Article: Integrating and automating marketing campaign production at ITV
ITV, as an integrated producer broadcaster, creates, owns and distributes high-quality content on multiple platforms. It operates the largest commercial family of channels in the UK and delivers its content through traditional television broadcasting as well as on demand via the ITV Hub. ITV has the largest share of the UK television advertising market and its family of channels attracted a total share of viewing of 21.4% in 2016, the largest audience of any UK commercial broadcaster. ITV's main channel is the largest commercial channel in the UK, delivering 99% of all commercial audiences over five million. *
Given the large number of channels and variants, creating marketing campaigns for programmes across the networks involved processing a large number of versions. Skilled editors were spending less time being creative, and more time changing details in graphics: each trailer might have versions for coming soon , next week , next Thursday , tomorrow and later tonight , as well as different durations and cross-channel promotions.
There was clearly scope for more seamless, more efficient ways of working.
As well as considering how best to introduce automation where practical, ITV also wanted to streamline the mechanisms by which media planners and producers created and realised the promotional process from the very outset.
ITV generates more than 1,000 promo versions a month, delivered to its broadcast and digital channels. This was a highly manual technical process fraught with production challenges - and a process ITV wanted to transform into a marketing driven self-service model.
The system needed to work for everyone and become a single source of truth, so getting the marketing teams, creatives and media planners involved at prototype stage meant they were able to influence the design of the user interface and really make it their own. Technically the challenge was to integrate multiple systems and design and build the bespoke user interface so everything would work together seamlessly and enable automation of the versioning process. This is how it works:
Once the video, audio and data is assembled, the versions should be generated automatically, replacing details of branding and transmission times as required. Finally, the complete batch of versioned promos should be made available for checking by the marketing and compliance teams, whenever and wherever is convenient for them. Typically there is time pressure on promo production, and this process is designed to ease these pressures.
The automated versioning is handled by Factory from Pixel Power, an application on the Gallium workflow orchestration platform, with a software-defined graphics foundation based on the highly-acclaimed Clarity platform. Factory accepts the master edit created in Avid, draws any additional material it needs from the broadcaster's asset management system, and generates each version, very quickly and without any operator intervention.
Critical to the practical success of Factory, though, is ensuring that accurate information is made available to its automation layer. While Pixel Power does supply a simple user interface, it is much more powerful when closely integrated into the overarching campaign workflow.
ITV has done a considerable amount of work developing a bespoke campaign management system, called ITV Phoenix. Its aim is to create an overarching single interface that works for everyone.
ITV worked with media systems integrators NMR and software partners Cantemo, Vidispine and Codemill to develop ITV Phoenix. The system manages the end-to-end process of media planning, marketing, production, compliance, versioning (through the integration with Pixel Factory) and delivery. It has turned time consuming technology-heavy and office-based processes into a one click, self-service experience.
Users were heavily involved in the design phase. User interface specialist 100 Shapes was called in to the project to design a highly intuitive user interface that is simple to use and has kept training requirements to a minimum.
Today, a media planner creating a suite of promos enters the information into the system, and instantly gets a JPEG of the endboard of the trailer. This allows the operator to check that all the elements are correct: not just spellings and transmission times but other campaign details like social media calls to action. Accepting this JPEG then creates the work order for the original creative edit, and for the automated versioning.
The Pixel Power solution means all the teams involved get immediate visual feedback through endboards in our bespoke campaign management process, said Nick Haworth, head of technology, studios, at ITV. It is this level of system integration that removes the opportunity for errors. Now the marketing and creative production teams know what the campaign will look like right away, and that all the data is correct at the start of the process.
Factory packages the trailers and sends them, complete with appropriate metadata, back into ITV's campaign management system. There they can be viewed and approved by the marketing and compliance teams and, once checked, can be sent to ITV's broadcast playout centres.
The original edit is sent to an automated quality control system (and to manual QC if necessary), then checked by the commissioning campaign manager. The system can deliver this online, so the commissioner can check it on a phone or tablet if they are not at a desk. They then have the opportunity to skip the QC stage for all the versions, which will essentially be technically the same, just with different text in the graphics.
The solution eliminates repetitive work, allowing our creative staff to focus on what they do best, said Matt Scarff, Directo
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
04/05/2024
NEW YORK As the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month kicks off in May, Nielsen has released an extensive new report diving into their media habits with data sh...
04/05/2024
PHILADELPHIA As National Military Appreciation Month gets underway, Comcast has announced several new initiatives to help veterans, service members, and their f...
04/05/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. Federal Communications Commission chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has announced a tentative agenda for the May Open Commission Meeting scheduled...
04/05/2024
The Broadband Forum has announced major enhancements to key 5G convergence standards that the group said will help advance next-generation applications, improve...
04/05/2024
Spotify Wrapped Campaign Spot Graded With DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Blackmagic Design today announced that Colorist M...
04/05/2024
Three Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards An additional eight alums and two current students performed in nominated productions.
...
03/05/2024
An innovative learning tool to help media and civil society better understand ho...
03/05/2024
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 21: (L-R) Actors K stutis Cic nas and Greta Grinevi i t , Director Marija Kavtaradze and Producer Marija Razgute attend the 2023 Sunda...
03/05/2024
If you aren't familiar with Danny Ocean's music, it's only a matter ...
03/05/2024
Spotify has an unwavering commitment to supporting emerging artists across all genres, to helping them launch and thrive in their careers, and to connecting the...
03/05/2024
Como uno de los sonidos de mayor expansi n en el mundo, la M sica Mexicana va m ...
03/05/2024
As one of the fastest-growing sounds worldwide, M sica Mexicana is more than jus...
03/05/2024
NEW YORK FuboTV reported that it lost 110,000 subs in Q1 2024 but it exceeded its guidance for the quarter with double digit year-over-year increases across key...
03/05/2024
Only 3 Weeks Left To Enter The Creative Industries Most Award
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Creativepool is giving a last call to the creative i...
03/05/2024
WePlay Studios Transforms the Future of Live Event Storytelling with AJA Gear
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
By 2032, the esports market is expec...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Shannon Bream, Fox News Sunday anchor and chief legal correspondent, sat for a keynote chat at The Business of TV News, with Tom Umstead, senior co...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Asked how important is local news, Martha Raddatz, who has covered foreign conflicts for decades and moderated presidential debates for ABC News, s...
03/05/2024
Sony Pictures and Apollo Global Management have made a $26 billion cash offer fo...
03/05/2024
CBS announced its 2024-2025 primetime schedule, which features the new dramas NCIS: Origins, Matlock and Watson, and new comedies Poppa's House and Georgie ...
03/05/2024
Sports-focused streaming service Fubo said it reduced its red ink in the first quarter, despite losing 110,000 subscribers since the end of the year....
03/05/2024
Walmart is reportedly about to release a new 4K streaming box/smart speaker hybrid device for Google TV that could retail for as low as $50, according to a repo...
03/05/2024
Enhancements to its Delivery Workspace solution provide increased content delivery robustness and security
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: May 3, 2024
Enha...
03/05/2024
According to reports, if the bid is successful, Sony would be the significant majority shareholder of the new private company
By Jenny Priestley
Published: M...
03/05/2024
Located in Manchesters Spinningfields district, the course aims to equip students with the skills, knowledge and industry insight for a career in the creative s...
03/05/2024
Lightbridge has created a new Cine Reflect Lighting System kit, dedicated to enabling artistic lighting with consideration of today's productivity practical...
03/05/2024
Broadcast media systems integrator BeckTV and Lawo worked together on a large-scale AES67 build of radio control rooms at KPBS, San Diego's NPR and PBS memb...
03/05/2024
Raleigh, NC, April 12, 2024 SmallHD announces PageOS 6, a powerful software update free for owners of SmallHD monitors, featuring increased functionality, exp...
03/05/2024
SmallHD announces the Quantum 32 a new 31.5 OLED monitor designed to provide reference HDR/SDR images for post-production final color grading, as well as cri...
03/05/2024
By 2032, the esports market is expected to grow to $9.29 billion, bolstered by a global player count and fan following that both continue to climb. The 2023 Lea...
03/05/2024
Amagi, the global leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and connected TV (CTV), today announced that the 11th edition of the Amagi Global FAST Rep...
03/05/2024
Riedel Communications today announced that Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) is relying on a media and intercom network based on Riedel technology for the renewal of...
03/05/2024
Broadpeak , a leading provider of content delivery network (CDN) and video streaming solutions for content providers and pay-TV operators worldwide, announced t...
03/05/2024
Media technology innovator Limecraft will exhibit the latest updates to its online platform on stand G79 at the 15-16 May 2024 Media Production & Technology Sho...
03/05/2024
Audio interface specialist Prism Sound is partnering with console manufacturer Solid State Logic, professional monitor manufacturer PMC and acoustic panel and d...
03/05/2024
Intinor, Sweden's leading developer of products and solutions for high-quality video over the internet, is set to join forces with its UK partner Zest Techn...
03/05/2024
NAKIVO Inc., a fast-growing software company dedicated to protecting physical, virtual, cloud, and SaaS environments, announced its Q1 2024 financial results to...
03/05/2024
Hiltron Communications announces an addition to its range of satellite communication products and systems: a field-upgradable motorisation kit specifically desi...
03/05/2024
Visit LiveU at Stand D30
With this year an exceptional one for major sporting events alongside multiple, key elections, the power and flexibility of LiveU'...
03/05/2024
Agile Content, the leader in the development of technology and solutions for the provision of television services over the Internet, announces Koldo Unanue as i...
03/05/2024
Eight co-signers representing streaming services, pay TV operators and public interest groups have sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging their Committee...
03/05/2024
BOSTON Brightcove has announced that it has implemented Amazon Q Business, a new generative AI assistant on Amazon Web Services (AWS)....
03/05/2024
NEW YORK CBS has declared that it will finish the 2023-24 season as Americas Most-Watched Network in primetime for the 16th consecutive season....
03/05/2024
A new survey indicates that U.S. businesses and consumers had an overall positive attitude towards their technology spending plans in the first quarter of 2024,...
03/05/2024
Sony and Apollo Global Management have sent an offer letter to Paramount Global's board of directors making an $26 billion all cash offer for Paramount Glob...
03/05/2024
EMG / Gravity Media has appointed Charlie Cubbon chief operating officer (COO) and Jamie Hindhaugh regional CEO for the U.K., U.S., Australia and the Middle Eas...
03/05/2024
Final 2024 Season Games to Air Saturdays on WRAL at 10:30am in May, Championship on June 1
Taping for the final episodes of the 2024 season of WRAL-TV's Br...
03/05/2024
Estrella MediaCo said it is expanding its connected TV portfolio by launching three new channels with Curiosity that will first appear on Samsung TV Plus....
Article: Integrating and automating marketing campaign production at ITV 
