A cross-platform voice experience for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to bring the world of Channel 4's Humans to life.

The client

Channel 4 is a pioneering broadcaster that is committed to delivering innovative and thought-provoking content to its viewers. With a diverse portfolio of channels and digital platforms, Channel 4 reaches millions of viewers across the UK and beyond.

The challenge

To establish Channel 4 as the first UK broadcaster to promote a TV show through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, engaging audiences through voice technology.

The solution

We created a unique and innovative Turing test-style voice experience, which garnered over 50,000 users in its inaugural week.

Industries

Media and entertainment

Education and learning

Services

Innovation

Engineering and technology

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An engaging narrative

Through our 'Story Mode' voice development methodology, we had complete control over the user's journey, guiding them seamlessly through each experience. By carefully orchestrating the flow, we ensured that the assistants delivered the correct questions and responses in the intended sequence. This resulted in a smooth, consistent, and engaging user experience.

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Technology

To reduce development time and ongoing maintenance, we used a cross-platform approach to develop the Human Test.

Amazon

We used our experience developing entertainment voice experience for Alexa to create an innovative and unique experience for Channel 4, which led to us becoming Amazon Approved Alexa Skill Builders.

Google

As the first company to launch a Google Home Action in the UK, we used our extensive knowledge of voice development to simultaneously create the experience on both Amazon's Alexa and Google's Assistant platforms.

Azure

By hosting the experience’s content on Azure, we used Azure Functions to act as a bridge between a shared backend codebase and the Alexa and Google Assistant platforms. This setup allowed us to seamlessly connect the backend infrastructure with the voice assistant platforms ensuring efficient communication and interaction between the systems.

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Results

Launched in April 2018, the experience was accompanied by comprehensive cross-channel promotion from Channel 4 on-air and online, supported by a dedicated companion website, NSDU.co.uk. Within its first week, the experience garnered over 50,000 users and received high ratings on both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant platforms.

We are immensely proud of the recognition and accolades we have received, including 14 prestigious awards. Notably, our achievements include a Gold award from the People's Lovie Awards and the D&AD Wood Pencil, highlighting the exceptional quality and creativity demonstrated by our team throughout the project.

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