Case Study - Today On 3 Live

Background:
The etv media group worked with mobile phone company, 3, to produce its made for mobile TV service – “Today on 3 Live”. The show was the world's first daily 'made for mobile' television channel which provided its users (16-26 years audience focus) with everything they need to get through the day: music, movies, celebrity news, TV updates, banter and quirky debates. Presented by four engaging and popular presenters, the 12-minute show was fast paced and entertaining - and in bite sized pieces that were easy to digest as viewers tuned in on their way to work, during their lunch break, on the school bus or at home.

Objectives:
While many of the mobile phone operators have been experimenting with 3G and what it can do for their customers, 3 has led the way in trying to create innovative services while maintaining its quirky and cutting edge brand values. All services aim to:

• Add a compelling, extra-value service which attracts new customers
• Encourage existing customers to buy other 3 products
• Create long term benefits for advertisers from sponsorship/advertising deals

The key purpose of the Today on 3 Live channel was to act as a promotional tool for all services on ‘3’, but with a particular musical emphasis. 3 Mobile sold 53% of all digital music downloaded on mobile devices in the UK and this was reflected in Today on 3 Live.

Mechanic:
The etv media group produced a 12-minute show which was published at 7am each morning, along with a teaser for the following day’s show and interviews with current pop music artists available to download separately.

Once a week, etv compiled a best of Today on 3 Live podcast that incorporated comedy sketches, interviews, video inserts and studio chat.

Today on 3 Live was dedicated to bringing subscribers exclusive interviews with the biggest stars from the world of music including Lily Allen, Girls Aloud, Take That and Akon.

The service was completely free and no downloading was required. The show drove a positive uplift in content featured in the programme with viewers downloading content such as music videos, audio tracks, TV clips and games straight to their phone.

Today on 3 Live also promoted games sales, user generated portals such as SeeMeTV, other television channels and subscription services on the phone such as magazines and forums. One of the achievements of the show was its ability to promote these items without the use of an informercial. It took a comedic approach to these products that kept the viewers entertained and informed without feeling like they were being pushed a service.

Results:
The format was the UK’s most popular mobile TV show, achieving 10,000 to 30,000 downloads per day.