Newfronts: A Quick Synopsis

Overview

Attending the Newfronts is always an experience. Each year, the shows gets a little bigger, and the stars brought in to sell it through, a little brighter. All in all, there were celebrities ranging from Jerry Seinfeld & James Franco, to Bruno Mars and Steve Aoki – with some Naomi Campbell and Simon Cowell peppered in along the way.

Whether you’re Buzzfeed or Yahoo, Hulu or YouTube, a very consistent and residual thematic was clear – it’s all about the importance of video, the power of original content (along with the fans who follow it), and the ability to utilize/buy media against those fans and content programmatically.

The foray into the content game, and how these networks execute it, opens the door to a new generation of targeting and insights, all supported by the ability to highlight brands in a way previously impossible.

Here’s a look at the major takeaways…

Video

As online video continues to surpass display in its ability to outperform and over-deliver upon metrics with greater consistency – so in turn has the technology to support video. Yahoo’s acquisition of BrightRoll last year was a strategically sound move, positioning them to step into the programmatic space with a strong video DSP.

BrightRoll’s Digital Video Summit set the stage for their commitment to the programmatic space by announcing their partnership with DoubleVerify. In order to adequately claim to be in the programmatic space means that BrightRoll has to face fraud & verification head-on. One way to help convince media buyers that they are legitimately going that way is hosting an honest dialogue with DoubleVerify CEO, Wayne Gattinella. Gattinella turned out to be both candid and informative as to the state of the union today in this space and how far we still need to go.

For Hulu and YouTube, video is everything. Original content has allowed them to build their fan base, bringing in oceans of new subscribers who care far more about on-demand viewing than what time the next episode of Modern Family is. At the end of the day, the new class of viewers don’t care what network or what time their favorite show is on. Viewers know they can watch it on their schedule, free from a high volume of ads that are far less relevant than the ads served up to them digitally.

Original Content

What Yahoo has been able to do in very short order is impressive. From Katie Couric’s newsroom to their list of growing original series, one thing is clear – they are no longer the poor man’s option to an online search engine Yahoo is becoming a strong player in the new age of online and cross-device content consumption.

Both Buzzfeed’s Motion Pictures and Hulu are continuing to build a broad list of new content and marketing options while YouTube dominates the millennial game. What all this means is that it’s up in the air who has the market cornered. Hulu bringing in James Franco to play the lead on their adaptation of Steven King’s 11/22/63 is telling as to who their audience is (but that’s not a bad thing).

Moreover, perhaps there doesn’t need to be a clear “leader” in this space. There seems to be plenty of room in the original content game for everyone to succeed, and the days of Netflix being the only player has long since passed. The audience insights that all 3 players have against their original programming is boundless, making it clear that the future of ad content done in a seemingly organic way, is the least-invasive and most effective means of serving up a branded experience, because it feels native.

Programmatic

DSP’s, DMP’s and Fraud – oh my. Everyone’s favorite hot button digital topic. No doubt this term, and the idea of addressable media, will soon become standard practice for media buying, but for now it dominates the discussion. At the end of the day, programmatic is good for business, regardless of which side of the fence you work on.

Part and parcel in the Newfront conversation, both during presentations and after at the dinner table with clients, is that everyone wants to know if/when to play in this game. With each partner approaching it a bit differently, there isn’t a clear answer, but the solutions are there. As we gradually evolve in lock step with the space as a whole, that answer will augment with the pace of change.

What’s the net/net?

The consumption of content across all devices is on the rise. Whether you’re using the Yahoo or YouTube app on your tablet, or watching Hulu on your SmartTV – the game is the same. The evolution has dictated that the consumer is everywhere all the time, and connected all the time. At work, on the go, at home – it doesn’t matter. What does matter is what they are consuming, when they are consuming it, and using those insights to inform your strategic plan of attack. In conclusion, don’t think about the shows necessarily, or the content itself, but rather understand the demographic consuming that content. From there, you’ll know if it aligns well with your brands, and you can begin to think how best to integrate your messaging in a way the audience will appreciate.