In this Spilling the T edition with Francesca Aita, Head of Marketing at Together TV, Jennifer Carey, Head of Media at Channel 4, shares her most exciting professional moments, her thoughts on the future of DTT and the reasons behind Hollyoaks going digital.
Francesca: Channel 4 is an award-winning channel and a pioneering one as well. What would you say is your proudest moment?
Jennifer: I would say it's probably working on the 2012 Paralympic campaign. It felt like being part of something huge that would have a long-lasting impact on, not just the entertainment industry but, Paralympic sport perceptions and the inclusion of disabled people, not just in the UK, but around the world.
Francesca: After analysing that campaign, is there one thing that stuck out to you and made you think ‘Oh wow, did we really cause that cultural change’?
Jennifer: After that kind of first inaugural year of us broadcasting the Paralympics, we did see a big shift in terms of a more positive perception of people with disabilities, and an interest in Paralympic sports that just wasn't there in the same level before. We have noticed that it does die back down again so we're currently thinking about Paris 2024 and listening to the different communities and making sure that we're representing people in the right way.
Francesca: In your recent role as Chair on the Freeview board, you had a wider perspective of the TV landscape. Where do you think DTT (digital terrestrial television) is heading?
Jennifer: I think Broadcast TV has got great power to inform and educate. I think that we, as an industry, need to band together, it's why we've seen the question of prominence. Together TV is also facing the challenge of prominence. The challenges of not being available on certain platforms, and how, on a Smart TV, there's certain apps that are more prominent on the home screen.
I think it's important that public service broadcasters make sure that they're prioritised in that space within the UK. I think finding the right stories to tell, for younger people, so they can build a relationship with us is important.
For our recent campaign promoting the C4 streaming platform We looked at what some of Channel 4's programmes would be like if they were made by global companies (my favourite was Hollyoaks, shot as if it was a Scandi-noir drama). Our brand platform is ‘altogether different’, and we know that to represent the diversity and range of different voices across the UK it's really important to have something for everyone that feels relevant.
Francesca: Since you mentioned it - it was recently announced that Hollyoaks is going to go completely digital. Is there something you can share in terms of the reasoning behind this?
Jennifer: It's a bold move. I think we have to make bold moves if we're going to push our digital viewing forward. That’s been a big part of our strategy for prioritising digital growth over linear ratings. And to do that, sometimes, you have to make quite difficult decisions. We're listening to our audience, understanding their viewing habits, and, and kind of taking one of our flagship shows, and doing something really, bold, that's kind of putting our money where our mouth is and prioritising our digital growth.
Francesca: Going back to the beginning of your career, how did you get on your professional path?
Jennifer: I'm from Dublin, and I came to London “temporarily” with friends after studying drama at university thinking I was going to be a famous actress! But I really was interested in film and television and thought that was an area I wanted to work in. I answered an ad in the newspaper for people to work in sales at Carlton TV, which was one of the saleshouses that used to serve ITV. I thought, ‘oh telly!’ but I didn’t know what the job was. I didn’t know anything about media. I didn’t know it was someone’s job to decide where ads went. They were asking me questions like “where would you put an ad for Kellogg’s cornflakes?” I must’ve said something right because I got the job in Carlton TV’s sales team, which served as my introduction to the world of media. I loved the combination of art and science that was involved. The numerical side of it, but also the relationship building side of it.
I stayed there for a couple of years, then I went to work for a media agency in media planning and buying. It was still very TV focused, liaising with different channels and learning about the TV marketplace. After a few years, Channel 4 came calling with an opportunity to work in their media planning team. It reminded me of that first job interview, what does a broadcaster’s media planning team do? When I found out that you work within the channel, promoting all these amazing programmes but it wasn’t seen as valuable in the market because it’s promo time; I could apply that media planning science to something was more editorial driven. Thinking about the audience, thinking about who we want to reach, how many times we want to reach them. I obviously loved it because I’m still here!
Francesca: What skills would you say that are more important to you to apply in your current position as Head of Media?
Jennifer: I would say in my role now, as the Head of Media and I also look after a lot more marketing effectiveness, it’s really about communication and storytelling both internally and externally. I’ve got a brilliant team who do all the work, run all the campaigns and I used to joke and say that my job was about 50% people wrangling, which is all about knowing who you need to influence and how to get the best outcome for your team.
It’s a complex world, the TV landscape is changing. My role is constantly evolving, and the way people watch TV has changed drastically. We’ve had that mass acceleration of on-demand viewing. My role is really to communicate in a simple way what that means for marketing and media, and how we can deliver our future strategy on digital transformation, prioritising digital growth, diversifying our revenue and how we can develop a plan to make that happen within marketing. But also communicating that to stakeholders to get them on board and to support what we do.
Francesca: What challenge did you face in your professional career that you felt you learned the most from?
Jennifer: I think it would be looking in the area of effectiveness. You could make a lovely campaign, but what is it going to do in terms of driving views That is where we have undergone a huge learning journey, in understanding the impact of what we do on viewing and how we can improve that and prove that this is a worthwhile investment.
Francesca: Previously, you were on the media advisory group for Together TV. What role does Together TV play in the ever-changing media landscape?
Jennifer: I think Together TV does something really special and unique. I think it plays a very distinct role in the TV landscape. I remember, when I first got involved, hearing about the connection that you have with your audience, I think that's what made it stand out for me.
The content that you're delivering has real purpose, people are really engaged with it, and it makes a difference in their life. Your reach is small, but from what I’ve seen the engagement is very high and I think that there's got to be a place for that kind of broadcasting and communication.
Your audience is a bit older, and I think we all spend a lot of time chasing young people, trying to find them on YouTube and elsewhere. But we’ve actually got an aging population, everybody’s living longer and older people's relationships with their TV is more than just entertainment for them. It can be a companion. It can be where they get information from and a source of comfort. I think the fact that there is somewhere that is designed to speak to those audiences, listen to them, and put content out there, makes a difference in the community that kind of lives and breathes beyond the channel. I think it's a really special thing that I think it's great that all the broadcasters support it.
Francesca: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Jennifer: I don't remember whether anyone actually ever said this to me, but one of the things that I try to always remember is that you catch a lot more flies with honey than vinegar. Be nice to people. It costs nothing. And always, always listen, you don't always need to speak to have your presence heard.
Francesca: What TV show could you not live without?
Jennifer: Ooh, you always think of the thing that you’ve most recently watched. The programme that I loved most recently has been The Bear on Disney+. I absolutely love that show. I think it's unapologetic and brave. The use of different filming techniques, the acting is outstanding and the storytelling is amazing.
Francesca: I end each interview with a “Pass it on” question provided by the previous guest without knowing who would be interviewed next – they asked: Which character from history inspires you and why?
Jennifer: I would say one of the suffragettes. It’s easy to forget that it wasn’t that long ago that women couldn’t work, vote nor be in senior positions. I think the fact that we can look around now and see so many women in senior positions within the media industry and being able to have a family and find fulfilment is incredible. I feel very lucky that I can have a successful career and have a young family.
Enjoyed this? You can also read ITV's commissioning director's, Satmohan Panesar, Spilling the T interview or the Director of BBC Creative, Justin Bairamian's interview sharing his proudest moments and adapting to the ever-shifting media landscape.
Did you enjoy this interview? Get more insights straight into your inbox:
