VideoNuze Posts

Premium video consumption is splintering across platforms and services, creating huge challenges for content providers seeking to optimize ad revenues. To address this problem, video ad tech provider Operative has launched a new industry-wide initiative called “Premium at Scale” which aims to enable converged ad buying across linear and digital, based on business outcomes and audiences.

Operative’s CEO Lorne Brown told me in a briefing that Premium at Scale is an open, interoperable framework that will integrate media companies’ existing ad tech stacks as requested. Operative aims to play a central role in streamlining this process, helping transform TV from linear and digital silos to a platform model that will better compete with Google and Facebook.

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At the recent VideoNuze Online Video Ad Summit, I did a really interesting fireside interview with Hayden Lynch, SVP of Ad Solutions and Innovation at Group Nine Media, which owns well-established passion brands like NowThis, Thrillist, The Dodo and Seeker. Collectively these brands drive over 6 billion video views per month, though just around 50 million are on owed and operated properties.

As Hayden explains, this creates huge challenges and opportunities for Group Nine, and he estimates approximately 10-20% of its current views are monetized. Hayden articulates why the distributed approach makes long-term business sense and what the company is doing to improve its monetization, especially with Facebook. He also describes the company’s strategy to move into linear, why it’s launching a half dozen shows on Snap, and the goals of its recent NewFront, among other topics.

Watch the interview now!

Just weeks after closing its acquisition of Time Warner, AT&T has begun the process of revamping HBO’s traditional success formula, with Netflix envy apparently the main catalyst. According to a new NY Times article detailing a town hall meeting that Warner Media CEO John Stankey had with HBO employees, the new strategy boils down to wanting HBO to produce vastly more content with a goal of driving up engagement time and growth.

That sounds a lot like the formula that Netflix has employed for years, spending billions of dollars per year on scores of original programs in a global land grab for subscribers, while de-emphasizing profit maximization. Of course Wall Street has fallen in love with Netflix’s approach. Conversely, HBO has pursued a more limited “boutique” content strategy, with a few key marquee programs, while maximizing profitability.

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At our recent VideoNuze Online Video Ad Summit, the “Video’s Programmatic Roadmap” session explored how programmatic is becoming more mainstream in premium video, why connected TV is a huge growth area, how brand safety and viewability are being ensured, the various ways data is being used by both advertisers and publishers, plus lots more.

Participating on the session were Melissa Bonnick (SVP, Programmatic Strategy, Affiperf/Havas), Eric Hoffert (SVP, Video Technology, AppNexus), Sean Holzman (Chief Digital Revenue Officer, Bonnier), Keren Katz (Head of Bidder and Buyer Development, Programmatic, Microsoft), with Brian Leder (Partner, Chief Strategy Officer, Promatica Consulting), moderating.

Watch the session video now!

There’s a ton of innovation driving the video industry and video advertising forward. At our recent VideoNuze Online Video Ad Summit, our innovation session focused on areas like voice-activated video search and monetization, mobile/vertical video, optimizing the ad experience, how organizations can build innovative video cultures and much more.

Participating on the session were Corbin de Rubertis (VP of Innovation, Meredith Digital), Henry Embleton (Head of Ad Products and Revenue, Ellation), Kevin McGurn (Chief Sales Officer, Vevo) with Eric John (Deputy Director, Video, IAB) moderating.

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Video ad tech provider Cedato has introduced a new video ad format called “IntentView.” The ad appears for 5-6 seconds as a picture-in-picture corner window with audio off as the video content runs. On the desktop if the viewer hovers their mouse over the window, it expands to the full player, initiates audio and pauses the content (on mobile the viewer has to click). In this way the format is entirely opt-in and 100% viewable.

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We were fortunate to once again have 2 senior ad agency executives participate in a fireside chat at the recent VideoNuze Online Video Ad Summit to discuss their thoughts on the NewFronts and Upfronts, and what’s ahead in 2018.

Maureen Bosetti (Chief Partnerships Officer, Initiative) and Mike Law (EVP, Managing Director of Media Investment, Dentsu Aegis Network U.S.) were interviewed by Matt Prohaska (CEO and Principal, Prohaska Consulting) on a variety of specific topics, including how their agencies are using data and leveraging technology, their advice for ad tech providers, how technology is impacting their staffing and organizational structures, the role of programmatic and how the next generation of buyers is being educated, plus much more.

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As more TV viewing moves to streaming, connected TV is emerging as the most important new source of premium ad-supported inventory. At our recent VideoNuze Online Video Ad Summit, we dug into this unfolding opportunity on a session Rich Calacci (Chief Revenue Officer, Pluto TV), Jim Keller (VP, Sales, Hulu), Frank Sinton (Founder, Beachfront Media), Seth Walters (VP, Demand Partnerships, Roku), with Colin Dixon (Principal Analyst, nScreenMedia), moderating.

The panel explored the key advantages of connected TV ads, including enhanced targetability (at the user level), measurability, in-flight optimization and real-time feedback loops. The panelists also noted that with more cord-cutting happening, CTV is a critical way to reach certain households and build cross-screen campaigns. Still, the panelists noted that it’s relatively early days for CTVs, as virtually all TV will be streamed within 5 years.

Watch the session video now!