Discovery Channel Repositions Its UK Offering With Digital Revamp
Discovery Channel has undergone a revamp of its UK website to reposition its brand from being a documentary-only channel to offer broader entertainment viewing.
The broadcaster's UK site will now provide a range of web-only blogs and behind-the-scenes video clips written by its UK editor. Users will also be able to enter competitions for holidays and other prizes.
Discovery Channel is also reviewing their social media activity - they have closed all their Facebook programme pages in favour of the launch of a single main Discovery Network page. This will provide exclusive video teaser clips to drive audiences to their TV channel and website.
Simon Downing, Discovery's VP of Marketing Communications for Western Europe, commented: "Research we've done has shown we're still quite distant from our UK audience and perceived as an American brand... This is what we wanted to change. It's about reconfiguring our entire UK business to put digital at the heart of everything we do."
Mr Downing also explained that the aim of the overhaul is to move away from Discovery's UK brand identity as purely a documentary channel and "wrestle back" control of its digital offering in the UK.