Clips on the Net How RTL Group’S Video Portals Add Value
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14 May 2009 week 20 Clips on the Net How RTL Group’s video portals add value Luxembourg Belgium RTL Group remains member of How RTL Belgium covers the FTSE4Good index the 2009 elections Greece France Change on Alpha Media Group’s Un dîner presque parfait management team at newsstands week COVER: Montage with RTL Group’s video-clip portals 2 week 20 the RTL Group intranet “Advertisers need reliable environments” In addition to various catch-up TV services, RTL Group companies also operate video portals, which now offer professional content as well as user-generated content, thereby making them easier to market. Clipfish.de Luxembourg - 14 May 2009 Unlike catch-up services, video-clip portals were designed as interactive portals that users can get involved in. The idea is that they should be able to upload, view and share free short videos (no longer than five or ten minutes) using a PC or mobile device. In addition, they can comment on uploaded videos, save them as favourites or integrate them in their own sites. Channels help users to create a library or video diary of sorts. In 2006, the video portal Clipfish.de went online in Germany – a portal modelled on the Mathias Blüm huge audience success of YouTube and Mathias Blüm, Managing Director of specifically aimed at German-speaking users. Clipfish.de, confirms this trend: “At Clipfish our As well as content related to RTL Television users have increasingly accessed professio- programming, the portal also highlighted clips nally produced video content since the summer produced by the users themselves and laun- 2008 relaunch. Highlight clips such as ched a number of casting and talent competi- Deutschland sucht den Superstar (Idols), tions, for example for the popular daily soap Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus (I’m A Gute Zeiten – Schlechte Zeiten. The strategy Celebrity – Get Me Out Of Here) and has since changed: “I believe that interest in Das Supertalent (Got Talent), which apart from user-generated content is already past its RTL.de are only available on Clipfish.de, are peak,” says Marc Schröder, Managing Director among the most successful formats on German of RTL Interactive. “The trend is towards more TV and Internet.” Thus, an environment suitable quality. People want professionally produced for successful marketing has been created. video content rather than user-generated “Advertisers want to present their brands in content.” reliable environments,” says Blüm. “Our strong premium content, in combination with the over 11,000 music videos from our partners Universal, Sony, Edel/Kontor and Ministry Of Sound, plus premium content from over 130 channel partners with high-quality videos, has 3 week 20 the RTL Group intranet been the calling card of Clipfish.de for the past year. The download figures for these videos now account for up to 40 per cent of total views on Clipfish.de,” says Blüm. The biggest diffe- rence to the RTLnow.de catch-up service is that Clipfish offers highlight clips, video clips and additional videos, while entire programmes can be viewed at RTLnow – just as they were previously broadcast on television. Tom Weber The Youmake.tv portal, operated by RTL Lëtzebuerg in Luxembourg and RTL Digital in Belgium, has taken the approach of offering professionally produced content in conjunction with user-generated content from the begin- ning. “Youmake.tv came about because we decided that Luxembourg content was going under on the big video platforms – simply because of the sheer number of clips,” Paul Mudter says Tom Weber, Station Manager at Paul Mudter, Head of Interactive at IP Deutschland, adds: “Professional content Viewers ask – Chancellor Merkel plays a crucial role in marketing. It offers users answers a greater variety of interesting content without On Sunday 17 May at 21:45, RTL restricting user activity – the community ‘feel’ Television kicks off Germany’s 2009 elec- remains intact.” According to Mudter, a univer- tion year with the Townhall Meeting pro- sal standard is required to properly market gramme Zuschauer fragen – video advertising. “The necessity of a common Bundeskanzlerin Merkel antwortet standard for video views is well known and is (Viewers ask – Chancellor Merkel ans- being pushed for by the salient organs. The aim wers). Four months before the general is to set up guidelines for standards of measu- elections, the Christian Democratic rement in video advertising. One reason is that Union’s top candidate for the first time the market currently presents a very inconsis- fields the questions of a studio audience. tent picture when it comes to measuring Video The channel is additionally drawing on the Views. There are no clear rules, not even in the video platform Clipfish by inviting its users definition of a Video View, so there is a clear to upload videos of themselves asking a and urgent need for action here.” question. With a bit of luck, their question will be selected and presented to the chancellor. The show, co-produced by RTL Television and Spiegel TV, will be moderated by Maria Gresz and RTL’s editor-in-chief, Peter Kloeppel. 4 week 20 the RTL Group intranet Sony Pictures, TFM Distribution and Universal France. Although only 22 per cent of the videos currently posted on Wideo.fr were professional- ly produced, they generate fully half of all monthly video views. Advertising on Wideo.fr consists mainly of ‘pre-rolls’, ads that run before the actual video clip. Right now, there is a major campaign to promote the launch of the X-Box game Lips, which also sponsors the show Nouvelle Star. The game is advertised with a clickable pre-roll in videos on the Nouvelle Star channel. In a single month the campaign generated roughly a million contacts and a 3.28 per cent click-through rate. According to AdTech, the average click-through rate for video ads in RTL Lëtzebuerg. “Based on our long-standing France is 1.93 per cent. and close cooperation with our colleagues in Belgium, we proposed that we should develop Tuclip.com is the video platform operated by and operate the system together.” Youmake.tv Grupo Antena 3. It was created in 2007 and pri- is used as a platform by both countries. The marily designed for user-generated content. version displayed depends on the user’s IP Antena 3 set up a special technical system address. Klub 100 from Russia has also begun which allows each editorial team to receive to use the platform and has its own channel. breaking-news videos from users, place them on the Internet platform and then select those RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg uses the platform mainly which are ultimately broadcast on television. as a marketing tool – for example, for the Tuclip.com thus goes beyond the idea of Luxembourg talent show Wanns de eppes Internet-based content distribution: videos are kanns or most recently for the Télévie fundrai- sent in by viewers who can decide which chan- ser. Youmake.tv also serves as a technical nel they want their videos to appear on. backdrop for easily integrating videos into the channel’s website at RTL.lu. “Youmake.tv is Antena 3 Noticias, Espejo Público, also the official video platform of the Grand- Buenafuente, En Antena and 7 Dias, and 7 Duchy of Luxembourg,” says Weber. “For Noches were the first programmes to have a example, the Luxembourg police operate their permanent slot devoted to broadcasting videos own channel on the portal to draw public atten- received via Tuclip.com. tion to breaking issues.” The French community Wideo.fr caters primari- ly to young audiences aged 35 and under. Accordingly, its range of professional content is tailored to this demographic. Last year’s rede- sign placed the emphasis on trailers for upco- ming blockbusters and video games. The Community is subdivided into ‘Humour’, ‘Movies’, ‘Music’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Video Games’ sections. M6 makes professional content available to accompany a wide range of formats including Kaamelott, Caméra Café and Incroyable Talent – the latest addition is a channel tying in to Nouvelle Star, where viewers can watch reruns of the candidates’ performances. The M6 brand itself is not given prominent placement, however. Wideo.fr also has partner channels in cooperation with such companies as Paramount France, Sony Music, Warner Music, Youmake.tv in the Klub 100 edition 5 week 20 the RTL Group intranet Change on Alpha Media Group’s management team On Thursday, RTL Group, Dimitris Contominas and Alpha Media Group announced that Christoph Mainusch (46), currently Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of RTL Televizija in Croatia, has been appointed the new CEO of Alpha Media Group, effective September 2009. Christoph Mainusch Greece - 14 May 2009 Mainusch will succeed Rick Spinner (67) who Dimitris Contominas, Chairman of the Board of has served as CEO of the Greek company Directors of Alpha Media Group, said: “I want since RTL Group acquired a 66.6 per cent to thank Rick Spinner for the excellent job he majority stake in it in December 2008. Spinner has done, especially in terms of programming. will return to working for RTL Group in a Christoph Mainusch can build on these good consultative capacity. results of the efforts launched in recent months. I am looking forward to continuing the coope- Christoph Mainusch has sat on the Alpha ration with RTL Group.” Media Group Board of Directors since December 2008 and will remain on the Board in Christoph Mainusch, born in Münster his new capacity. Christoph Mainusch’s (Germany) in 1962, has served as Chief successor as CEO of RTL Televizija will be Executive Officer of RTL Televizija in Croatia announced in due course. since 2004. Under Mainusch’s leadership, RTL Televizija reached break-even and became Gerhard Zeiler, CEO of RTL Group, said: the market leader in the key 18 to 49 target “RTL Group is grateful to Rick Spinner for group in 2006, its second full year of operations taking over the management of our newly following its launch on 30 April 2004.