2016 Review

Why does Taster exist?

Digital storytelling is key for our future We’re seeing stark generational changes

in audience behaviour

For example, 16-24s now spend more time on social networks and messaging apps than they do with linear TV

Taster helps us to adapt to this shift by enabling us to rapidly test new approaches to digital storytelling with our audience

16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%

Linear broadcastIP delivered

SHARE OF TIME SPENT WITH MEDIA

In a very competitive environment

1 - Technical innovation Social platforms are innovating technically, Facebook Live, 360 video (YT, Facebook) and conversation style services are growing at speed.

2 - Editorial innovation The rise of self publishing with Youtube, Kickstarter, Phundee. In VOD Amazon, Hulu, Netflix lead with data driven decision making.

3 - Talent development Huge increase of social talent, influencers and the people who manage social talent such as Gleam.

4 - Hard to reach audiences These audiences are congregating on social platforms and services such as Vice and Buzzfeed which the BBC struggle to compete with.

With increasing Budget pressures

• With less money available getting audience insight early on helps us reduce risk.

• Taster is a development tool that can inform data based decision making. (it has some of the best analytics tools available at the BBC)

• Taster can help with business cases or proposals and to inform budget and planning

Where we need to, fail fast, succeed quicker and remain distinctive

“We are going to do some of the greatest, boldest, most imaginitive work of our lives…

...A new product that blew me away was developed by a team of four. They have a “fast fail” culture – much better to kill off what had seemed like a good idea, and be upfront about it, than to work on it, hoping it might come good.”

“The BBC must be the risk capital for the UK’s creative industries”

“Innovation has been a part of the BBC from its very foundation. You have to refresh, to regenerate. I suppose you can't be the home of Doctor Who for 50 years without learning something about regeneration.”

Tony Hall, 2013

What is Taster?

Taster is a low risk playground for new ideas

A website that’s a home for our new ideas

A badge for content on and off the BBC that is experimental & innovative

A place for our audiences to try, rate & share something new

Other organisations have “Tasters” too

We Use Taster to….

Beta test new tech like Seenit (currently being used on BBC 1 “Let it Shine”) before deciding if the BBC can scale this up.

De-risk BAU – Ideas and Talent Development – ie BAME drama initiative, The Break or new social talent for BBC Three.

Develop New Digital Formats – ie personalised history engine ”Your Story” now being used for Black & British Season

Your Story: – eMedia & Journalism Winner 2015

Story of Now – Drum Design Award Winner 2015

Hooked : – Short Feature 2015

Autumnwatch Scrubbables - app of the year 2016

How to Survive a Nuclear Bomb – Digital Content Winner 2016

And to noticeably innovate, experiment & disrupt.

Investment & Activity to date

Where do the pilots come from?Titles: 184 pilots launched since Jan 2015

Depts/Genres : NHU/Digital Storytelling/Digital Guerrilla’s/ Sport/ News/Learning/ Comedy /Drama/Arts/M&A/Radio & BBC R&D all active users of Taster Resource .

Performance

KPI's

184live pilots 11m

visits

100,000+ pieces of feedback

220live releases

Source: Comscore + Taster data Feb ‘15 – Sep ‘16

Audience KPI Jan-Sept 2016 metrics:

Reach

Returning Browsers

Homepage Conversion

Participation Rate

Average weekly browsersTarget: 100K unique browsers

Returning BrowsersTarget: 10% of browsers return to Taster in following month

Homepage ConversionTarget: > 40% of users consume > 1 page

Participation rateTarget: >= 5% that try a pilot go on to rate it

165K +65%KPI

62K / 6% of

browsers-4% KPI

27% -13% KPI

4% -1%KPI

Taster Reach

2015 average weekly Ubs: 74,7402015 average weekly PVs: 196,4932016 average weekly Ubs: 202,8662016 average weekly PVs: 1.08M

Taster in June has had weeks with 400K & 800K unique browsers.

+171% growth in Weekly UB 2015 vs. 2016

Source: Comscore weekly unique browsers – June 1 2015 – Sept 30 2016

Traffic comparison: Taster, BBC Three, Arts

• Taster traffic peaks exceed bbc.co.uk/bbcthree

• Traffic in line with or up to 5x Arts throughout 2016

Source: Comscore daily unique browsers Jan - Sept 2016

Source: Comscore weekly unique browsers – June 1 2015 – Sept 30 2016

Pan-BBC promotion is key

Taster traffic is predominantly driven by internal promotion; with largest peaks in traffic when Taster pilots are promoted on Sport, News or Homepage.

Traffic & Rating 2016# RatingsBrowsers

Ai Wei Wei 360

How to Survive A Nuclear Bomb

(Interactive)

Your BBC Moments

What is that?Project King

Your Somme

BBC Sport Live Guide

Total Ratings: 103,502Top Rating: 4.7 starsAverage Rating: 3.64 stars

Rating conversion ranges between 0.15% and 15%

Trooping the colour 360

Source: Comscore daily unique browsers January 2016 to date

Who would play you in a movie?

Target Performance Quantity of pilots

100 (pilots are on Taster each year)with a refresh rate of 7 a month

43 pilots currently live

Refresh rate of 5 a month (August)Diversity of pilots

15 different sources

30% of pilots include diverse members of the team (on and off screen) or ‘diversity at the heart’

Currently Pilot’s from 21 different sources

5 pilots have diversity at the heart (12%)

Impact of Taster pilots going back into the organisation

Target 3-1 10 of 43 ideas are currently being re-used in some way

Taster KPI's (Feb 2016 to Feb 2017)

Impact – pilots with an onward journey in TV

Interactive video tools – implementing use of Interlude/Touchcast/Wirewax software pan BBC to pilot newDigital Formats.

BAME Drama Shorts “The Break” – Writers Room Drama Shorts published by BBC Three & re-commissioned by BBC Drama Commissioning.

Once Upon A Tweet: – Piloted on Taster and subsequently commissioned by BBC Three

Interactive Brain Crash Doc – Led to Development/Commission of Life & Death Row: Love Triangle for BBC Three

SeenIt – UGC uploading tool adopted pan BBC (News/Sport/TV) now informing D&E uploader requirements in 17/18

Impact

Your Story Engine – personalised history engine subsequently re-commissioned by M&A for Charter Renewal piece “Your BBC Moments” & BBC Factual Commissioning for Black & British Season

Movie Quiz – engine being re-used by Factual TV Commssioning for “Shop Well For Less”, “Trust Me I’m A Dr” other TV shows in 16/17

The Voice VR /Strictly VR Attenborough VR/ Rome VR – leading TV understanding around the growth of VR in Broadcast.

Story Explorer – re- used by M&A for promotion of Peaky Blinders series 3 on BBC2 2016

WeatherBot – re-used on BBC TV General Election Coverage 2015

2016 TV Factual Commissioning Pilot - exploring new digital formats with TV Commissioning

Social Formats

Immersive Formats

Personalised Formats

2016 In Production

Your Black & British Moments personalised history engine for BBC 2 Black & British Season Nov 2016

Let It Shine – UGC tool SeenIt adopted by M&A & TV production for use on Let It Shine BBC 1 Jan 2017

Big Life Fix , social media innovation & social first content produced for BBC2 Jan 2017

Secret Life of Poaching – social media innovation for BBC 1 Factual TV Content cc Nov 2016

Strictly Come Dancing - Own The Stage – M&A UGC Collaboration cc Nov 2016

How can we take this to the next level?

Editorial recommendations• Fund for another year - with clear objectives from TV and aligned with D & E product

strategy with a view to becoming a mainstream development tool

• Editorial Roadmap for Taster commissioned/housed in Content – with

key remit to develop scalable digital formats for TV

• Continue as pan BBC resource platform capability available to all parts of the BBC but

with content spend driven by TVHQ

• Broaden Supply Base, BBC Studios, Digital Agencies, Digital Guerrilla’s, TV indies, Academy

etc…

Thank youwill.saunders@bbc.co.uk