News story

WTF? is a winner for Channel 4 and Acteon

UKLearning NewsActeon Communication and Learning

Channel 4 and Acteon’s WTF is Dovetail? project was a winner at the 2019 Mediatel Awards.

The two companies worked together to help internal and external audiences understand ‘Project Dovetail’ – a big shift in the way UK broadcasters obtain and analyse viewing figures. Channel 4 was concerned that staff and advertising industry clients could be confused by the changes, so they partnered with Acteon to explain the new approach.  

The result was WTF is Dovetail? – a series of short training chunks delivered through a bespoke, trackable xAPI portal and reinforced by a communications campaign. The content blends video, animation, e-learning, colleague contributions and a catchy micro-song.  

“There can rarely have been as complex a piece of media research work as Project Dovetail,” said Richard Marks, Chair of the Mediatel judging panel. “The judges loved Channel 4’s approach to helping staff and clients understand it. The videos and materials exploited brilliantly the rich archive of content that Channel 4 has available. WTF is Dovetail? is irreverent, engaging and – importantly – not afraid of the odd swear word or ten!”  

Zoe Bowen-Jones, Research Manager at Channel 4, said: “Acteon took the time to fully understand the subject and conveyed the key messages in a fun yet informative way. The result is engaging and high quality, and the videos have proved a valuable resource in helping the industry understand cross-platform viewing.”

Sarah Rose, Channel 4’s Director of Consumer & Strategy, said: “We now feel confident in achieving our quest of getting 100% of Channel 4 staff to understand the wonders of TV measurement without getting overwhelmed by detail.”

“We love working with Channel 4 because they push us to try new things,” said James Woodman, Partner at Acteon. “It’s always a joy to throw out old ideas and to have the freedom to apply our creative approach to learning and communication. This project is a perfect example of how any organisation can deliver greater impact by doing more than just ticking the ‘training’ box.”

WTF is Dovetail? won the ‘Excellence in Research Presentation’ category at the Mediatel Media Research Awards. Acteon’s work with Channel 4 began in 2013 and has won six top industry awards to date.

A selection of WTF is Dovetail? videos is available to watch on the 4Sales website: https://www.4sales.com/wtf-is-dovetail