01-12-2023, 07:09 AM
(30-11-2023, 04:03 PM)dbl Wrote: The problem is that although Dave was a success, it didn't translate as well to other channels. And under past leadership, it became a disjointed mess, especially with promoting UKTV Play, so unifying was on the cards, the issue now is the execution - which I guess we'll all see later in the new year.Agreed that they never seemed to find a way to present a unified front clearly. As other posters said, Global's house of brands approach, underlined by consistent mentions of the parent brand, is a good template to follow.
They kind of tried this but didn't execute with the constant repetition and consistency required to establish UKTV Play as a front of mind destination for the disparate channels.
Therefore "U&..." feels like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. I can imagine how this idea germinated - "watch Taskmaster live on U and Dave". It's getting the streaming service first and prominent on every verbal announcement and graphic. There's something in that - see the BBC rebrand and "watch on iPlayer / listen on Sounds" trimming away all the navigational fat.
Unfortunately, it's been delivered in the most cumbersome way possible. An ampersand - really? Unique, I guess, but incredibly awkward for people searching for content, URLs, social handles...
Leaving aside the aesthetics, there are technical reasons this should have been dismissed at first draft. I await the final execution with great interest, there is some serious work to be done here.