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11 Mar 2009 
FT.com Video - Winner of AOP Award for Use of Video 2008
"From interviews with the world’s top business leaders, to regular updates on key global issues and feature length programming covering everything from fashion shows to luxury helicopters, the FT has invested heavily in building a digital video proposition that lives and breathes the unique qualities developed in over 100 years of publishing history."
FT.com Video has extended the newspaper’s journalism in many ways.
At one end of the spectrum, the FT’s UK and US Daily View videos give the audience a view into the newsroom and expert writers’ thinking about the big story of the day.
The FT’s Short View video series takes a daily column, by Investment Editor John Authers, and rather than just re-purposing the content, enhances it by adding moving charts relating to the data he discusses.
Coverage is not limited to business issues. As part of his coverage of the controversial Three Gorges dam in China, FT.com’s Correspondent Jamil Anderlini gave a video interview with an activist who was paralysed as a result of attempts by local authorities to intimidate him - far more affecting than words or still pictures.
However, the Financial Times has proven that there is in fact a large appetite for FT news in video formats, when done in a way that play to its strengths – taking advantage of the paper’s access to high level business people and policymakers, and harnessing the talents of the FT’s extensive network of knowledgeable foreign correspondents.
FT.com Video is no exception. The FT has invested heavily in building a digital video proposition that lives and breathes the unique qualities developed by the Financial Times in over 100 years of publishing history.
The paper has developed an editorial team solely dedicated to video, all the while encouraging leading journalists to contribute, with successful results. To the FT’s audience, this means:
For the title’s advertisers, FT.com Video offers a unique opportunity for premium global brands to position themselves against some of the world’s best journalism, and in doing so, reach the world’s most powerful individuals.
In March 2008, FT.com reached 1m video plays per month (up from 100,000 in early 2007), across its daily news, features and interviews.
CEOs from many of the world’s largest companies have appeared in ‘View from the Top’, and many top European politicians in ‘European View’.
On-the-ground reporting includes a brilliant package on rising grain prices in Ethiopia and a dramatic report on Chinese rural peasant protesting against government land seizures.
In March, FT.com beat its broadcast rivals to get the first English-language video interview with new Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev.
Commercially, the site has seen a significant increase from advertisers (triple the level in 2007) and has secured high profile partnerships with clients as diverse as IBM, Bulgari, DHL and Vestas in just six months. Advertisers pay a premium for the opportunity FT.com Video gives to really engage a targeted, high-value audience.
FT.com Video now produces over 150 videos every month.
Find out more about FT.com Advertising Products.
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Innovation and creativity
At one end of the spectrum, the FT’s UK and US Daily View videos give the audience a view into the newsroom and expert writers’ thinking about the big story of the day.
The FT’s Short View video series takes a daily column, by Investment Editor John Authers, and rather than just re-purposing the content, enhances it by adding moving charts relating to the data he discusses.
Coverage is not limited to business issues. As part of his coverage of the controversial Three Gorges dam in China, FT.com’s Correspondent Jamil Anderlini gave a video interview with an activist who was paralysed as a result of attempts by local authorities to intimidate him - far more affecting than words or still pictures.
Understanding of market
Understandably there was initially scepticism about whether the FT’s typical audience would be interested in watching videos on the content the title covers - after all business news and markets don’t tend to be particularly visual, and the ‘talent’ is mostly men in suits.However, the Financial Times has proven that there is in fact a large appetite for FT news in video formats, when done in a way that play to its strengths – taking advantage of the paper’s access to high level business people and policymakers, and harnessing the talents of the FT’s extensive network of knowledgeable foreign correspondents.
Consistency/extension of brand
As the media provider of choice to the global political and financial elite, the Financial Times has a unique responsibility to provide a guiding hand to its readers and users as they attempt to make sense of the information maelstrom - any time, at any place and in any format.FT.com Video is no exception. The FT has invested heavily in building a digital video proposition that lives and breathes the unique qualities developed by the Financial Times in over 100 years of publishing history.
The paper has developed an editorial team solely dedicated to video, all the while encouraging leading journalists to contribute, with successful results. To the FT’s audience, this means:
- Incisive interviews with the world’s top business leaders
- Regular updates on key global issues direct from the FT newsroom
- Feature length programming covering everything from fashion shows to luxury helicopters
- And above all, the reassurance of quality content that decision makers can rely on
For the title’s advertisers, FT.com Video offers a unique opportunity for premium global brands to position themselves against some of the world’s best journalism, and in doing so, reach the world’s most powerful individuals.
Success against objectives
FT.com Video’s objective was to deliver a video product that was popular with its audience, met existing editorial standards, and was commercially sustainable:In March 2008, FT.com reached 1m video plays per month (up from 100,000 in early 2007), across its daily news, features and interviews.
CEOs from many of the world’s largest companies have appeared in ‘View from the Top’, and many top European politicians in ‘European View’.
On-the-ground reporting includes a brilliant package on rising grain prices in Ethiopia and a dramatic report on Chinese rural peasant protesting against government land seizures.
In March, FT.com beat its broadcast rivals to get the first English-language video interview with new Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev.
Commercially, the site has seen a significant increase from advertisers (triple the level in 2007) and has secured high profile partnerships with clients as diverse as IBM, Bulgari, DHL and Vestas in just six months. Advertisers pay a premium for the opportunity FT.com Video gives to really engage a targeted, high-value audience.
FT.com Video now produces over 150 videos every month.
Find out more about FT.com Advertising Products.
Judges’ Comments
"They have shown total commitment to putting video at the heart of their communication. With watchable video content that does more than simply extending their brand online, they have gone that extra mile, with an impressive ROI."Subscribe to AOP's e-newsletter.
