ITV is the nation's biggest commercial producer and broadcaster, investing £1bn each year in creating premium programme content. Across a range of genres and a variety of platforms ITV tells powerful and engaging stories to audiences across the UK and around the world. They also harness the power of storytelling in the way they work with commercial partners to help those brands tell their stories and drive sales.

In these two sessions, ITV will reveal the way storytelling through programmes and brands keeps ITV at the heart of popular culture as the most watched, most loved and most talked about broadcaster and marketing platform in the UK. As well as an opportunity to ask questions, there will also be a chance to chat to members of the ITV team after each session.

In part one, (21st March, 5:00-6:00pm) Jason Spencer will share how these learnings translate to telling stories for brands and how ITV is where brands live. Chaired by Dr Erinma Ochu.
In part two, (25th April, 5:00-6:00pm) Kieran Roberts will share the secrets behind Coronation Street's enduring success after 56 years and why it remains the nation's number one soap.

Jason Spencer - Business Development Director
For 5 years as Business Development Director, Jason has driven growth and innovation in the way ITV Commercial has evolved outside London, across 9 regional teams, through working in partnership with brands and media agencies. Prior to ITV, Jason spent most of his career at media agencies – from media planning roles at Carat and PHD in London to running PHD North in Manchester.

Dr Erinma Ochu
Dr Erinma Ochu is a media maker, curator and lecturer in Science Communication and Future media based at The University of Salford. She trained originally as a neuroscientist at The University of Manchester before moving into film and digital media with Brixton-based, B3 Media. She currently creates immersive and interactive experiences working across a range of platforms through creative agency, Squirrel Nation.

Kieran Roberts - Executive Producer, Coronation Street
Kieran’s credits as producer include BAFTA-winning and International Emmy-nominated children’s drama The Ward and Sally Wainwright’s acclaimed comedy drama At Home with the Braithwaites, also nominated for an International Emmy.

Kieran also produced Emmerdale, for which he picked up the BAFTA for best continuing drama in 2000, and Coronation Street. He was in charge for one of the most successful periods in Corrie’s history with audiences of almost twenty million viewers for the Richard Hillman storyline and RTS and BAFTA awards for best continuing drama in 2002 and 2003.

From 2005 to 2016 he ran ITV Studios’ Manchester drama department. His credits as executive producer included Mobile, Blue Murder, Cold Blood, Boy Meets Girl, Homefront, The Road to Coronation Street, The Trials of Jimmy Rose, Midwinter of the Spirit and Tina & Bobby.

Since 2005, and for almost three thousand episodes to date, Kieran has also been executive producer of Coronation Street, working with five different producers on countless acclaimed and award-winning stories. In 2017 he is focusing solely on Coronation Street as it expands to deliver a sixth weekly episode.

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