CogecoTV Connects & Engages a New Generation of Viewers

Looking to connect and engage a new and younger generation of viewers in their community, local CogecoTV stations required an updated digital presence to meet the demands of a modern digital audience.

Opportunity

CogecoTV recognized that in order to stay relevant there was an immediate and pressing need to evolve. As a regional broadcaster in Ontario and Quebec, CogecoTV’s wide variety of ultra-local community programming was largely consumed by an older demographic; and as younger audiences spent more time consuming content on the Internet versus traditional television the existing CogecoTV audience was shrinking. The dated station websites were in desperate need of a “ground up” overhaul that coincided with the launch of a new YourTV brand focused on attracting a new, younger audience.

Solution

To better understand internal business objectives and the requirements of 30+ local stations, MitreBox UXD undertook a comprehensive series of discovery activities. Insights were gathered from both English and French language stakeholders during collaborative workshops and ongoing consultations to form the foundation from which a redesigned website solution would be created.

User personas were developed early on to ensure business goals were aligned with the needs of users; including the community volunteers CogecoTV relies on to support its content creation. These personas allowed stakeholders to put themselves “into the shoes” of their users, helping them make better-informed decisions during the creation of a modernized, engaging user experience.

Using an iterative approach, MitreBox UXD provided the wireframes, functional specification, and creative designs Cogeco’s internal development team would use to architect and develop the new, mobile-friendly station websites. During the development phase, MitreBox UXD reviewed work in progress, providing feedback as needed to ensure that unforeseen issues were resolved quickly and efficiently without sacrificing the original vision and project goals.

Results

Recognizing that available resources and the long-term sustainability of a new online property were a concern, MitreBox UXD designed a series of reusable content templates. Allowing for the creation of shared “universal” content pages that can be developed and maintained regionally, leaving stations to focus on local content creation.

News, video, community calendar, and contact form pages were designed to maximize the benefits of automating content population when possible. Giving staff and volunteers time to focus on creating connections with their local community.

Communities throughout Ontario and Quebec now recognize their local YourTV website as a source of relevant local content. By allowing community members to access content when, where, and how they want, the 30+ local YourTV station websites play an increasingly important role in providing useful community information, highlighting community activities, and representing CogecoTV to a younger audience.

Services Provided

MitreBox UXD worked closely with CogecoTV’s digital, marketing, and content teams to provide the following services: