The C4 Website

The Channel 4 website

Homepage

The homepage has a menu down the side, which shows all the main pages, as well as a list of the top TV shows, with links to each of their channel 4 pages. This allows consumers to easily navigate to their more niche interests, or their favourite programmes. The main headline is ‘Get free stuff,’ on a Skins background, which appeals to a lot of consumers, and is an example of Channel 4 rewarding loyal consumers. There are more links to programmes further down on the page, and a link to ‘The Ultimate Friends Quiz,’ and the Games page, which shows the more interactive features of the website. On the right hand side is a Channel 4 TV schedule for the evening, allowing consumers to quickly scan what’s on, as well as encouraging them to watch. Below this is the latest news headlines, showing the more serious side to C4, and providing something for an audience who are not interested in gaming. Finally there are external adverts for Sky and Honda, which provides a source of revenue.



Watch Online

Channel 4’s watch online service is called 4OD (4 on demand), and is a key example of interactivity and personalization. Consumers can choose what they watch, when they want to watch it and are not bound by the linear nature of traditional television scheduling. This is the explanation featured on the website:

‘You can now download your all time favourite Channel 4shows and films to your PC, on demand. 4oD is quite simplyanother way to get your TV hit, 24/7. You can delveinto the Archive, catch up on programmes you missed inthe last month and even pre-book upcoming ones.’

The 4OD programme itself is free to download, encouraging consumers to at least take this first step, and you pay per programme after this, meaning each individual programme purchased is cheap, with no big initial outlay like there is for a provider such as Sky. There are free shows each week as well, which gives consumers a taste and leaves them wanting more.



TV

The TV section of the website has links to Channel 4’s sub-brands, such as E4, More4 and Film4. When clicked, each of these links shows the top programmes and gives that evenings TV listings for the particular channel. There are links to particular programmes, which all have their own C4 pages. For a deconstruction of one of these pages, see my blog about the Skins website.



Entertainment

This section of the website contains a range of different pages, with the menu on the left offering film, games, music, sport, T4, 4laughs and thisisaknife. This is another interactive section of the website, designed to give something back to fans of specific interests such as films or online gaming.



Lifestyle

The lifestyle section also has a huge range of different topics, ranging from gardening to motoring. It is notable that many of these pages do offer interactive features, such as a ‘Name that car’ quiz, where you can win prizes, an added incentive for consumers to compete. The lifestyle section offers advice to consumers as well, on everything from money to diet, while at the same time advertising programmes that are on the same subject. For example, the health section has links to the pages for ‘You Are What You eat,’ and ’10 Years Younger.’

News

The news section is fairly standard, but there are some added extras. For example, you can read blogs from the channel 4 news team, and there is also a forum, which encourages interactivity and loyalty to an online community. There is also specialist news sections, such as Science, Arts and Sports.

Documentaries

The Documentaries section is divided into Culture, Faith and Beliefs, History, Fourdocs and Science. Each of these sections offers news, a forum, quizzes, games and competitions. This is a way of getting people, and it suggests young people, more interested in documentaries, by making them more fun and interactive.



Interact

The interact section of the website includes features seen on other sections of the website, such as forums, but also includes mobile links, and free downloads for mobiles, a Take part section where consumers can apply to appear in channel 4 shows, and 4talent, a website where amateurs can display their work.

Summary

The channel 4 website seems to revolve around interactivity, with each individual section containing interactive features. It aims to present news and information in an interesting and up-to-date way while attempting to include the consumer as much as possible, and get them interested in channel 4 as a brand, encouraging loyalty.

The Skins Website

The Skins Website

‘Us’ Section

Introduction to the characters, including:
- An ‘about me’ section, so that the consumer can feel they ‘know’ the character, and have inside information on them, giving them a more personal link to the show
- Fave tv shows – an opportunity to market other channel 4 programmes – for example Scrubs on Michelle’s introduction
- Fave movies
- Fave bands – includes links to their channel 4 websites – more subliminal advertising for channel 4 products
- Fave websites – links to external websites – more opportunity for channel 4 to earn outside revenue
- Photos and video diary – again to give the consumer something unique and personal which they cannot get elsewhere or from the TV show

Sign-up

Gives you the opportunity to become a member of the Skins community, where you will receive benefits such as being able to view ‘unseen skins,’ weekly emails, exclusives and ‘free stuff’ such as a free song download. It allows channel 4 to send emails about their other products and services, and also helps them to track the progress and success of the programme.

Episodes

Contains episode summaries to keep-viewers up-to-date if they miss an episode, and encourage them not to stop watching if they do miss one. It also contains a link to the Skins MySpace page.

Unseen Skins

Each week an unseen, unavailable on TV, mini episode of Skins is released, which is only available to members of the Skins Community. For the consumer this offers exclusive content, allowing a feeling of being one of a limited number who gets to view these, making them feel more valued. For channel 4, it encourages customer loyalty, both to the website and to the programme. It is also motivation for consumers to join the Skins Community (discussed above)

Competitions

These competitions were all before the actual launch of skins, to encourage consumers to get involved early on, and to feel a part of the programme before it had even started. They also got people talking about the programme and created an early hype.

The competitions were:

- to redesign the logo
- to style the characters for a shoot in More magazine
- to compose the music which will accompany a scene in episode 5
- to create a short film based around one of the characters

The first three areas all mean less work for the production team, while the fourth gives the programme extra publicity.

Trailers

The trailers, which were available before the episodes were shown, similarly create a hype, and allow consumers to rewatch as many times as they want. The videos also have channel 4 adverts before they begin, which cannot be skipped.

Forum

The forum allows the most interactivity on the site, with users able to create topics, or add to existing ones. The forum creates an online community, where users can talk for as long as they like with people who have a shared interest. They may not otherwise have people to talk to about Skins, and by giving them a portal for discussion, the website also encourages people’s interest in Skins to grow beyond simply watching the programme, and turning them into a much more interactive and dedicated fan.

Advertising

The Skins webpage, like all the other channel 4 webpages, contains internal and external advertising, as well as a link to the sponsor (BSM’s) website. This brings in revenue for channel 4, as the more consumers log onto their site, the more willing companies are to pay for advertising space. As the Skins website contains interactive and exclusive content, with particularly the ‘Unseen Skins’ encouraging loyalty, as they are released weekly, it is likely consumers will feel a lot more involved in the programme, encouraging them to watch, which in turn earns more revenue for channel 4.

The Superman Returns Website

The ‘Superman Returns’ Website

Contains:
- Trailer on the homepage – allows consumers a preview, so they feel special, and also encourages them to see the film
- Information about the DVD, including all the added extras – encourages them to buy the DVD
- Information about the HD DVD and the blu-ray disc – similar to above. Also another example of new technologies
- Story, cast and crew – More information – again allows consumers to feel involved
- Insider information: about the production, the special effects, the origins of the story etc.
- DVD trailer

- Theatrical trailer
- Clips from the DVD (x3)
- Set gallery
- TV spots (coming soon)
- Still images from the film
- Links to other websites, including the Superman Returns MySpace, the Daily Planet website, partners such as the video game, website perfectmatch.com, Duracell batteries and Papa Johns pizza – encourages interactivity (ie visiting/commenting the MySpace) and advertises its sponsors

- Mobile phone links, such as numbers to text to get downloads, information and quizzes – creates revenue and gives consumers something back – unique content unavailable elsewhere
- Film images that you can put on your own website (codes provided) – free source of marketing
- Downloads, including:
1. Wallpapers
2. Buddy icons
3. Posters
4. Screensavers
5. Stickers
6. Iron-ons
7. Headed paper

Overall, the features on the website encourage the consumer to feel included in the production of the film, and draw them in by giving them previews, giving them more reason to watch the film or buy the DVD. They also provide different sources of revenue, mainly from texting and advertising.