The Problem
The coronavirus pandemic put a sudden stop to in-person events. These ticketed events were often sponsored, and made up a percentage of the company’s income.
The Opportunity
A virtual platform would allow an audience from all over the country to attend Spectator events and hear from their favourite writers, politicians and public figures. Sponsorship could also continue, providing a revenue stream.
The Process
I worked on a website structure that covered the events and marketing team requirements. This included the information we would need on the website to advertise the event, a link for the public to buy tickets, space to include biographies for speakers, and ultimately a place to stream the event. I researched and presented a solution to link Zoom with our bespoke site, saving the company over £10,000 in production costs.
I worked with the design team and the editorial team to put together a marketing plan for the launch of Spectator TV which covered assets for social media, The Spectator and The Telegraph.
Following the launch, I worked on a weekly email campaign to a database of over 60,000 people. I was responsible for writing the copy in The Spectator's tone of voice, briefing in artwork and sending the email at 6pm as the show went ‘live’.
The Outcome
The first live Spectator TV event, titled ‘The Week in 60 Minutes’ was hosted by Andrew Neil. Over 50,000 tickets were sold for the live event. Subsequently, the first show has had 150,000 views on YouTube.
Live events continued over a few months until due to resources, the show became pre-recorded. This allowed time for YouTube clips to be edited together, raising awareness of the shows and often going viral due to their content.
The platform continued to be used for sponsored events including an Energy Summit, a Health Summit and an Alternative Conference due to the Conservative Party Conference being cancelled.
