Colombia. Telemedellín, a channel with presence mainly in the city of Medellín, now reaches a wider audience, thanks to its new OTT service available via App called TM+, part of its digital transformation strategy.
This OTT, which is presented as an App for its viewers, has managed to bring the channel's transmission to people who no longer consume television in the traditional format, i.e., who prefer streaming, or who are outside the territory and cannot "connect to the signal". With their slogan "TM+ or TMplus, say it as you want, but download it" they have sought to promote the use of the App among their audience.
Carlos Duque, technical editor of the channel, was in an exclusive interview with TV y Video magazine, where he explained why this project (available in AppStore and Google Play) came about, the scope it has had, the benefits for users and where Telemedellín's growth is headed now.
TVyVideo: Where did the idea of Telemedellín to offer an OTT service through an APP come from?
Carlos Duque: Within the strategic plan of digital transformation of the entity, we have a clear purpose to reach new audiences from the end of 2021. We have even previously made several updates to the image and names, such as that our news section is now NTM, such adjustments to the visual identity have helped us to focus on the various audiences we have, while retaining the principles of the channel.
At the time we wanted our own OTT to be the anchor of the channel, a starting point to offer live and on-demand content.
We considered several options, including doing everything from scratch, but setting up all that technology is costly and requires special maintenance, such as the part that handles CRM services. Then looking for a more favorable alternative we found TVCoins, a start-up company whose solution has been previously chosen by Amazon and several leaders in the content sector.
It is important to note that the change in the way we create content was already being done for a long time, obviously it is not the first time that digital content is delivered. In this case we are adjusting formats such as documentaries and series for our audience, we have made a very important curatorship of the content load, to see that they have an important value and contribute to the application, for the channel is more important the quality than the quantity.
TVyVideo: How does the OTT offered by TVCoins work?
Carlos Duque: TVCoins provided us with a white line OTT, this means that they provide all the technology and equipment and we in Telemedellín provide the 'face' or design. This solution operates under an agreement where content is marketed and profits are distributed. The commercialization is given with the automated sale of online guidelines.
TVyVideo: Can Telemedellín filter or verify that the advertising is not contrary to its institutional principles?
Carlos Duque: When the agreement was signed, we filled out a form choosing what type of advertising is allowed. That is to say, we defined what can be promoted. Alcoholic beverages, gambling, cigarettes, all this was parameterized so that advertising would be in line with the channel's identity.
However, as the App and the metadata it handles grow, due to the information and preferences, users will have more selective and personalized advertising.
TVyVideo: What are the remarkable results of implementing the Telemedellín App?
Carlos Duque: We are the first channel in Colombia to be in TVCoins, this makes us pioneers. On the other hand, the official launch was made on August 1 during the Flower Fair in Medellin, after that we achieved 30 thousand downloads in the first month.
TVyVideo: How is this OTT different from other online options?
Carlos Duque: In the application, although there is a third party supporting us at a technical level, we have total control of the content and metadata. We can know who consumes, how they do it (hours, days and through what device) and our brand should not share space with others, unlike what happens on platforms such as YouTube, where your name and image are always present.
In short, this is an alliance to provide content with access from mobile devices with greater control and brand management.
TVyVideo: What advantages does this OTT have for Telemedellín's audience?
Carlos Duque: Many people consume paid OTT, our case is a free OTT for the user, whose funding mechanism with advertising also includes a disruptive business model in which points are delivered to consumers of content, which are accumulated and upon reaching a certain amount can be redeemed for purchase cards on Amazon, at moderate values and by TVCoins criteria.
Finally, Carlos concluded that for Telemedellín the way of "making television" is a continuous transformation that changes and adjusts every day. "Within this model, it is to stop labeling ourselves as a 'television channel' and become a media system, because television is focused on a device and we are no longer just that, you can consume us in many ways.
In other words, Telemedellín has shed that traditional label and is now a media system with multiple content delivery platforms. "We will not leave traditional TV, but we see it as important to transform ourselves to reach the spaces and the ways in which our different audiences consume content".
