One of the most beloved channels on YouTube, CollegeHumor has reached over 6.4 billion views and 13.4 million subscribers. As IAC looks to the future, we helped them bring the quirky and hilarious CollegeHumor brand into a new era with of exclusive and ad-free videos, podcasts, comics, and chats on a one-of-a-kind subscription platform.
In order to draw in a faithful audience who had primarily been used to free content on YouTube, we really needed to make sure the subscription platform provided value beyond comparison – both in it’s free content and unique media types in Chats and Comics. We absolutely had to showcase the value of the product before making the audience commit to subscribing.
We focused on delivering an immersive experience for DROPOUT users. If you’re reading a comic, we wanted it to feel as if you would read a real comic – swiping and all. The viewport for chat stories was designed to reflect as if you were looking through the character’s phones. Ultimately, this allowed CollegeHumor to push the boundaries of comedic storytelling.
We helped IAC structure a freemium model for those who were looking to DROPOUT – giving users 7 days free of unlimited access. This allows users to truly experience what subscribing to DROPOUT so they have no question when it comes time to decide. Because the platform has weekly shows, a week long trial shows the rhythms of amazing content CollegeHumor offers.
The CMS had to account for a complex organization of DROPOUT’s media. Shows are broken up into season, comis are broken up into volumes, and chats are broken up into stories. Along with that, all content is tagged with themes and talent. We had to build a custom CMS to help the CH team create and manage content for a richer discovery and search user experience.
Delivering LOLs by pushing the boundaries of comedy on this one stop shop platform.
Our team had a blast working with the company that has provided so many laughs over the years. In providing unique ways to engage with content, the DROPOUT platform truly can shape the way we think about what it means to enjoy stories from our favorite brands and storytellers.