ADAM BULLOCK - MANAGING DIRECTOR, UTV PITCH
- What programming innovations are you introducing for your World Cup coverage?
Apart from being the only commercial platform broadcasting all 64 games live via all channels - on-air, digital and online - talkSPORT has created World Cup content hubs in London and South Africa. Full commentaries, breaking news stories, interviews and just about anything relating to the World Cup in South Africa will be collated and placed on to talkSPORT's multiplatform offering. Exclusive added-value and extra content will be appearing on our online services and on our new iPhone app - as well as appearing on-air - making talkSPORT the definitive place to be for the World Cup.
- How are advertisers working with you on creative ways to achieve standout?
The addition of Sport magazine to the commercial offering has enabled us to offer more multifaceted solutions. On top of the shared (event-based) commercial radio and digital model we are implementing for our six sponsorship partners during the World Cup, we have offered brands the chance to create bespoke content pieces. This content delivers standout and is unique to each brand. These assets really allow clients to get closer to the fans and activate some of their unique World Cup positions to more than 2.5 million World Cup daft men.
At the moment, we are enjoying John Barnes rapping his way to success with Mars, amplifying its TV creative, while making sure we look good with Nivea for men. After all, pre-match preparation is the key to success.
- How much of a revenue boost do you expect the World Cup to provide?
TalkSPORT recorded growth of 16 per cent for the first four months of 2010. Growth will exceed this for May and June reflecting the increased activity around the tournament.
- How much is this offset by brands with little or no association with football moving their spend to either side of the tournament?
The World Cup has had a very positive halo effect across all revenues and rather than avoiding the period as some had predicted, quite the opposite has happened. We have created unique airtime packages around games and these have been snapped up by a diverse range of advertisers, from British Gas to Mercedes, who are advertising exclusively around our World Cup content. Outside of the premium, we have seen a high brand count from a wide range of categories during the tournament.
- How confident are you that England will perform well and how important is a good tournament for England to your fortunes?
As always, I will be full of delusional optimism as John Terry, Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard cross the white line. In reality, I think we will stutter, resulting in us being runners-up in our group and losing to Germany on penalties in the first knockout phase. Luckily, our revenues and content won't be affected and neither will our partners' marketing plans. We pride ourselves on building a commercial model that delivers value over months rather than weeks. The World Cup on talkSPORT and in Sport has been building since December 2009, offering deep-rooted audience connections for our brands rather than five minutes of fame in June.
- What's your tip for the two teams contesting the final?
My heart says England vs Spain, but my head says Brazil vs Spain. Come on England!
MARK TRINDER - COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR, ITV
- What programming innovations are you introducing for your World Cup coverage?
TV will kick off the tournament with exclusive coverage of the opening game, and of England's first two games, both of which are in peaktime. All of ITV1's games will be in full HD on the new ITV1 HD channel. And we have a first-class team for the World Cup, led by our new signing Adrian Chiles. Online, we're launching a brand new dual screen initiative, ITV Live. Fully ad-funded, ITV Live will allow viewers to customise their experience with action replays, real-time statistics, voting and social networking. And ITV.com will have full highlights and clips of all the games along with every match available to view again on the ITV Player. Following our evening match coverage, ITV1 will screen James Corden's World Cup Live.
- How are advertisers working with you on creative ways to achieve standout?
More brands are making more World Cup-specific copy and there is a demand for longer ads and for extended stories that can play out online as well as on TV. This is particularly true of "live" ads that carry a dynamic copy element. We have also seen a huge increase in the use of the latest technology available, whether that's HD, live or dual screen viewing. Hosted at ITV.com, we think ITV Live will meet this demand. It provides rich opportunities for advertisers to be part of the live game experience. On mobile, we are launching a World Cup iPhone app, which will mean consumers will have all the action at their fingertips, as well as a streaming web app of ITV1 and ITV2 for iPhone via the browser at www.itv.com/iphone.
- How much of a revenue boost do you expect the World Cup to provide?
Major sporting events are not an open door for revenue, so it was important for us to set out our strategy to target and pitch for revenue from clients by demonstrating clearly the value and reach this event, and TV in general, offers. Allied to our commercial strategy, the huge interest and expectation that England will do well, plus the fact that most of the games are in peaktime, is helpful.
- How much is this offset by brands with little or no association with football moving their spend to either side of the tournament?
Compared with the 2006 World Cup, in 2010 there is a sharp increase in brands not normally associated with the World Cup or football wanting to advertise. We've seen new high-spending categories entering the market for the first time - most notably gaming - so brand count is at an all-time high. We've also seen a shift from player association to the event itself, which has given the impression that the World Cup is "bigger" than before.
- How confident are you that England will perform well and how important is a good tournament for England to your fortunes?
ITV has secured exclusive coverage of the two opening England games, both of which will be live at the heart of peaktime. But just as importantly, the World Cup delivers huge audiences, not just when Wayne Rooney and Co are on-screen. In 2006, our live group stage games, many of which played in daytime, attracted an average audience of almost six million viewers; at the last 16 stage in 2006, the matches brought in audiences of more than 11 million on ITV1; our semi-final delivered 13 million and a huge 57 per cent share of male ABC1 viewers. We'll be delighted if England make it to the final on 11 July, but whatever happens, we're looking forward to a fantastic tournament.
- What's your tip for the two teams contesting the final?
As I'm feeling optimistic, let's say England vs Spain. England to win 2-0.