WASHINGTON, D.C. – The best branded content comes from niche publishers that care, that scale and which can help advertisers rise above clutter with a strategy that is both data- and outcome-driven.
So says Jim Bankoff, the CEO of Vox Media, home to some of the web’s rising-star, pure-play publishing brands, like The Verge, Vox and Eater.
Three years ago, Bankoff launched Vox Creative, a branded content studio helping Vox Media sell more that just display ads.
“There’s a bifurcation in digital advertising,” he tells Beet.TV. “(You have) big reach (and) commodity, scale plays, and then premium-quality storytelling to help create brand and identity.
“There’s been a lot of experimentation. Now it’s time to get real, about data, about premium-quality storytelling.”
Bankoff derides the efforts of web mega portals which have also launched branded content services but which are flailing to segment their broad audience in to verticals readers and brands alike may care about.
“They’ve built scale, they do that well, but what they lack is brand authority and authenticity that comes with it,” Bankoff gripes.
So, what does Vox Creative do so well? Already under its belt, the studio counts work for the Museum Of Food And Drink, Lenovo, Cadillac, American Express and other brand clients, with awards bestowed by Digiday and Native Creative for some of its executions.
It’s underpinned not just by creativity but also two platforms:
- Chorus, Vox’s content production software, now also at advertisers’ disposal.
- Concert, a brand content marketplace which pools Vox Media outlets with those from NBCUniversal in an attempt to give scale to buyers.
This video is part of “The Road to DMEXCO ’16,” a lead-up series with key influencers on the topics and trends to be addressed at DMEXCO. This series is presented by YuMe. Please visit this page for additional segments. Bankoff is a featured speaker at DMEXCO.
