Digital Content NewFronts

If anyone doubts how Oath plans to differentiate itself with Verizon’s massive caches of insights from its broadband and wireless services and brick-and-mortar stores, Jeff Lucas makes it very clear. “What Oath offers more than anyone else is deep, deep data,” the Head of Oath’s Americas Sales says. “But also we are thinking about commerce” […]

Its core business is owning TV channels and movie studios – so why has Viacom bought in to the conference business? Connections, according to the man at the center of the deal. Back in February, the MTV owner – which is itself the target of a takeover by CBS – acquired eight-year-old VidCon, which examines how […]

Here’s a useful tip for anyone wanting to pitch something to Initiative’s Amber Kozo: Try humor. It certainly worked for Meredith Corporation at the recently completed Digital Content NewFronts 2018. Meredith used its NewFronts presentation to announce additions to its over-the-top PeopleTV service, including “Chatter,” a live talk show hosted by actress Rosie Diaz that […]

There’s a reason it’s called “brand content”. While one of the publishers most commonly associated with the practice is certainly skilled at creating its own content, it says the involvement of paying sponsors is critical. Vice Media head of sales Dawn Williamson says those campaigns don’t just look better; they perform better, too. “We often […]

There are now so many device options for receiving television “over the top“, that the space underneath the bottom of TV sets is becoming cluttered. But one stands head and shoulders above others, according to a boss from one tech company helping advertisers deliver in to the new channels. “(There is) anything from smart TV, a Samsung or […]

Meredith Corporation plans to integrate e-commerce options “seamlessly and natively” into more of its content to make it easier for people to buy things “and give them a great experience on the back end.” The publisher’s e-commerce and shopper marketing plans were one element of its Digital Content NewFronts presentation last week. “One of the […]

Moving away from in-stream as the primary online video format will help break through advertising clutter and help brands better engage with consumers, particularly on mobile devices, according to Droga 5’s Frank Cannata. “If you’re constantly just trying to get that pre-roll in front of a consumer and all they’re doing is waiting for that […]

Amid all the hoopla that accompanies the Digital Content NewFronts, something more substantial is taking place. It’s the blurring of lines between traditional and digital media, as evidenced by the growing number of new partnerships. Whether it’s Twitter and ESPN or Disney and Tastemade, “To me, that was very encouraging seeing all these partnerships form […]

Armed with biometric research showing how brands can best align themselves with cultural happenings, Refinery29 will launch an over-the-top service called Channel29 later this year. “It will be both a combination of live programming and also pull from our library of incredible content as well as producing new content,” Refinery29 COO Sarah Personette says in […]

When it comes to social causes and movements, brands can’t stand on the sidelines anymore as traditional calls to action are being upstaged by emotional connections. “You cannot not stand for nothing. By doing that, you’re standing for something and something that won’t resonate with your consumers,” says Michael Kahn, Global Brand President at Digitas. […]

Group Nine Media made one of centerpieces of its second Digital Content NewFronts an artificial intelligence offering called GIA, for front-end optimization of advertisers’ campaign creative and distribution. It stands for Group Nine Insights Analyst, which takes “machine learning and artificial intelligence and applies it to how we are able to work with our brands […]

Amid discussions about brand safety, high-quality premium video, channel specific content, data and insights and technology and innovation at the Digital Content NewFronts, it was the cause-marketing theme that resonated with Cotton, Inc.’s Emily Cooper. “For me, the thing that’s really standing out the most is it feels like this year’s really the tipping point […]

Starcom’s Kristina Lutz is leaving the Digital Content NewFronts 2018 impressed by the quality of content in the marketplace and excited by the potential of the merged Meredith Corporation and Time Inc. “I’ve been really impressed with the content that I’ve seen. I think over the last number of years we’ve seen the quality of […]

While it’s valuable to to use data to maximize media buys around key audiences, it’s essential that content is effectively matched to the audience segment with the right creative version.    The concept of “dynamic” or “creative optimization” is something that Saatchi & Saatchi is doing.  In solving this, it has found the elusive “Holy […]

The re-grouping of content on YouTube continues apace, upending the playing field for some content creators and raising concerns about content discovery amid the platform’s “tunneling effect,” says iCrossing’s Jeff Ratner. “I think YouTube is creating their own stratification of their content. Obviously, they took to heart a lot of the brand safety challenges of […]

Three years ago, Kellogg’s didn’t spend a cent on YouTube.Last year, it tripled its spend. In fact, once a digital laggard, Kellogg’s now spends up to 70% of its marketing budget on digital, a company president told this week’s NewFronts event, at which content publishers touted their upcoming roster to advertisers. What did Kellogg’s like […]

Many people in advertising and media think they’re swimming in too much consumer data. John Hancock’s Lindsay Sutton disagrees, particularly with regard to statistics that can be used to divine people’s emotions when serving them the most appropriate content and advertising messaging. “I don’t think we’re yet in a place where we think it’s too […]

There seems to be no shortage of publishing partners for Twitter, which unveiled 16 of them at its first Digital Content NewFronts last year. This year, led by new content deals with NBCUniversal, Disney/ESPN and others, “We doubled it,” says Stephanie Prager, Head of Global Agency Development at Twitter. The content partnerships represent a pool […]

Cell phones, tablets and other portable devices will continue to be the best way to reach the under-35 content consumer, says Studio71 President & Co-Founder Dan Weinstein. An early pioneer in working with social media talent, Studio71 just signed content creator Hannah Hart along with a host of other multichannel-network partners. In this interview with […]

Always known for its male reach, ESPN’s audience is now 30% female. This diversity, combined with programming that’s nearly 100% live, is helping the sports juggernaut broaden its advertiser mix while making it a big player in real-time marketing. Meanwhile, its audience targeting capabilities can be based on outcomes of sporting events and their impact […]