VideoNuze Posts

Yesterday I posted the recent Video Ad Summit keynote interview with Brian Lesser, CEO of GroupM North America, in which he articulated some of the key challenges facing advertisers today: consumers are harder than ever to reach, data is becoming more valuable, workflows and media buying need to be simplified and agencies need to be more streamlined, among other things.

Video ad tech providers are well aware of these imperatives and this week, 2 new partnerships that were announced (one between YuMe and Mediaocean and the other between DataXu and Teads), along with a new strategic consulting initiative announced by SpotX, all pick up, in one way or another, on the points Brian made.

continue reading

We had 2 terrific keynote interviews at our recent 7th annual Online Video Advertising Summit, with Brian Lesser (CEO, GroupM North America), which was conducted by Matt Spiegel (Managing Director, Marketing & Technology Solutions, MediaLink) and with Troy Young (Global President, Hearst Digital Media), who I interviewed.

Taken together they provide invaluable insights from both the buy and sell sides about how to succeed in the rapidly changing video industry.

Each interview is a little over 30 minutes. Links to all of the session videos from the Ad Summit are included at the bottom of this post. Enjoy!

Watch the keynote interviews

With the launch of numerous skinny bundles, direct-to-consumer OTT services and innovative new packages from incumbent pay-TV operators, it’s more confusing than ever for viewers to decide which service(s) are right for them and how much they should pay. For skinny bundles in particular, the confusion is compounded by the fact there’s little rhyme or reason to which TV networks are included and which aren’t, leading to what I’ve called the “Swiss cheese” problem of too many holes in their lineups that consequently diminish their value.

To address this complexity, startup Suppose TV has launched a free online tool that allows users to specify their geographic area and which TV networks are most important to them with further filters like DVR availability and device/multi-stream compatibility. Suppose’s algorithm considers these inputs and then provides unbiased recommendations on the optimal services, starting with the “Best Fit” service.

continue reading

An article in the WSJ over the weekend “Apple’s iTunes Falls Short in Battle for Video Viewers” caught my attention for a number of reasons, not least of which it touched on how quickly Comcast has succeeded in growing its market share in digital movie rentals and downloads.

While iTunes is estimated to still hold the market share lead in the digital movie rental and purchase industry with a share of between 20% to 35%, that’s down from over 50% in 2012. The article notes that Amazon’s share is now up to around 20% and Comcast’s is at 15%. For Amazon, video rentals and purchases represent another way it leverages its e-commerce expertise. Rentals/purchases are also very complementary to Amazon’s Prime Video service. In many ways, there’s nothing surprising at all about how Amazon has taken a bite out of Apple’s market share.

continue reading

I’m pleased to present the 378th edition of the VideoNuze podcast with my weekly partner Colin Dixon of nScreenMedia.

First up this week, Colin shares reactions to a presentation he attended by Jennifer Dorian, GM of Turner Classic Movies and FilmStruck about how TCM is focusing on its core fans to build community and strengthen its brand. Colin was very impressed with the range of initiatives TCM is taking as examples of how a traditional cable TV network can deepen its relationships with viewers.  

We then transition to discuss AMC Premiere, the new $4.99 per month service recently launched by AMC and Comcast allowing ad-free viewing of current season programs. I really like the fact that the companies are experimenting with a new business model, but as I wrote, based on other similar services, I’m not super-confident that there is huge pent-up demand to pay extra to avoid ads, especially since the programming available is limited.

Listen in to learn more!
 
Click here to listen to the podcast (19 minutes, 20 seconds)

Click here for previous podcasts.

Click here to add the podcast feed to your RSS reader.

The VideoNuze podcast is also available in iTunes...subscribe today!

Even as online video advertising booms, questions of trust continue to loom large in the industry. Whether it’s brand safety, misreported and unaudited metrics, viewability or fraud, the industry as a whole is grappling with how to instill a greater sense of trust among all parties.

At our recent Online Video Ad Summit we had a really thoughtful session, “Putting Trust First in Online Video Advertising” in which panelists explored all of the above issues, starting with the most fundamental question, “How do we define brand safety?” It was a really illuminating discussion of all the cross-currents in play and the difficulty of resolving them cohesively, given a multitude of priorities.

The session included Natalie Gabathuler-Scully (VP, Revenue Operations, Vevo), Jonathan Katz (VP of Demand Platforms, Trusted Media Brands), Steve Rubel (Chief Content Strategist, Edelman) and Ben Versh (Director, Media Team, Pfizer), with Eric John (Deputy Director, Video, IAB) moderating.

Watch the video (36 minutes, 41 seconds).

Watch the video now

Programmatic video ad buying - using data and automation - is one of the most critical trends in how video is monetized. But as programmatic video has gained momentum, it has become a much more complicated world for publishers, advertisers, agencies and technology providers.

At our recent Online Video Ad Summit session, “Behind Programmatic Video’s Momentum,” panelists shared insights about how they’re pursuing programmatic and succeeding, along with where key challenges remain.  

The session included Sarah Baehr (EVP, Managing Partner, Digital, Horizon Media), Dvir Doron (Chief Marketing Officer, Cedato) and Sean Holzman (Chief Digital Officer, Bonnier), with Matt Prohaska (CEO and Principal, Prohaska Consulting) moderating.

Watch the video (34 minutes, 48 seconds).

And mark your calendars for Wednesday, November 29th for our 3rd annual SHIFT // Programmatic Video & TV Ad Summit in NYC!

Watch the video now

It’s no exaggeration to say there are breakthrough innovations happening in every area of video: advertising, distribution, programming, user experience, multiscreen access and lots more. As viewers, we all benefit from these innovations, which are often behind the scenes, but which hugely contribute to our experiences.

At our recent Online Video Ad Summit, we dedicated a session to understanding innovation and how the industry is continuing to evolve in lots of ways.

The session included Frank Besteiro (Head of Business Development & Partnerships, Vemba), Mike Proulx (Chief Digital Officer, Hill Holliday), Jesse Redniss (Chief Innovation Officer, Turner), Dave Simon (VP, Video Activation, AOL) with Brian Ring (Principal Analyst, Ring Digital) moderating.

Watch the video (38 minutes, 11 seconds).

Watch the session video