Fresh voiced cross-platform strategy for an intergenerational media product.
BritBox, the premier British TV streaming site, launched in the US in March 2017. A collaboration between "old guard" BBC and "youthful" iTV, the site struggled early on to find its niche in an ever-crowded streaming market, especially against direct competitors Acorn.
While Acorn routinely connected with tens of thousands of fans and viewers via Facebook and Twitter--and converted these fans into monthly subscribers--BritBox fought to have its voice heard, and when that voice was heard, it often fell flat.
We worked with BritBox to establish a digital strategy that would be both unique to their brand, and speak authentically about their multifaceted service in a way which would catalyze both fervent and potential fans of British TV into BritBox boosters and, most importantly, paying subscribers.
We did this by:
- Creating a unique social style which balanced pride in heritage series (vintage BBC programming, Classic Doctor Who) and excitement over new properties (Cold Feet reboot, Idris Elba productions, Dancing with the Stars).
- Connecting with fans and influencers where they already were (Doctor Who Comic-Con event, BritMas Chrismas, live Q&As with Cold Feet stars) and parlaying this into fan interaction and investment.
- Differentiating between the classics-oriented audience found on Facebook and potential younger viewers on Instagram who were more excited by new shows and younger stars.
- Establishing a strong presence on Instagram to attract these younger fans/subscribers, and actively recruiting their involvement with the brand.
- Inventing a brand voice which carried over from the home site (above) but spoke in the "memefied," self-aware language of contemporary digital media (see below).
- Helping BritBox superfans (and potential fans) laugh, enjoy an authentic connection to British culture, and celebrate the beloved properties they knew about, but may not have known were easily accessible through the BritBox site.
The results were a hundred-fold increase in subscribers (on social and to the service itself), greater fan interaction, and a significant impact on the subscription rate in the 35-45 and 60+ sectors.
Below are some examples of the copywriting I was directly responsible for, and a bit about the micro-campaigns this copy lead:
'Doctor Who' Comic-Con Fan Event
BritBox hosts the entire Classic Doctor Who catalogue, so when two "classic" Doctor Who actors did a live event at Comic-Con in San Diego, we launched a fan submission contest on Facebook and Instagram to ensure fans' questions took center stage at the event. We promoted the event to capture a new segment of potential BritBox subscribers and helped position BritBox as a hub for vintage sci-fi.
'Cold Feet' Reboot, Live and Online Premiere
After 13 years off the air, the UK's answer to 'Friends' returned in 2017, and BritBox was the only place it could be streamed outside the UK. We helped launch the premiere stateside, by coordinating with broader iTV marketing teams to ensure American fans were able to interact with and celebrate the actors who were back in the roles that made them (British) household names.
British Humo(u)r for American Laughs
An important focus of our campaign was to include American audiences in a uniquely British (but effortlessly accessible) fan experience. We did this by meme-ifying classic British shows, poking wholesome fun at evergreen UK/US cultural differences, and inviting fans (young and old) to join in and celebrate the unique marriage of "two peoples divided by a common language."
