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Premium VOD is a Train Wreck Though It Just Doesn't Matter
Yesterday marked the official launch of "Premium VOD" by DirecTV, a plan under which movies will be released just 60 days after their theatrical opening (half the usual time) for 48-hour rental by subscribers for $30. The first movie being offered this way, which DirecTV dubs "Home Premiere," was Sony Pictures' "Just Go With It" starring Adam Sandler. Three other studios, Warner Bros., Universal Pictures and Fox have already signaled their intent to release movies on Premium VOD with DirecTV and other pay-TV operators who have expressed interest.
Theater owners and the Hollywood creative community are livid about Premium VOD, which they perceive as paving the road to cannibalizing theatrical attendance which would in turn harm a movie's overall economics, creating a dangerous downward spiral. In addition, there's concern that if consumers switch to watching movies on the small screen then the creative license implicit in a big screen emphasis will get squeezed. While their concerns are completely justified, the good news for them is that Premium VOD will be lucky to achieve even minimal success. Instead it will more than likely end up being a short-lived experiment that will have virtually no impact on larger Hollywood dynamics. Here's why:
Categories: FIlms, Studios, Video On Demand
Topics: DirecTV, FOX, Sony Pictures, Universal, Warner Bros.
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VideoNuze Report Podcast #96 - Apr. 22, 2011
I'm pleased to present the 96th edition of the VideoNuze Report podcast, for April 22, 2011.
In this week's podcast, Daisy Whitney and I discuss 2 new video ads that I recently wrote about, the Desperados Tequila Flavored Beer ad on YouTube, and the Evian "Baby Inside" ad. I thought they were both highly creative and offered great opportunities for viewers to become involved. On the other hand, Daisy did not like either one, the Desperados ad because it required too many actions, and the Evian ad because she's averse to the images of adult heads on babies' bodies. As Daisy explains, often she just wants to enjoy ads as entertainment, rather than be required to act.
Daisy draws an interesting distinction between "interactivity" and "engagement," two concepts that are often used interchangeably. But as Daisy points out, many ads incite deep engagement while not requiring any interactivity. I can relate to the point as I found myself very engaged with "The Force" Super Bowl ad from Volkswagen, though it didn't include any interactivity. The larger point is that even though opportunities now abound for brands to immerse users in online experiences, more than ever they need to strike the right balance between pure entertainment vs. requiring to users to act.
Click here to listen to the podcast (12 minutes, 20 seconds)
Click here for previous podcasts
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Categories: Advertising, Podcasts
Topics: Desperados Tequila Flavored Beer, Evian, Podcast, YouTube
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Senior Comcast, ESPN, Turner Executives to Discuss TV Everywhere's Game-Changing Role at ELEVATE
I'm delighted to announce that TV Everywhere's game-changing role in the TV and advertising ecosystems will be the topic of a marquee panel of cable
industry executives at ELEVATE: Online Video Advertising Summit on Tuesday, June 7th in New York City. The panel, which I'll moderate, is titled "TV Everywhere: Game-Changer for Premium Online Video and Advertising" and includes:- Jeremy Legg - SVP, Business Development and Multi-Platform Distribution, Turner Broadcasting System
- David Preschlack - EVP, Affiliate Sales and Marketing, Disney & ESPN Networks Group
- Matt Strauss - SVP and General Manager, Comcast Interactive Media
As I've written since it first burst onto the scene almost 2 years ago, TV Everywhere is the most significant initiative in the TV industry today because it aims to untether all of the most popular programs from cable TV networks that have traditionally been locked to the set-top box in the TV room, making them available on myriad connected and mobile devices. In this respect, TV Everywhere is a strategic imperative for the pay-TV industry; as new entrants like Netflix, Hulu Plus and others have strongly embraced delivery to connected and mobile devices, they have raised the competitive bar for all others.
Categories: Cable Networks, Cable TV Operators, Devices, Events
Topics: Comcast, ELEVATE, ESPN, Turner
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With New "Baby Inside" Spot, Evian Once Again Cracks the Online Video Ad Code
Evian has released its latest online video ad - "Evian Baby Inside" this week, and once again it has cracked the code on executing a memorable, engaging, and likely-to-go-viral campaign. Baby Inside follows Evian's hugely successful "Roller Babies" ad from 2009 which has already racked up over 38 million views on YouTube. Both ads are part of Evian's "Live Young" theme and were created by the agency BETC Euro RSCG.
In the new Baby Inside campaign, a series of adults are shown dancing while wearing white T-shirts imprinted with the body of one of three different babies on them. By using stop-action and quick cuts, the viewer's eye quickly acclimates to the adult heads becoming one with the babies' bodies. It's very compelling concept and the catchy soundtrack further embellishes the experience.
Categories: Advertising
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Join Us At VideoSchmooze on May 18th at Gstaad in NYC
Please join us for the next "VideoSchmooze" networking event, on Wed., May 18th, from 6-9pm at Gstaad, a cozy, chic lounge in New York City's Flatiron District at 43 West 26th Street.
This VideoSchmooze event will provide warm-up networking and a sneak peek of the ELEVATE: Online Video Advertising Summit, on Tues., June 7th. The evening is free to all attendees and will include light food and a cash bar. It will
be networking-only, with no formal program planned. If you're looking to meet up with executives from brands, agencies, content publishers, technology providers and other executives in the online video industry, VideoSchmooze is a perfect opportunity. See you there!
Many thanks to Kantar Video and The Fortex Group for hosting this VideoSchmooze event.Categories: Events
Topics: VideoSchmooze
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Five More Industry Leaders Partner with ELEVATE: Tremor Media, FreeWheel, YuMe, Collective and The Fortex Group
I'm pleased to share news this morning that five more leading companies in the online video industry have partnered with ELEVATE: Online Video Advertising Summit on Tuesday, June 7th, in NYC: Tremor Media (TitlePartner), FreeWheel and YuMe (Premier Partners), Collective (Exhibitor Partner) and The Fortex Group (Marketing Partner). Each of these companies has distinguished itself in its own way, and we are delighted to have their support for ELEVATE. We are working closely with each of these companies to integrate their CEOs into appropriate sessions at ELEVATE where they will share insights and best practices.
We are making great progress with ELEVATE and the program is continuing to take shape. Our partners - and others in the industry - are providing terrific input on the program, and we'll be announcing high-profile participants in the days and weeks ahead. Plus, keep an eye out in the coming days for the official release of the Will Richmond/Marc Sternberg ELEVATE video, sure to be a viral hit. And for a sneak peek of what to expect at ELEVATE, please join us on May 18th for our "VideoSchmooze" networking event at Gstaad in NYC in partnership with Kantar Video and The Fortex Group.
Categories: Events
Topics: Collective, ELEVATE, FreeWheel, The Fortex Group, Tremor Media, YuMe
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Guess What? This Cord Cutter Family Story Has a Happy Ending for The Cable Company
Today VideoNuze features a guest post from Ephraim Cohen, founder and managing partner of The Fortex Group, a public relations firm with many clients in the online video and social media industries. Ephraim has also become a good friend through his firm's work on past VideoSchmooze events and the upcoming ELEVATE conference.
As a VideoNuze reader, Ephraim was inspired to think about and share his own family's experience and changing behaviors with video. As you read it, you'll no doubt get the sense that this is still an early adopter's behavior pattern, with some technical knowledge required to make everything work. However, to me, a key takeaway is that for entertainment-only consumers, expanding choice will inevitably cause them to consider their video options and seek better experiences. Even more important, as Ephraim explains, this can actually be a surprisingly good thing for cable operators which ready to adapt to these new realities. Read on to learn more.
Guess What? This Cord Cutter Family Story Has a Happy Ending for The Cable Company
by Ephraim Cohen
Sure, my home is a virtual consumer electronics lab - all the major game consoles on one main TV, two Rokus, Android and iOS devices and other gadgets. But other than me, we are, tech-wise, a normal family with three youngsters. So cutting the cord had to work for everyone, not just me.
And everyone is happy, mainly due to a well-designed system by our main OTT platforms, Roku and the Playstation 3, and viewing habits built around video-on-demand. Even our three year-old knows how to find her show using the Roku remote to watch the same Garfield over and over and over and over.
Categories: Cable TV Operators, Devices
Topics: Cablevision, The Fortex Group
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Here's the Most Innovative Video Ad To Run On YouTube So Far
As brilliant as the video ads on YouTube were for Tipp-Ex and Sylvester Stallone's "The Expendables," it's time to crown a new champion as the most innovative video ad yet on YouTube - Desperados Tequila Flavored Beer (right, I'd never heard of the product either). I stumbled on this one yesterday (gotta love those random tweets on TweetDeck!) and the ad raises the bar once again for the rest of the market. I'm not going to spoil the fun, but suffice to say there are some great head-fakes and really well-done interactivity.
Desperados is further proof of how tantalizing online video advertising is for brands ready to think out of the box and engage their target audiences in completely unexpected ways. Over the last few weeks, as part of the planning for ELEVATE: Online Video Advertising Summit on Tues., June 7th in NYC, I've been talking to a lot of executives in the online video ecosystem and what I consistently hear is the genuine desire by brands and agencies to learn how to do breakthrough creative, at scale, in the bustling new medium of online video.
Categories: Advertising
Topics: Desperados Tequila Flavored Beer, The Expendables, Tipp-Ex, YouTube
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