In the second installment of the blog series, IAB asks NewFront sellers about the role of celebrity in the sale of digital video content by asking this question:
Last year at the NewFronts we saw celebrities, writers, directors, and actors putting a grubstake into digital video. Why is it happening?
Peter Naylor, SVP Advertising, Hulu
You will continue to see digital video publishers walking the walk of TV in terms of quality talent both in front of and behind the camera. At Hulu, we just hired Craig Erwich to be our head of content. Craig has made big TV shows like “Prison Break” and “The Voice.” We love his track record of making quality TV shows that are enjoyed by audiences globally, and we are excited for him to bring his expertise to Hulu as we become more aggressive about our investment in original content. At the Hulu Upfront, we will showcase our slate of originals this year, including shows like “The Awesomes” with Seth Meyers, which we greenlit for a second season, and “Deadbeat,” which launched April 9th on Hulu and Hulu Plus. Continuing to bring break-through original programming to Hulu will further help to define our brand and complement the deep strength we already have with both “last night’s TV” and our deep library of programming.
Jonathan Perelman, GM of Video & VP Agency Strategy, BuzzFeed
That’s a trend that is a result of the upfronts, which how that business works. That’s how advertising gets sold: come look at the new series, the great people, the great content we’re producing, see it, experience it, and buy advertising against that and the other programs that we have. It’s distinctly different in digital in the sense that inventory’s attached differently. A half-hour sitcom is a 22-minute show, and you have to fill 8 minutes of advertising. Digital is just completely different. But for us it’s less about big name stars and celebrities and more about how we think about creating this compelling, sharable video content.
Jack Bamberger, Head of Agency and Industry Relations, AOL
We took a very deliberate approach to the NewFronts last year, and yes celebrities were a part of our strategy, but here’s the real context. Our approach was around four words, “authentic voices, remarkable stories.” If you happened to have been a celebrity that was a part of one of the AOL On Original slate from last year, it was likely because you had not only an extraordinary social footprint, but you had a passion project where you were able to tell your story because it was remarkable and you had an authentic voice. A perfect example is Nicole Richie and “Candidly Nicole.” The success of that show was because Nicole had a huge social following, which not only did she leverage, but she was the true Nicole in all of the content, which is why it so deeply engaged consumers. That’s just one example. You’ll see a continuation of that strategy in 2014. It’s not about celebrity, but I will say one thing, you’ve got to find celebrities who actually meet specific criteria that actually will create engagement with consumers. So it’s not celerity for celebrity sake.
Erin McPherson, Chief Content Officer, and Jason Krebs, Head of Sales, Maker Studios
McPherson: We are in a moment of transformation of the industry. We’re seeing a convergence of traditional television and “new media” especially as
delivery systems overlap so I can get my Netflix on my iPad and I can also get YouTube on my iPad. As the consumer, I’m mixing these forms of media and I’m not differentiating, especially younger consumers, to them it’s all just great entertainment. What you’re seeing on stage is a reflection of that.
I also think from a commercial, strategic standpoint, what you’re seeing on stage is the demonstration by a bunch of different digital distributors that the content online is “premium” and there is some effort to bring familiar faces and familiar formats to television buyers who may misperceive that there is no quality content online. I think there is a lot of great quality. It depends how you define quality, but I think in some respects, it’s an effort to legitimize the platform.
Krebs: There’s a rolling catch up time between what people see as star power. We’ve always talked about this from radio to movies, from radio to TV, from broadcast to cable, from cable to Netflix. If you had said 10 years ago that something like a Netflix would win an Emmy award for programming, you’d have had people laughing at you. In a couple of years, there won’t be a traditional Hollywood talent and digital talent. We just won’t say those things anymore.
About the 2014 Digital Content NewFronts
Each year, thousands of people attend the Digital Content NewFronts to witness great new original video content, learn marketing best practices, and hear headline-grabbing announcements about partnerships that will change the course of the digital medium. This powerful series of presentations proves that digital video is the right place for brands to engage with consumers because consumers are engaging with digital video. Presenters include AOL, DigitasLBi, Google/YouTube, Hulu, Microsoft, Yahoo, and more. Learn More & See Schedule
IAB Cross-Screen Marketplace, Spotlight: Video, May 15, 2014
If you’re interested in digital video, IAB is bringing together thought leaders from both brands and agencies for the IAB Cross-Screen Marketplace. We’ll reveal how the buy and sell side are partnering to develop, deploy, and evaluate the success of multi-screen/multi-channel content and brand experiences, and the increasingly powerful role video is playing in this revolution. Learn More & See Agenda
