement in the NHS and social care. • There will be large-scale deliberative events at the local, regional and national level – for patients, users, the public and NHS staff to work together. • DWP example –National Pensions Debate • Overarching comms strategy developed for whole of DWP. Customer at the heart of approach. Encouraging business to look beyond organisational silos and to join up communications channels/messages/content around needs of customers (i.e. move away from producer-led approach). • Comms now successfully influencing business and channels strategies, rather than just being effective deliverers of messages. • To conclude • Challenge keeping to our vision and strategy, but to be sufficiently responsive to emerging public / stakeholder demands. • Understand the bigger picture – no more silos – but also segmenting audiences where appropriate. • Greater inter-organisational collaboration and collaboration between organisations. • Costs – getting the balance right between where we can cut costs and knowing where we need to allocate budgets. • Authority - ensuring that there is support and direction from senior officials Lucien Hudson, Director of Communications, DCA November 2005