Tags containing: "multi-platform"

In 2024, media companies must hit the platform reset button

December 14, 2023 Damian Radcliffe, Carolyn S. Chambers Professor in Journalism – University of Oregon

It’s been a long time coming. But 2023 has signaled that it’s finally time for publishers to reconsider the volatile, often one-sided, relationship that many of them have with some of the biggest tech platforms.

Media companies have been impacted by multiple developments over the past year, as platforms have progressively deprioritized news, canceled or reduced their news-related programs and products, or made the presence of news content on their platforms much less user-friendly.

These moves are the latest in a long line of changes that have pulled the rug out from underneath the feet of content creators. And while the tech tide may again turn in the favor of media companies, history tends to repeat itself. Publishers, therefore, should be wary about how warmly they embrace any future overtures from our tech overlords, as well as rushing headlong into the next new thing. Too often some publishers have dived into new initiatives like Mastodon or WhatsApp Channels, without a clear strategy or goals (content, engagement, monetization) in mind.

As a result, the current situation is an opportunity to pause, take stock, and reset these dynamics.

What this means for you: 7 key principles for 2024 (and beyond)

With that in mind, here are seven recommendations for publishers as they reassess what their relationships with platform providers should look like.

1. Platform diversification is essential

Over-dependence on individual platforms for revenue – or referral traffic – is risky. Sudden switches in platform priorities can quickly leave creative partners in the lurch. Outlets like LittleThings, Mic and BuzzFeed (to name but three) have all paid the price for putting too many eggs in a single platform basket. Avoiding this fate means that diversification is crucial.

So, where should publishers place their bets? The answer will vary. However, all publishers should consider reducing their reliance on the trusted trifecta of Facebook, Twitter/X and even Google Search.

The past year has reinforced this need, following precipitous drops in traffic from Google, Facebook and X. And as more audiences turn to Generative AI tools like Chat GPT for answers to their questions, attribution and referral traffic look set to take a further beating.

As Adrienne LaFrance, the executive editor of The Atlantic, recently told The New York Times, “the disruption to an already difficult business model is real.”

2. Spot and tap into shifts in audience behavior

In response to the current wave of disruption, media companies should reconsider platforms that they’ve previously perhaps overlooked or underinvested in.

When it comes to scale, YouTube is the 300lb gorilla in the room. With 2.5 billion users it’s the second most active social network in the world. In the USA 26% of adults regularly get news on YouTube, just behind Facebook (30%). Yet, arguably, many media companies (not just news providers) undervalue the platform.

TikTok’s popularity – especially with younger audiences – makes it a platform few media companies can afford to ignore. Since launching in the U.S. in August 2018, TikTok has grown to 80 million monthly active users. Globally 1.1 billion use the platform each month.

Subsequently, in the past year, The New York Times and the BBC launched news accounts on TikTok, having previously resisted pressure to do so. Part of the rationale for this, per the Pew Research Center, is that “the share of U.S. adults who say they regularly get news from TikTok has more than quadrupled, from 3% in 2020 to 14% in 2023.” That increases to nearly a third (32%) of those aged 18-29 years old, a figure that excludes non-news use.

TikTok and YouTube are also part of wider shifts in search habits, as users head directly to different platforms to look for answers to specific questions.

The migration from conventional search engines (especially among younger consumers) is being further accelerated by the adoption of Generative AI. That has implications for media companies’ AI strategies, as well as ensuring that they are producing content, and optimizing for search, on the platforms that their target audiences are using.

3. Understand that audiences are also diversified

Diversification is also seen in our wider media habits. On average, the world’s 4.89 billion social media users engage with seven different social networks every month.

However, audiences do not use platforms in the same way or for the same purposes, and publisher strategies need to reflect this.

The rise of TikTok, for example, has led to an investment in more vertical video content. After pioneering short videos, its algorithms – and users – increasingly embrace longer material, opening up fresh opportunities for publishers.

In contrast, other vertical-led channels, like Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Snapchat, continue to favor shorter video content. Reels account for 20% of the time spent on Instagram. YouTube Shorts has 1.5 billion monthly active users. These findings cannot be ignored.

Meanwhile, the rise of Smart TVs has led to more than 700 million hours of YouTube videos being consumed on TV screens every day. That’s encouraging more horizontal content, as publishers and creators focus on this trend.

Collectively, this means that publishers will need to deploy different strategies and content propositions to tap into these audiences. There is no one-size-fits-all solution.

4. You can’t, and shouldn’t be, everywhere

Just because you can be on a platform doesn’t mean that you should be. Resources are finite, so determining the best fit requires careful analysis of demographics and usage habits.

The BBC argued TikTok wasn’t initially the right platform for them. They were also worried about spreading themselves too thin. At a time of continued layoffs – with more than 20,000 media jobs lost this year alone – that concern will resonate with many companies.

The recent boycott of Twitter by major advertisers including Warner Bros. and Disney should also give media execs pause for thought. Brand safety is a consideration for all companies.

As Platformer’s Casey Newton recently told CNN. “Every day, more brands are waking up to the reality that Twitter is dead and X is a cesspool… The global town square is now dispersed across many different platforms, and increasingly the most relevant conversations are taking place elsewhere.”

5. Go niche, or go home

Many of these conversations take place in smaller online communities and some publishers may see the value in exploring these more niche networks.

Platforms like Twitch or Reddit are not for everyone, but their users are loyal and spend a lot of time on site. Recognizing this, last year The Washington Post appointed angel mendoza as their redditor in chief.

It’s worth noting that more Americans claim to obtain their news from Twitch than Snapchat, and Twitch’s reach for news is on a par with LinkedIn. And with over a quarter of Americans saying they regularly get their news on Nextdoor, this presents interesting questions for local news outlets and specialist information providers about how they can – and should – be engaging with the platforms.

These types of networks may go under the radar of many publishers, yet their reach – and the engagement of the communities on them – may mean they’re worth another look.

6. Recalibrate what “success” looks like

As money and traffic from tech platforms dry up, metrics beyond clicks and views become more salient.

Historically, some publishers have financially benefited from page views on different social networks. Facebook reported in 2017 that it was paying out more than $1 million per day to publishers as a result of Instant Articles. However, that stream dried up as the company shifted focus to the creator economy.

Off-site referrals have also been important. A Deloitte study from 2019 found that across several major European markets, platforms drove 61% of visits to publishers’ websites and an estimated 6.2% of publishers’ total revenues.

But with money and traffic drying up, brand awareness and engagement may be better indicators.

Although TikTok has partnered with marquee publishers like Condé Nast, DotDash Meredith and NBCU, many companies find it a difficult platform to monetize. It is also a platform that many users don’t swipe away from, meaning that traditional clickthrough models just aren’t applicable.

7. Focus on building direct relationships with audiences

With third-party referrals and revenues declining, audience relationship-building is paramount.

That can take many forms. Many publishers are focused on their own products – like newsletters and podcasts – as well as capturing first-party data. They’re also looking to reduce churn, upsell existing subscribers and attract others through bundling.

It also means leveraging specific external platforms to foster community and loyalty.

GQ’s launch on Discord is part of this trend. The move enables them to engage with micro communities, often existing subscribers, around topics like fashion and everything Web3. “The way that we are thinking about it is we are throwing a party, GQ is the host, Discord is the venue and you are invited,” explained Joel Pavelski, GQ’s executive director of global audience development and social media.

We can expect more media companies to embrace these engagement strategies, leveraging specific (not necessarily mainstream) platforms to create greater loyalty.

Moving forward

Media companies find themselves at a crossroads in 2024. Traffic referrals from tech giants like Google, Facebook, and Twitter/X have dwindled, underscoring the need for publishers to pivot their platform strategies. To do this, they must diversify and reimagine relationships with their audiences and tech partners.

Publishers can no longer rely on traffic and revenues from many of the platforms they have partnered heavily with in the past. A fresh approach means moving into new spaces, adapting their content and SEO strategies around evolving consumer behaviors, and thinking carefully about where to allocate their resources.

Larger and niche platforms offer distinct opportunities, but success in this new era will likely look different from the past. Subscriptions, memberships, native advertising, and exclusive content access, might play a greater role in these settings. And in some cases, building brand awareness and loyalty may be the primary goal.

Whatever the approach, the strategic challenge is the same: to reduce dependence on a small core group of third-party platforms and to approach new platform relationships with the benefit of hard-won wisdom. Referrals and third-party-derived revenues may not be as viable as they once were. As a result, publishers must diversify their reach and build direct connections with their audiences in a plethora of different spaces and places. In doing so, publishers need to blend scale and niche to establish a more resilient and adaptable presence across the digital ecosystem.

The time to begin implementing this model is now.

Innovation | Video

Meerkat Takes Center Stage in Shark Week’s Social Strategy

July 2, 2015 Michelle Manafy, Editorial Director – DCN

Given that these days the majority of people prefer to stream television content on their own schedule, producing programming that ranks high in real-time viewership is no small achievement. Certainly, sporting and awards event television retain their real-time charm, but the Discovery Channel is betting on the live-appeal of one of its most popular TV-viewing events: Shark Week.

Over the years, Shark Week has increasingly become “a live viewing event” according Conal Byrne, SVP of Digital Media for Discovery Communication. However this may be as much a reflection of Shark Week’s high levels of social engagement as it is of the network’s on-air programming. Byrne says that Shark Week has evolved from classic prime time fare to the sort of television-inspired social occasion that he likens to Super Bowl parties: “The event of watching the show has become almost as big as the show itself.” Byrne adds that as this social viewing progressed, Discovery began to see an opportunity to create social media experiences that reflect the real-time fan engagement around Shark Week.

To that end, Discovery Channel has announced that it will premier the new embed functionality from Meerkat in conjunction with Shark Week’s return on Sunday, July 5. Discovery Channel will host behind-the-scenes Shark Week content through Meerkat embeds to complement its multiplatform approach. Discovery’s player will live on the network’s recently launched DLive digital destination, which features a roundup of fan-favorite streaming content (in the case of Shark Week, that means a lot of live shark cams.)

Byrne says that Discovery Channel has experimented with real-time social video in the past, citing last year’s premiere of Mythbusters when they took a production team out to the livestream of the hosts watching the premiere from the warehouse where the show is produced.. Byrne described the result as “a very real-time experience: Watch it now or it will be gone.” While he felt that was an effective approach, it was a significant production. So, when they began thinking about a real-time streaming experience for Shark Week fans, he reached out to Meerkat—which they’d worked with in the past for Animal Planet — and learned about their new embed functionality. “It was one of those happy coincidences; they were building exactly what we needed,” said Byrne, and one that would provide ease of production and included social and interactive features that make it not only easier and less expensive, but better optimized to suit the socially-engaged fan base.

Byrne marvels at the exciting pace at which digital media evolves, saying that “between the time we conceived of this idea and set a release date, live social broadcasting emerged and we knew that if we did Shark Week without live social broadcasting, we would be missing something.” Not only will Shark Week viewers be able to dive deeper with special Shark Week content through @SharkWeek on Meerkat and through Meerkat embeds at DLive, Byrne says that shark experts and fans alike can broadcast and be part of the programming.

Among Discovery Channel’s plans for Meerkat are a live feeding from the National Aquarium in Baltimore, a celebration of “Findependance” at San Francisco’s Pier 39 fireworks and “Shark on the Street” Q&As with viewer giveaways. They also have plans for a series of “Finbassador” shark experts – from photographers to educators and conservationists – who will share inside stories on what it’s like to be a part of Shark Week. Byrne is particularly excited about the behind-the-scenes stories from Shark Week saying that “for me, some of the most exciting stuff at Shark Week literally happens behind the cameras. The cinematographers and producers are heroes!” Using Meerkat embed will allow some of these stories to get out of the boardroom and enhance audience’s understanding of what it takes to create Shark Week.

Byrne says that social media has become a critical component of Discovery Channel’s digital strategy over the past several years and that they have experimented with a number of approaches. This has included an emphasis on on-air “social TV,” a curated approach, and a pure volume play in which they tracked mentions and engagements. This year, he says that the social media strategy has been “very curated and intentional,” and part of every production conversation.

Right now, monetizing the Meerkat experience is not something he’s highly focused on. Byrne says that not only does he feel lucky to have the support of Discovery Channel in allowing for constant experimentation, but that pushing to monetize too soon can be detrimental. “When we first roll out a cutting edge idea like this, the primary gauge is whether or not it resonates with the superfans and makes more fans.” While Meerkat does provide ways to integrate sponsors, Byrne says they will focus on the fan experience, collect the data, and then consider how best to monetize. “You can definitely kill a product and its potential if [revenue] is your first priority.” With Shark Week, the focus is squarely on enhancing the real-time fans’ experience and engagement.

Industry-Research | Video

Streaming and Multiscreen Viewing Continue to Rise

April 20, 2015 Research Team—DCN

Today’s consumers own a variety of streaming video-capable screens and they are using these devices more than they did a year ago according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) report “The Changing TV Experience: Attitudes and Usage Across Multiple Screens,” an in-depth study that explores new ground in the ongoing dramatic shift in consumers’ television viewing habits. The IAB found that US adults surveyed say they spend nearly 5 hrs a day on their computer, slightly more than they spend watching TV. The next most used devices are smartphone (3.6 hrs) and connected TV (2.4 hrs).

The research also found that, particularly among connected TV owners, streaming is on the rise:

Three quarters of connected TV/device owners and roughly half of computer, tablet or smartphone owners report streaming online video at least once a month.
One-third of connected TV owners stream video to their TV daily. One in four computer owners and one in five smartphone or tablet owners stream video daily.

The IAB finds that now, “multiscreening is the new normal.” Highlights from the IAB’s findings on multiscreen viewing include:

78% of US adults who watch TV use another device while watching TV and the smartphone is the predominant second screen: Two in three smartphone owners multiscreen while watching TV; over half of all computer or tablet owners multiscreen
84% of smartphone multiscreeners do so daily, as do 79% of computer multiscreeners and 65% on tablets.
The rise in multitasking is driven by smartphone and tablet owners: Multiscreening activity has increased for 40% of smartphone multiscreeners, 39% who do so on tablets and 28% on computers.

To view the full “The Changing TV Experience: Attitudes and Usage Across Multiple Screens” report, visit www.iab.net/changingtv.

Advertising | Industry-Research

comScore Looks at Shifts in Digital Consumer Behavior

March 30, 2015 Research Team—DCN

comScore has released its 2015 U.S. Digital Future in Focus. The report provides a year in review of the major shifts in digital consumer behavior that occurred in various online sectors, including mobile, social media, video, advertising, search and e-commerce. Furthermore, it examines what insights can be gathered from these trends and what that means looking forward to the year ahead.

From the report:

While most of the growth in digital media consumption over the past four years has occurred on smartphones (up 394 percent) and tablets (up 1,721 percent), these mobile platforms are not eating into aggregate time spent on desktop, which has still grown 37 percent over this time period. The digital media pie continues to get bigger and Americans engage with screens during more occasions throughout the day than ever before.
Across every age demographic, there is a substantially higher percentage of multi-platform and mobile-only internet users than the previous year. More than 3/4ths of all digital consumers (age 18+) are now using both desktop and mobile platforms to access the internet, up from 68 percent a year ago. Mobile-only internet usage is also becoming more prevalent, driven largely by the 21 percent of Millennials who are no longer using desktop computers to go online. Meanwhile, the 55-years-and-older consumer segment is actually the fastest growing faction of mobile users, increasing its combined multi-platform and mobile-only share of audience from 60 percent to 74 percent in the past year.
Because people prefer different devices depending on the online activity or task, the desktop vs. mobile skews by content category can vary widely. Categories such as Photos and Maps are more often than not used on the go, lending themselves to heavy mobile usage, while the Portals and Business/Finance categories comparatively index much higher on desktop devices. Although Portals function as an accessible hub of information on desktop, the mobile environment is markedly different where apps have taken on the role as the gateway to the web.

Key topics covered in the 2015 U.S. Digital Future in Focus report include:

The implications of an increasingly multi-platform digital population
The fastest growing digital media properties and mobile apps
The continuing disruption of mobile in all facets of digital
How the major social network audiences stack up against each other
Digital advertising’s transition to transacting on viewable impressions
The continuing growth of online video and emergence of mobile and over-the-top video
How total web searches are distributed among desktop, smartphone and tablet devices
The unrelenting growth of digital commerce and emergence of mobile commerce

Industry-Research | Research | Revenue | Video

FreeWheel Q4 2014 Video Monetization Report

February 26, 2015 Research Team—DCN

FreeWheel, a Comcast-owned ad serving platform servicing many major TV and cable networks and online video services, including A&E Networks, Discovery Communications, ESPN, NBC Universal and Univision, has released its Q4 2014 Video Monetization Report.

The report found that 2014 digital video growth was driven by ultra-premium content – new seasons of shows and live streaming. This was closely related to growth in TV Everywhere authenticated viewing.

Key findings include:

Live viewing grew 297% year-over-year, driven by strong growth in Sports streaming and News simulcasts.
First-run broadcast shows attracted far more viewers this quarter than the year prior, as seen by a 67% increase in digital video ad views.
Over-the top (OTT) streaming devices, overwhelmingly used for long-form and live viewing, overtook tablets, accounting for 8% of all video ad views.
Authenticated viewing grew 591% year-over-year, as 56% of all video ad views on long-form and live content now come from behind authentication walls.

Innovation | Uncategorized

Mobile Day Offers a Strategic View of Challenges and Opportunities

December 8, 2014 Michelle Manafy, Editorial Director – DCN

The majority of digital content is consumed on mobile devices. Most people check their phone before brushing their teeth. And more than 90% of people have their mobile device within reach 24/7. This behavior creates an unprecedented opportunity to deliver mobile content and marketing; it also means that the breadth of use-cases, expectations and needs vary as much as the times and places consumers find themselves using their devices throughout any given day. Mobile is not just the most popular way to experience digital content; it is also the most personal — and perhaps most complex — way to do so as well.

At Digital Content Next’s members-only Mobile Day held December 5^th at The New York Times building, speakers shared a wide range of approaches to and experimentation with mobile content and delivery. They also examined some of the distinct challenges of meeting the demands of today’s mobile content consumer.

News seems like one of the most obvious fits for mobile content consumption. However, according to Editor-in-chief Anthony De Rosa, Circa was created because they felt that news was not optimized for a mobile audience. He pointed out that, “news consumption is very different on smart phones and we don’t want to shoehorn the desktop experience to mobile.” In particular, De Rosa believes that mobile apps over-use push alerts and said that the number one reason people delete apps is because of too many unwanted push alerts. The Circa news app only pushes story updates to users who have opted-in to follow a particular topic. The company “atomizes” its content and, rather than creating and publishing entirely new versions of stories as they unfold, Circa sends users directly to the updated aspects of stories they follow. Atomization does not mean less information, however. “There’s an idea that we only give people high-level stuff at Circa, but when users follow a story, they actually consume what amounts to a long form article over a longer time—but in a way that is better suited to the mobile experience.”

Circa is currently building out its website; to date its entire experience has been built to suit app delivery. Several of the DCN Mobile Day speakers noted that they see higher levels of engagement in apps than mobile websites. CNBC’s VP of Product and Design Deepanshu Bagchee reported that apps deliver the most engaged CNBC fan base and panel agency executives reported that, overall, they perceive apps to be a more engaging environment. Morgan Petti, Associate Director of Mobile at OMD Airwave said “we see more engagement and time spent with apps” and Andy Hoffman VP, Mobile Marketing at Havas Media / Mobext noted that “if your goals are about high-engagement and impact, [focus on] apps.” ‘

In contrast to those voices, Vox Media Product Manager Lauren Rabaino told DCN Members that they recently “killed mobile apps” opting to go with responsive design throughout its network of sites. As a company recognized for its agility and technological acumen, the move to streamline from four code bases to a single one can clearly be seen as allowing the company to focus on delivering an optimal website experience across devices. It also allows standardization of ad units for delivery throughout its seven brand sites.

Condé Nast’s Executive Director of Digital Development Ned Newhouse reported that the company “has “reached the magic number of 50 percent mobile web and 50 percent desktop.” While it has made a huge investment in video through its Condé Nast Entertainment division and delivers video through a portal, partnership program and websites, Newhouse said “we are really focused on deploying the video through our branded mobile web products because that’s where the loyalty and traffic exists.”

Sara Poorsattar, The New York Times’ Director of Video Products, has found that page views are higher in mobile environments, but noted that because of the “additional commitment and barrier of entry in mobile,” they do better with video on the website. However, they also see a lot of video views coming through YouTube because of the prevalence of the YouTube app. Poorsattar said that the Times is looking closely at the offline experience in developing for mobile, noting that video news is something users might want to consume during a commute or other times when they have time to focus on longer form but may lack consistent connectivity.

The offline experience is also one that Bagchee is closely evaluating. “We see that when people are on the move we see things like quick stock checks. But we are working on surfacing more contextually- relevant video and possibly creating video that people can watch later on the office Wi-Fi.”

For the Times, mobile video represents an opportunity to reach younger and international audiences. CNBC is also among those that believe content needs to be available on a wide range of delivery channels including YouTube and Facebook to reach a younger demographic while its older demographic is more inclined to use the app. Interestingly, Christy Tanner SVP and GM of CBS Interactive Media Group revealed that the TVGuide app experience is the only one that its under 35 demo (about a third of its audience) really knows, despite the fact that it is a 60 year print-legacy brand.

Tanner said that her company, which launched CBS All Access a few months ago, is focused not just on mobile but on creating a true multi-screen experience because “it is possible to engage audiences, and for them to have shared experiences, on any size screen.” And, as Newhouse from Condé Nast said, “It’s a mobile dominated world. This is the core device we use everywhere, but it is just another means to an end. Content absorption is not device specific.” While there are certainly ways in which content and experience can be optimized for time and context of mobile consumption, mobile cannot be conceived of in a silo. While it is a dominant part of users’ content consumption habits, creating a seamless experience across devices remains the goal.

Innovation | Video

Meredith Builds its Multiplatform Strategy with Debut of Better Homes and Gardens on Connected TV

September 5, 2014 Michelle Manafy, Editorial Director – DCN

Meredith reaches 60% of millennial women adults across its platforms. That’s more than MTV or Netflix. And, just over a year into her tenure as Vice President, Video Production and Product for the Meredith National Media Group, Laura Rowley plans to deliver content to this audience exactly when they need it and where they want it. To that end, Meredith recently announced that its Better Homes and Gardens brand has made its way onto Connected TV.

According to Rowley, this is a natural progression for Meredith, given its significant push into video over the past two years (the company now boasts more than 10,000 video titles across its sites). That progression, she believes, was a necessary one given the preferences of younger audiences. “We’d be crazy not to do a deep dive into digital video. We know that it is how Millennial women want to consume information. And they want it on whatever device suits them –tablet, mobile and, increasingly, Connected TV.”

The launch of the 30-minute Better Homes and Gardens streaming program marks Meredith’s first foray into Connected TV. As Rowley points out, Connected TV is rapidly growing in popularity, with three-quarters of TV’s predicted to be internet-connected by 2017. “So extension to this platform is key.”

The Better Homes and Gardens show will air twice a month on Net2TV’s Portico TV service, which is distributed to more than 30 million screens via smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sharp and Philips; on Roku-connected TVs; and on Toshiba tablets and notebooks. The shows will also available online at www.portico.tv.

Rowley feels strongly that among Meredith’s 14 magazine titles and nearly 100 special interest publications, the Better Homes and Garden brand was the right title to begin with. “It is an ideal launching pad for Connected TV because it not only has the widest potential audience, but also the best content for a lean back experience.” That, she feels, is the sweet spot for Connected TV, as opposed to lean-in moments that are better suited for desktop or mobile.

After looking at “a whole lot of possible hosts,” Jackie Tranchida
(NBC’s First Look) was chosen to host the new Better Homes and Gardens show because of her genuine, personable style, one that Rowley feels is consistent with the brand. Maintaining that brand authenticity is essential as Better Homes and Gardens continues to build out its multiplatform strategy. Collaboration with the editorial team is a key factor in ensuring this consistency. “Meredith is one of the most collaborative companies I’ve ever worked for,” says Rowley. “Our editorial team is at the heart of our video creation strategy.”

She also credits Meredith’s emphasis on audience understanding as a crucial component in building out its content strategy. “I come from the Huffington Post, so the marriage of science and inspiration is natural for me. At Meredith, we have hundreds of data points on our audience of women and we are already at the center of the conversation they are having about better living and style.” Connected TV, says Rowley, “is the next step in a multiplatform strategy to empower her passions.”

She also says Meredith is continuing to experiment on content including quality, subject matter, duration and delivery. Next month, as part of the Meredith Originals strategy, the Parents brand will debut a web-based reality show called Baby Sleep 911. The series will follow a baby sleep-whisperer who offers tips and expertise for sleep-deprived parents.

Meredith has an “incredibly connected audience and we want to do everything we can to help her needs in the moment,” says Rowley. For her, the opportunity to lead this strategy is even more personal, “it is a thrill to create video for an audience so deeply invested in these brands. There’s so much video out there, but we are someone these women can trust.”

Innovation

For World Cup 2014, ESPN’s Goal is to Give Fans a Winning Multiplatform Experience

June 13, 2014 Michelle Manafy, Editorial Director – DCN

The buzz around the 2014 World Cup is palpable. And this year, more people can watch it more places than ever before thanks, at least in part, to ESPN’s massive multiplatform push. According to Patrick Stiegman, VP and Editorial Director of ESPN Digital and Print Media, “Strategically, we don’t separate digital from print and broadcast. All parts must be moving together nicely as we produce this incredible event.”

ESPN has a team of 15 people on the ground in Brazil providing coverage that is being leveraged across all of its platforms. The work they do will be used for breaking news, analysis, digital features and shorts, and stories for broadcast and print. “All of our reporters are thinking multiplatform at all times,” says Stiegman. “At the World Cup, they are ESPN reporters, not specific to a delivery platform.” For example, Michael Davies and Roger Bennett, who are well known for their popular Men in Blazers podcasts on Grantland, are contributing daily blog posts to ESPN FC. In turn, segments of broadcast video commentary are available on the website and in ESPN’s apps.

To flesh out this multiplatform approach, ESPN has made significant investments in its digital delivery that will enable viewers to watch all 64 matches live online via an embedded WatchESPN video player on its responsive ESPN FC website, which it relaunched along with the ESPN FC app, earlier this month. Stiegman says that the updated ESPN FC app will be a “game changing service for fans. It will be a mobile home for anyone who wants to follow the ins and outs of the World Cup.”

A “huge step in ESPN’s digital strategy is personalization,” according to Stiegman. “Increasingly, we see the drive toward personalization. In more than a third of our visits, fans spend time in clubhouses and take a team-specific approach. They want the higher level stuff, but also want to follow their teams in depth.” To that end, the ESPN FC app starts with IP-based geolocation, and then prompts users to set which edition they want. Options include regional or specific team-centric coverage as well as language options that include Spanish and Portuguese. All matches will be available online in Portuguese via ESPN Deportes as well.

Another significant piece of the company’s strategy that has allowed ESPN to provide such extensive digital availability of this year’s World Cup is the company’s work over the past several years to improve authentication, particularly ease of use. “With WatchESPN, we’ve been working hard for some time to make it as easy as possible for fans to authenticate as cable subscribers.” ESPN currently has digital authentication deals with Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Dish.

“We really are focused on allowing viewers to access ESPN on the best screen available at any given moment. Maybe that’s mobile on a plane. Or maybe, like it is at my house, you’ll be watching on a tablet while your daughter watches Disney on your 60-inch TV.” While the goal with authentication has been to make signing in as easy as possible, increasing the breadth and depth of offerings via as wide a range of platforms as possible “is all about giving viewers a clear return on investment for taking the time to do so.”

Research | Video

comScore Looks at Multi-Channel Media Consumption to Reveal Real Value

June 12, 2014 Michelle Manafy, Editorial Director – DCN

While the proliferation of digital media devices and its effect on consumption patterns presents challenges for media and marketers, it also creates opportunities for increased reach, according to a new comScore White Paper, “From TV to Total Video: How Integrated Video Planning Can Transition Advertising from Upfronts to Allfronts.” While comScore finds that “rampant digital media proliferation is a value-creating event” the research also shows that there is “considerable value currently being left on the table.”

“We’re all very familiar with the way the consumer is transitioning to more and more platforms,” says comScore Vice President of Marketing & Insights Andrew Lipsman. “Fortunately, much of this activity has been incremental so far; one platform is not taking away from each other.” However he also points out that in younger demographics, new habits are developing that may indicate bigger shifts to come. “Particularly among millennials, there is a shift away from TV to online, set top boxes and mobile. Sooner or later, it will hit a point of no return, where video is not just the domain of what is happening on TV.”

The good news is that there’s time to prepare for the shift so that everyone within the media ecosystem can maximize the full range of content delivery channels. “Right now we’re at a point of transition and we have a period of time here where everyone can manage this transition before we have to worry about any possible cannibalization crisis.”

In the meantime, Lipsman says that it is important to continue to develop cross-platform measurement so that media companies “get credit for the full audience they reach” but also so that marketers can more effectively address those audiences. Currently, much advertising buying and selling remains channel focused—desktop, mobile, television, print. However many believe that the most effective initiatives are user-centric, finding the right audience wherever they are with the appropriate message.

“One of the most important, critical points in this whole debate is that, to optimize GRPs, you need to be able to look at all of the channels together to optimize for reach and frequency goals,” says Lipsman.

comScore’s study examined the incremental reach by channel for the duration of a given campaign. In a frozen vegetable brand example, the campaign’s cumulative reach via TV hit a plateau halfway through the campaign, providing no significant additional reach despite continued spend. However, the incremental reach provided by digital platforms (in this case, web and online video) continued to increase even after TV reach had flattened, resulting in a 12.2% increase over the course of the 14-week campaign. As Lipsman points out, this level of multichannel awareness will provide a way for marketers to address audiences more efficiently and to spend more effectively given limited budgets.

Large shifts such as these take time, though. And while comScore has already invested five years of R&D into the issue of cross-platform measurement (with new Video Metrics 3.0 and a Total Media Planning System offerings rolling out this Fall), Lipsman foresees a period of transition akin to the shift from click-through to view-through metrics. “Maybe I’m a bit biased being part of a measurement company, but one of the things we’ve seen is that the big paradigm shifts have happened when there’s been measurement to support the changes. We need to be able to provide the data and insights to help make these decisions more effectively so that media can do better monetizing and marketers can work more efficiently. If we can bring buy and sell side along at the same time, that will change the industry.”

Innovation

Q&A: Kate Lewis, VP, Hearst Magazines Digital Media on Delivering Compelling Multiscreen Experiences

May 13, 2014 Michelle Manafy, Editorial Director – DCN

This Q&A is part of OPA’s “Three on Three” series where we ask three industry executives the same three questions on a topic to uncover actionable insights… If you want to learn more, keep an eye out on our site for more interviews. Today’s Three on Three interview is with Kate Lewis, VP, Content Operations & Editorial Director Hearst Magazines Digital Media on Delivering Compelling Multiscreen Experiences.

Q: Where do you start in conceiving of a multiscreen user experience?

A: Honestly, that’s just not how we think about it. We think audience first. Our audience is coming through search, social and direct. We do find that social primarily takes place on the phone and when we factor in viral, we have to consider whether the content is something a reader is going to click on while looking at their Facebook page or Twitter feed on a phone. But we don’t obsess about whether you are on a tablet or at your desk. I don’t get data on how stories are performing on devices; I look at how a story is performing period.

To some extent, we are trying to think of everything from a mobile-first perspective now. A lot of our sites are female-driven and we find that female audiences are more phone and tablet oriented. But really, we don’t think about screens. We think about how to connect with audiences.

One thing we do look at is what we deliver at different times of day, when people are likely to be using different devices. Lunchtime is a big desktop time so we can think about delivering something longer and ways we can entice them to move around the site. At 6:00 p.m., we know it is a phone or tablet time of day. Then we are thinking about offering more “sound bites” or things like “23 Problems Only Tall Women Have.” It isn’t just a matter of device use at that time, though, it is also about how the audience is feeling and what they are in the mood for: “What can I relate to?” “What will free my mind from what I’ve been doing all day?” The content won’t change from desktop to phone.

Of course the majority of our sites are designed responsively so the experience is good on desktop and mobile. On mobile, the experience cannot be convoluted; it has to be straightforward with really clear pathing. That is affecting how we design all of our digital experiences. We want to let the content speak for itself.

Q: Describe a recent multiscreen experiences that you think worked particularly well.

A: Well, like I said, that isn’t really how we approach things. But Esquire published a piece that shows how all these screen experiences blend together:

They—rightly—felt compelled to cover what is happening in Ukraine. Yet they wanted to do it in a way that was appropriate to the brand and would take advantage of what is wonderful about digital. They didn’t want it to feel like a formal news site and they wanted it to feel connected in a human sense. The approach they took was to collect Instagram photos from before and after the uprising in the Ukraine and juxtapose them against each other. Think about it: It is so internet friendly, and nothing is more mobile-friendly than Instagram. Plus, it allowed them to tell a real news story with something totally relatable as the medium—everyone is on Instagram from Crimea to L.A.

Q: What do you see as the biggest opportunity in developing multiscreen experiences?

A: The ability to be with your audience all day, every day, everywhere. We are literally in the reader’s pocket. It is incredible. We used to think in terms of one deep experience a day. Now we think about delivering a core reader that deep experience plus making ten other touch points a day. We are holding their hand in line at the grocery store and keeping them company on a long subway ride.

This also lets us gauge in real time how stories are performing and if they resonate with our audience. There is still a lot of long tail success in our content, but there’s a lot of in-the-moment content and today we can react very quickly. We can see things in social that weren’t happening on our site and react very quickly.

All of this deepens the relationship with our audiences. They swipe the phone open and we are there. And that connection is more intimate than ever, which influences the editorial voice and how we communicate. Facebook, for example, has changed the tone of digital. Content needs to feel friendly, it also needs to feel urgent because there are so many things competing for attention on someone’s. And it needs to be engaging in the first sound bite because, on a phone, you only have a tiny screen, and a small window of opportunity, to engage.

Kate Lewis is the Vice President, Content Operations & Editorial Director at Hearst Magazines Digital Media, responsible for managing the content organizations of 24 sites, including digital brands Cosmopolitan.com, Esquire.com, Elle.com, CarandDriver.com, and HarpersBazaar.com, and pure-plays including Delish.com. January was Hearst Magazines Digital Media’s best month with 85.5 million uniques. Prior to Hearst, Lewis worked at Say Media in a similar role, overseeing content strategy and operations for a number Say’s own sites including xoJane, Remodelista, and ReadWrite, as well as a number of network sites. Originally a print editor, she spent 18 years at Conde Nast working on brands like Vanity Fair, Glamour, and SELF. Her last role there was editorial lead in the Human Resources department.

Note: This Q&A is part of OPA’s “Three on Three” series where we ask three industry executives the same three questions on a topic to uncover actionable insights.

Also in this series:

Q&A: Ryan Spoon, SVP Digital Product, ESPN on Delivering Compelling Multiscreen Experiences

Q&A: Rob Hayes, EVP Digital Media, NBCUniversal on Delivering Compelling Multiscreen Experiences

Innovation

Q&A: Rob Hayes, EVP Digital Media, NBCUniversal on Delivering Compelling Multiscreen Experiences

May 2, 2014 Michelle Manafy, Editorial Director – DCN

This Q&A is part of OPA’s “Three on Three” series where we ask three industry executives the same three questions on a topic to uncover actionable insights… If you want to learn more, keep an eye out on our site for more interviews. Today’s Three on Three interview is with Rob Hayes, Executive Vice President Digital Media, NBCUniversal on Delivering Compelling Multiscreen Experiences

Q: Where do you start in conceiving of a multiscreen user experience?

A: The best place to start is at the beginning. That may sound obvious, but really, the most effective multiscreen experiences happen early on before a project is too far down the path of content development. For a multiscreen experience, we like to get into the digital DNA of the show and develop that story organically.

In my experience at NBC, digital is tightly integrated with the programming department. We all report up into the same chairman and we are not siloed. When we have an idea for a show, digital is there in the early stages. I have a team that sits with the programming executives. Our digital executives, who develop what those digital extensions will be, work in parallel with other creative channels, which allows digital to develop more holistically. At the end of the day, it delivers a better user experience because digital is not an add-on; it feels natural to the program. You need to be involved from the beginning and it needs to start with the content and programing itself. Really, if a user is thinking about screens and not the content, you have failed to make a true connection with your audience. All of the experiences, from one screen to the next, need to act in concert with one another, resulting in an overall experience that is greater than the sum of the individual parts.

Q: Describe a recent multiscreen project that you feel was particularly innovative and successful. A: There are actually two shows that are great examples of this and while they’re extremely different from one another, both exemplify innovative and successful multiscreen initiatives.

The first one is The Voice. While the show was a hit internationally, it was virtually unknown domestically when Talpa brought it to NBC. From Season One, with several other music shows already established, we knew we had to take The Voice to the next level. So we set out to create a deeper, more compelling interactive experience than any show before it had done. It was essential to make the fans feel part of the show from the moment it premiered.

The Voice pioneered the use of real-time social mentions on-air, igniting social conversation that began with the airing on the east coast and continued throughout the season. Our embedded social team was on set day in and day out capturing behind the scenes content that’s only possible by being physically on location. Our social experts then crafted custom social art and conversation specific to each social platform, creating a richness and organic feel to new and existing fans in ways that felt personal and relevant to them individually and collectively. Most recently, we added “the live Twitter save,” which lets fans at home instantly save their favorite artist from those who are at risk of elimination moments later.

A second example of our approach to multiscreen is around a show we launched last fall called Million Second Quiz. From the start, this show was created to be a multiscreen experience. It premiered in September but in early August, we launched a robust app and site where people could go and compete with others, answering trivia questions that appeared in the show itself. While the game could be played just for fun, once you hit certain levels, you were qualified to be a contestant on the show. This let the digital experience not only create awareness for the show, but also allowed us to use digital for prequalifying, serving as a casting call for people to appear on the show itself. I think that Million Second Quiz was groundbreaking in how it removed the disconnection between a show and its digital experience. Users of the app and site were now part of the show, competing in the same way and for the same prize as those who were on the air. This is the power of an interactive, multiscreen experience in that it can turn TV into a massive multi-player game. And we have only really scratched the surface of what we can do creatively to empower more viewers to activate around the television experience and change the definition of storytelling.

It worked well for us in all of these areas, but the gaming experience alone was incredibly successful. We had had more than 2 million downloads. We trended at #1 for a time on iTunes and stayed in the top 25 through the premier and run of the show. When the show went live, you could play along with the show, but you could also play any time. We had up to 500,000 concurrent players.

The Voice and Million Second Quiz are great examples of what you can accomplish when digital is part of your strategy right from the beginning.

Q: What do you see as the biggest opportunity in developing multiscreen experiences?

A: I think that this is the big opportunity: To create shows that incorporate organic multiscreen experiences. I think that it reflects how consumer behavior has changed. Consumers and creatives expect digital extensions for more and more experiences and television programming is no different.

And from the programming perspective, digital allows shows to live beyond the 30 or 60 minutes they are on the air each week. These multi-platform experiences let users engage with that content and the brand for the rest of the time until the show airs again.

Multi-platform experiences give brands a way to participate along with consumers. Think about the nature of live programming: As television viewing becomes more and more fractured, innovation in this area gives the industry a way to engage fans and get them to view live.

And if through these multi-platform experiences, we can engage fans in a way that increases ratings even one-tenth of a point that falls right to the bottom line.

Robert Hayes was named to the newly created position of Executive Vice President, Digital Media, NBC Entertainment, in May 2012. He reports to Len Fogge, President, NBC Entertainment Marketing & Digital. Previously, Hayes was COO of Iconic Entertainment Inc., where he was responsible for creating premium VOD channels for YouTube and other premium over-the-top distributors.

Prior to that, Hayes made his biggest impact at Showtime Networks Inc. where he oversaw all things digital for the premium network, developing robust multi-platform identities for such critically acclaimed shows as “Dexter,” “Weeds,” “Nurse Jackie,” “Californication” and “The Tudors.” Earlier in his career, Hayes served as Vice President of Business Development and Vice President, International Business Development, assessing opportunities for Showtime and other Viacom brands. Hayes has received numerous industry awards, including a 2010 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering Development for Showtime Sports Interactive.

Note: This Q&A is part of OPA’s “Three on Three” series where we ask three industry executives the same three questions on a topic to uncover actionable insights.

Also in this series:

Q&A: Ryan Spoon, SVP Digital Product, ESPN on Delivering Compelling Multiscreen Experiences

Q&A: Rob Hayes, EVP Digital Media, NBCUniversal on Delivering Compelling Multiscreen Experiences

Innovation

Q&A: Ryan Spoon, SVP Digital Product, ESPN on Delivering Compelling Multiscreen Experiences

April 29, 2014 Michelle Manafy, Editorial Director – DCN

This Q&A is part of OPA’s “Three on Three” series where we ask three industry executives the same three questions on a topic to uncover actionable insights… If you want to learn more, keep an eye out on our site for more interviews. Today’s Three on Three interview is with Ryan Spoon, SVP Digital Product, ESPN on Delivering Compelling Multiscreen Experiences.

Q: Where do you start in conceiving of a multiscreen user experience?

A: We think about multiscreen experiences in two primary and important ways: First, we program for the best screen available and optimize the experience and functionality accordingly. For instance, what a fan wants and expects on a mobile phone differs from the tablet which differs yet again from the big screen television.

Second, while the functionality might change based on screen size and capability, the interactions and design should be familiar and cohesive. We almost always conceive of products and experiences as capable of being multiscreen and part of a larger product portfolio / offering.

Q: Describe one of your recent or forthcoming multiscreen initiatives/projects.

A: WatchESPN is a very good example because we have worked hard to make it available on all screens but special for each screen’s platform and use-case. WatchESPN has been released or updated on Apple TV, iOS, Android, Kindle, Roku XBox One and XBox 360−with more to come. We were careful to design the product specifically for each use case and platform and to take advantage of different functionalities and capabilities.

For instance, the iPad application introduced the Live Toolbar which enables fans to watch multiple videos at once and access live scores. This functionality was specifically crafted for that device and platform. With Apple TV, we introduced Airplay integration and a standalone application. For example, you can fling a game from your iPhone to the television using airplay and now use your phone to follow gamecast or fantasy scores. In that case, the screens are interacting but each play a specific, standalone role.

Q: What do you see as the biggest opportunity in developing multiscreen experiences?

A: There are two big opportunities−and challenges−with multiscreen experiences, in my opinion.

First, if you define multiscreen as functional across all devices and platforms, personalization and user familiarity are critical. For instance, if I move from iPhone to desktop and then to tablet, everything should be synced, familiar and painless. Login and personalization are the key.

Second, if you define multiscreen as two screens functioning concurrently, the challenge and opportunity are to eliminate friction. Simply asking users to open multiple devices at once is a logistical and funnel challenge. Making it simple and contextual is very challenging. But ultimately, it is the right way to do it. I think we are making strides through cross-application deep-linking, Airplay integration and improved television integration, as examples. I think Twitter is also doing interesting work with their “See It” button integrations. These are all steps forward.

Ryan Spoon was named Senior Vice President, Product Development in July 2012. In this role, he is responsible for digital product development across all screens, including ESPN.com, ESPN Mobile, WatchESPN, ESPN3, Fantasy, and Social Media. Prior to ESPN, Spoon was a venture capitalist at Polaris Venture Partners and specialized in early-stage consumer internet, social media and e-commerce investments. Previously, Spoon served as Vice President, Marketing and Business Development for Widgetbox (now Flite) — a platform for brands and publishers to create dynamic, shareable ad units. Prior to that, Spoon spent 2003 to 2007 at eBay, focusing on internet marketing, user acquisition and social products, while launching and managing eBay’s U.S. Classifieds business. While he was a collegiate swimmer for Duke University, Spoon founded beRecruited, an online recruiting platform for high school student-athletes and college coaches. beRecruited was acquired in 2007 by RVS Ventures.

Note: This Q&A is part of OPA’s “Three on Three” series where we ask three industry executives the same three questions on a topic to uncover actionable insights.

Also in this series:

Q&A: Rob Hayes, EVP Digital Media, NBCUniversal on Delivering Compelling Multiscreen Experiences

Q&A: Kate Lewis, VP, Hearst Magazines Digital Media on Delivering Compelling Multiscreen Experiences