Advertising on TV is not as expensive as it used to be - multi channel TV has changed the advertising world. When once it might have cost hundreds of thousands pounds to run an effective campaign now even the smaller niche companies can afford to advertise.

If there are so many channels then how can I guarantee my campaign will be successful?

Most of the UK’s population now have access to multi channel TV but you can still make your TV campaign extremely targeted and very effective. We can work with you to discuss your requirements and objectives and create a tailored advertising plan to suit your needs. Please e-mail dan.finch@bskyb.com who will be able to go through all opportunities that are available to you.

Who will create the ad for our campaign?

The Biography Channel’s in-house production service means that we can create the ad for you. By creating the ad in-house, we can offer you our advertising expertise that can include media planning and advice, TV sponsorship bumper creation, commercial production and all areas of online design making The Biography Channel an excellent vehicle for any business who cannot afford the wastage and production expense that comes with more mainstream advertising.

How many times will my ad be shown on TV / online?

This depends entirely on your budget and objectives, please e-mail dan.finch@bskyb.com who will be able to go through all opportunities that are available to you and can work with you to create an advertising plan to fit your budget or objectives.

Where can I find out more about sponsoring a series or programme on The Biography Channel?

Call our Advertising Sales and Sponsorship Manager, dan.finch@bskyb.com who can advise you on what current programmes are available to sponsor. Based on your objectives we can recommend to you a package of programmes that can deliver to you an audience to match your needs.

How can I keep up to date with news from The Biography Channel?

Subscribe to receive updates and we can provide you with information including company news, up coming programme sponsorship opportunities or digital opportunities. You can subscribe by filling in your details on the left hand side of this page.

What is a page impression?

An impression or page impression is the delivery of an ad such as a banner, skyscraper or takeover that has appeared on the screen to a single viewer - Americans tend to use the word hits. Banners are normally sold on a Cost Per Thousand (CPM) basis. This refers to the number of impressions that your ad will deliver.

What is a Banner and Skyscraper?

These are the horizontal and vertical adverts that you often see to the site and at the top and bottom of a web page.

What is a unique user?

Unique user is the term used to describe one person visiting the site over a certain period of time.

What is a bumper?

HOW DOES AFP WORK?

There is more than one way to get an AFP to air. Here are a few routes:

• Route 1: clients supply a brief setting out the core values of its brand and the nature of the programme it is looking to fund, then works with a commissioning editor to attract the right production partner. Most broadcasters prefer this route, as the idea is more likely to be aligned to the channel requirements from the start.
  
  
• Route 2: the programme concept is put to a production company and the format is worked up with the client prior to being presented to a broadcaster. This is a good option for an advertiser who has identified an ideal production partner and wants multiple programme ideas.
  
  
• Route3: a broadcaster is looking for a particular programme or genre to fit its programming schedule. This programme will need funding. They put a brand programming brief out to tender with producers. This is good for all parties, because it starts with a scheduling requirement, which comes with an increased chance of a commission.
  
• Route 4: programmes are delivered “ready made” to the broadcaster, who has to find an appropriate slot for it in its schedule. This arrangement is suitable for brand owners who own entertainment properties and wish to barter them against commercial airtime.
  Shows can be fully or partly paid for by the advertiser. In some cases co-productions rather than complete funds can encourage buy-in at the broadcaster level as it maintains their vested interest.
  

Broadcasters work differently. Clients and agencies must understand the different commissioning and commercial practices of each broadcaster in order to achieve the best results. The best way to approach this is to first get the programme idea and then discuss business terms.

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What it is and what it isn’t

Understanding this is key to a positive outcome and time well spent.

AFP can be described as ‘any means by which an advertiser can have a deeper relationship with programming product beyond traditional media activity’. By this definition there must be a funding relationship (full or part) with the programme or series. Put another way, it is ‘beyond sponsorship’ – where money goes directly into production and leads to a degree of content ownership. It’s programming that wouldn’t exist without the advertiser partner.

It is not about product placement or editorial about a brand.

Advertisers need to remember that they are buying into the editorial integrity of the programme and reaching consumers by association with the programme’s values. This is not a restraint – it is the key to success. Gillette World of Sport is a great example: it’s a show that the target audience want – but it’s not about razors or shaving gel.

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Why should brands get involved and how does AFP build on TV sponsorship?

AFP is often looked at as “sponsorship +”, and this is a pretty good thing to keep front of mind. The consumer/brand relationship operates in a similar way. AFP can do all the things sponsorship can do for a brand – enhance, reinforce or shift a brand image etc, and more.

A TV sponsorship campaign, done well, can yield real benefits for a brand if the right show is available, at the right time; if it can be secured; and if there is sufficient time to plan and co-ordinate the exploitation before it goes to air. However, this is not always possible.

Through AFP, advertisers can negate these provisos, maximise the potential of TV sponsorship on their own terms and garner a number of significant benefits from having a deeper relationship with programming and with broadcasters and producers. AFP provides the opportunity to participate in the phenomenon that a successful TV show can be, which is as much off-air as on-screen.

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So what can AFP give you that builds on the established benefits of TV sponsorship?

A competitive edge: great programmes that can be sponsored are in demand. Brand content can help you avoid a bidding war for a diminishing bowl of programming cherries. You can exclude your competitors by owning the commercial relationship from the start.

Synchronicity: arrange TV content-led marketing at a time that suits your marketing cycle when there is no suitable TV content available "off the shelf".

Maximum value: longer lead times mean more time to better plan and budget for an integrated campaign. More time too, to enable you to co-create the additional off-air and multi-platform content that consumers want.

Deeper brand experience: a 30 or 60 minute brand experience; all of the content shapes consumers’ attitude and image of brand (not just the branded credits).

Franchise creation: AFP gives clients the opportunity to create a franchise from scratch that didn’t exist before, e.g. the Pepsi Chart Show or Red Bull’s Flugtag. It can also initiate the development of new programme or product categories. For example, the proliferation of gardening and DIY strands have been the result of successful advertiser-led strategies.B
Before, these programme genres didn’t even exist; now they are credible rating winners across the networks.

There are many other potential marketing and commercial benefits, from title rights and credit integration, to exploitation deals and international barter.

In essence, brand content is a strategic vehicle for the brand communication, whereas TV sponsorship is often a tactical opportunistic medium. However, like great sponsorship campaigns, the best brand content programming uses entertainment as a gateway to consumer dialogue off-air and on multiple platforms.