UKTV

I have seen stuff that should be on gold on other UKTV channels like yesterday!

In order:

Dave - obviously much better
Eden - seems to have created a decent brand for itself
Gold - crap brand (especially when they insisted on G-O-L-D!) but better programming than before
Good Food - not a big change
Home - not a big change either, but crappy wishy washy brand
Yesterday - I'd argue it's worse, both in terms of brand and content
Really - poorly positioned, crap brand
Watch - invisible
Blighty - invisible

I think they need to bring back some sort of brand which can be used as a prefix/suffix on the name but must feature on marketing. UK Dave would be a mistake at this stage, though. Where are UKTV in the Dave trademark lawsuit?

you mist one out!

Ablia:

In order of what?


Not a big change from what? It didn't exist as


The name's a bit rubbish but their branding's really good and their content's not bad (if you like that sort of thing). It was being promoted quite heavily around the time it went on Freeview and I think it's doing quite well


This has been suggested loads of times and I still don't get why it would help anything. It doesn't help with the channel's content and what marketing advantage does it give by linking, for example, Dave and Home in the public's mind?

The branding consultancy withdrew their opposition:

http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/news/1085408/Dave-trademark-dispute-takes-new-twist-branding-agency-climbs-down

You mean Alibi.

Also someone mentioned earlier that the end board that shows the the channel logos and websites is wrong before going into Teleshopping. Not surprising its got the wrong Watch logo as the channel itself was using the old break bumpers for about a week and a half after rebranding the DOG and the main intros into shows.

I don't know what to think about Alibi. I actually think the best name that channel ever had was UK Arena - when they dropped the non-crime programming it fell off my radar but from what I've seen it's okay.


Perceived success.

UKTV Style - the name isn't a massive departure.
If you put Watch on Freeview I'm sure it'd do better (as all channels generally do!) but unlike Dave and Eden it doesn't compete effectively on the pay platforms.

This has been suggested loads of times and I still don't get why it would help anything. It doesn't help with the channel's content and what marketing advantage does it give by linking, for example, Dave and Home in the public's mind?[/quote]
A hallmark of quality - similar to Discovery.

Before all the rebranding I always thought a Watch type "general" channel would be their best bet for Freeview - able to pick content from the rest of the UKTV family, and also air anything that didn't fit.


I'm not sure the prefix is required, but pretty much agree with your assesment. Yesterday is rubbish compared to what UKTV History was and in some cases takes it's "Yesterday" identity a bit too literally.

I must say all the lifestyle brands blend into one for me and Really hasn't really made a mark on Freeview at all in the way Dave did - though ratings have still increased ten fold.

It's a totally different channel to Arena, even though it's technically the direct successor that's the only connection.


The content is though isn't it? It replaced Style and Gardens


What are the figures like on pay platforms? I was referring more to it doing well because it's focussed and has a certain feel to it - once you've watched it for a bit you know exactly what you're going to get.

I'm not sure what criteria was used for choosing it for Freeview but UKTV must have had a high opinion of it


It's still not something that will, by itself at least, drive viewers from one to the other. 'Discovery' works because their channels are all the same genre.

Also trying to associate the quality of one channel onto another works both ways!

UK Arena was more like BBC4 with commericals, or like Sky Arts, as a commercial service it wasn't viable, hence why it changed format.

Well, more like an early BBC Four, not like BBC Four is now. BBC Four now is like BBC Two several years ago.

The only thing I ever remember watching on Arena were repeats of Not The Nine O'Clock News. I think I still have them on tape somewhere.

Incidentally I remember there being some controversy from some in the BBC about UKTV using Arena and Horizons as channel names, neither being as highbrow as the 2 programmes they were named after