How do you come up with fresh marketing ideas?
Generating ideas is part of our company culture. We brainstormed our new channel brands internally, including Dave, Eden, Blighty, and now Home and Really. The next stage is to transform them into truly multi-platform brands.
What is the main marketing challenge you face?
Standing out in an overcrowded TV market, while facing growing competition from other media sources.
Describe the marketing team in three words.
Collaborative, hard-working, slick.
What are the perks?
Apart from having an excuse to watch TV all day, getting to work with the best-quality content and an environment where convention is overruled in favour of creativity.
What is the dress code?
Smart-casual with an individual flair.
What is UKTV like for training and career progression?
Career development and training are integral to our appraisal process. Staff can also apply for The Learning Curve fund; £1000 is up for grabs every two months for initiatives outside work. This can be anything from learning an instrument to belly dancing.
What about the salary and benefits package?
Enviable. We get 26 days holiday, generous pension and healthcare schemes, a subsidised multichannel TV subscription and a canteen.
Are there any downsides?
Our viewers have a voracious appetite for fresh content and events, so as soon as you’ve finished one project, there’s another one on the horizon.
Is there anything particularly interesting about your office’s interior design?
We all sit on one open-plan floor, decorated to look more like a home than an office. Meeting rooms are channel-themed – the Dave room is all leather sofas, gilt frames and quirky ornaments – and we have a comfy communal area for informal meetings. Each department can be identified by its distinctive lampshade.
Company facts
- UKTV’s headquarters is at 160 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5QA.
- There are about 160 employees; 14 are marketers.
- Key brands include Dave, Watch, GOLD, Alibi, Eden, Blighty and Yesterday. UKTV Style and UKTV Gardens will shortly become Home and Really. A new name for UKTV Food is yet to be confirmed.
- UKTV has a 5% share of the TV-viewing audience.
- It won Broadcaster of the Year at the Media Magnate Awards last month.
- David Abraham is chief executive; Tom Lucas is director of marketing and communication.