The Digital Content NewFronts has moved from conference to marketplace, with more emphasis on selling amid record attendance. Major themes emerging this year thus far range from OTT to mobile video, brand safety to Gen Z and how content gets distributed to audiences.
According to Anna Bager, “lots of deals” have taken place since the NewFronts kickoff on May 1. “The NewFronts is definitely a marketplace. Brands are here to consume content, to evaluate it, to talk about it and essentially in the end to buy it.”
The SVP & GM, Mobile & Video, for the Internet Advertising Bureau says the marketplace theme has been evident in this year’s proceedings as “the presenters are geared up to really sell. It’s not as much of a conference anymore.”
Bager notes a “huge focus on OTT, mobile video and brand safety,” as trusted, safe content “has really been a theme that we’ve seen throughout” all of the NewFronts. There’s also been a bigger emphasis on live events, a big focus on women’s issues and Gen Z, which is this year’s Millennials of last year.
“Another interesting thing that started last year but that we’ve really seen big this year is the talk around distribution. How is your content going to be distributed how are you going to reach an audience,” she says.
Bager advises people to move beyond thinking about mobile devices as merely conduits for short-form, snackable content. “It’s a long-form video device where you may not consume content in the same way as you do” on any other screen.
“As we’ve expected we’ve seen record attendance” in an environment where marketers can pursue “true, impactful branded content so that brands can be more involved of the actual process of the content production,” says Bager.
This video is part of Beet.TV’s coverage of the IAB’s Digital Content NewFronts 2017. The series is sponsored by the IAB. For more videos from the #NewFronts, please visit this page.
