A Look at the 2012 Digital NewFronts
Jeff Liang, VP US Director Digital Investment at PHD
2012 is quite an interesting year for digital, as major portals and content sites kickoff its first ever Digital NewFronts. If you haven't heard about it, it's a two week event conceived similar to that of traditional TV upfronts, which has been a great way for TV Networks to build awareness and excitement about their upcoming TV shows and get potential advertisers to unleash their advertising budgets.
2012 is the first year where digital publishers officially organized their own digital "NewFronts" to generate excitement about its upcoming video content. The industry is hoping NewFront participants will be flashy enough to capture eye-popping advertiser interest in the original video content space, far beyond the typical grainy user-generated YouTube videos and low budget reality TV webisodes. Perhaps even taking a bit of attention away from TV Networks to prove digital publishers have the capability to produce hit television shows online.
Well... can they?
Here's a summary of the main NewFront events:
Hulu - As the leader in premium video, Hulu capped off the event by promoting its new original programming in addition to reinforcing its partnerships with major content providers like NBC and ABC. “Don’t quit your Daydream” is about a cast that travels with a portable recording studio to seek out music talent with the chance to win a recording contract, just think “American Idol” on wheels. “Live from the Artists Den” presents extraordinary music artists in extraordinary settings, a mix of “MTV unplugged” with “Inside the Actors Studio”. Richard Linklater and Eva Longoria are two filmmaker and celebrity individuals behind some of the new programming. In addition, Hulu presented various tent pole and device event sponsorships. Now this is how it's done!
Content Rating: 8 out of 10
Presentation Rating: 9 out of 10
Presentation Rating: 9 out of 10
POPSUGAR - A hip and stylish presentation in a beautifully decorated open loft in West Chelsea immersed attendees into the ambiance of POPSUGAR. Attendees were greeted with pink martinis and bubbly champagne to instantly feel like a fashionable VIP. The presentation was kicked off by POPSUGAR's founders, Lisa and Brian Sugar who introduced the audience to the editors of FitSugar, FabSugar, YumSugar and other Sugar properties. The company's vision is to invest in developing proprietary content and video surrounding each POPSUGAR's vertical category. Impressive for a niche content player and POPSUGAR certainly seems to "get it".
Content Rating: 7 out of 10
Presentation Rating: 8 out of 10
Content Rating: 7 out of 10
Presentation Rating: 8 out of 10
Microsoft - Not a good first impression when attendees waited over 30 minutes to get into the building. Microsoft also presented opportunities that didn't seem to fit the bill. The focus was on existing properties, such as Fox Sports, NBC News Digital, X-Box, all headlined by Felicia Day. Their custom content was barely memorable and most of the audience members were a bit disappointed by Microsoft's inability to capitalize on a great opportunity to showcase their true potential in the video content space.
Content Rating: 4 out of 10
Presentation Rating: 5 out of 10
Content Rating: 4 out of 10
Presentation Rating: 5 out of 10
AOL - A clear focus on Huffington Post and the influence of Arianna Huffington can be felt throughout the entire AOL event. AOL showcased its original programming, followed by an intimate panel session with its content editors proving that content is king at AOL, well at least for now. AOL is certainly making a move to become a serious content player but the question is, will its declining audience pay any attention?
Content Rating: 7 out of 10
Presentation Rating: 7 out of 10
Content Rating: 7 out of 10
Presentation Rating: 7 out of 10
Yahoo - Yahoo has the strongest content line-up with the most recognizable celebrities headlining their original programming. Tom Hanks is the creator and producer of "Electric City", a notable animated series that may have the best chance of generating TV-like numbers. "Cybergeddon", a digital motion picture from CSI creator Anthony Zuiker, will bring to life the growing threat of cyber crime. Lastly, Katie Couric made an appearance to promote “Katie’s Take”, her weekly show to explore topics and issues that matter most to her viewers. This is starting to feel like an upfront now!
Content Rating: 9 out of 10
Presentation Rating: 8 out of 10
Content Rating: 9 out of 10
Presentation Rating: 8 out of 10
VEVO - A darling of the music video space that we have all come to love. VEVO delivered on its video know-how by focusing on original programming with popular music artists and providing a panel of successful music marketers and producers like L.A. Reid from Epic Records. The presentation kicked off with an impressive sizzle reel of its unprecedented growth, becoming the #3 US video platform and the highest viewed YouTube channel since its launch in 2009.
Content Rating: 7 out of 10
Presentation Rating: 9 out of 10
Content Rating: 7 out of 10
Presentation Rating: 9 out of 10
Content Rating: 7 out of 10
Presentation Rating: 10 out of 10
So, what does this all mean? Is this the beginning of premium digital video as we all know it, or is it just another way to draw in more digital dollars?
There is certainly a sense of accomplishment now that we're finally able to see digital publishers pull off such an impressive event. The Digital NewFronts are legitimate, captivating, and the video content we've seen has a real chance to succeed. It's enough to garner attention from marketers alike and create a need to seriously consider these opportunities in marketing plans.
However, there was some disappointment as certain publishers were clearly confused about their position in the video content space. The lack of direction was transparent and noticeable by most of the NewFronts attendees as well. It could be an indication of which publishers take the lead in the video marketplace and which publishers fall behind.
In all of the original video programming we've seen, none of it had the production budget and celebrity talent that a prime time television series typically receives. Digital publishers are hoping one their many shows in production will eventually take off and become viral. Chances are less likely for this to happen and no one knows if this strategy will work.
In my point of view, digital video is simply another media channel for audiences to consume content in the form that consumers demand. As technology enhances video delivery through the Internet, consumers will begin to stream premium television content through Internet Connected TVs, gaming consoles, and mobile devices, mostly for large screen viewing. Once that occurs, interaction between the advertiser and consumer will occur in real time. Audiences will receive the benefits of watching premium video content whenever they want and how they want, while advertisers will benefit from precision targeting and most importantly, consumer engagement. This is already occurring through Hulu Plus, Netflix, VUDU and the likes.
That to me, is the future of digital video.
The 2012 NewFronts is a win-win situation for advertisers and publishers. Original programming streamed through cyberspace will give audiences more viewing choices and provide marketers with more options to find their target consumers.
It was truly a pleasure to be part of the 2012 Digital NewFronts and I'm excited to see what 2013 has to offer.
It was truly a pleasure to be part of the 2012 Digital NewFronts and I'm excited to see what 2013 has to offer.
