If there were a recipe for creating a modern, multi-channel media empire for millennials, Tastemade might have written it.

Founded in 2012, the company publishes videos on global cuisine and has grown its distribution footprint across a plethora of social platforms, over-the-top TV devices, software services and MVPDs.

In this video interview with Beet.TV, Jeff Imberman, the company’s Head of Sales and Brand Partnerships, explains why that breadth of distribution opportunities means brands can pick from a large and growing menu.

Going long

As Tastemade has grown out of reliance on social networks, it has gone longer, both with its own video productions and the opportunities offered to marketers.

“With the shift and explosion of the OTT and CTV world, that’s opened up a whole new world of possibilities for us as that modern media company … to allow for new narratives, longer narratives, 22- minute-long content, hour-long content, and to engage audiences in ways that were never possible,” Imberman says.

Best of both

Connected TV has been Tastemade’s most profound shift, offering advertisers an opportunity that is both familiar and new-wave.

“It’s traditional yet progressive all at the same time,” Imberman says. You’re still able to serve 15 and 30-second ads the way a linear network can – but what makes it really compelling is it’s delivered in a digital format across digital pipes, so it allows for very unique targeting, contextual especially.”

These days, Tastemade has its own linear streaming TV channels.

Combining platforms

That breadth of format, of duration, allows Imberman to tag-team the ad roster he offers buyers.

Brand sponsored content he creates to show through Tastemade’s social channels tends also to be fit during ad breaks on Tastemade’s linear channels.

“Many brands now are gravitating towards that because it allows them to, first and foremost, amortise their costs across many platforms, but, more importantly, it allows them to engage in a singular narrative across every platform,” he says.

Dynamic insertions

And, when brands get to Tastemade video, they can also be virtualized. That is to say, Imberman’s company has now taken on the ability to dynamically insert brand products into video productions, even after shooting, when they may not have been originally present.

“TripleLift have created some very dynamic ad products that we are now employing across our streaming network,” he says, “an example being virtual integrations, dynamic virtual integrations into our programmes.”

“Imagine you’re watching a cooking show and a bottle of Pepsi is on the countertop,” Imberman adds. “We’re able to identify the opportunity and virtually, in real-time, serve Jeff a bottle of Coke on a countertop in an actual programme versus serving him an ad in an ad break.”

You are watching “It’s time to elevate your video ads, or risk getting left behind,” a Beet.TV leadership series presented by TripleLift. For more videos, please visit this page.

By Robert Andrews on    @robertandrews