06/29/17: Numerous TV networks debut new Amazon Echo Show content as device ships

Good morning. It’s Thursday June 29, 2017 and this is your your first early morning Digital briefing!

TODAY’S CODEBREAKER

Gamification: The phrase gamification refers to the application of typical elements of game playing (such as point scoring and competition) to other areas of activity. The phrase is frequently referenced in digital marketing, as a way of encouraging engagement with a product, brand or service.

JUST IN…

MTV News is undergoing major restructuring, shifting toward a more video-heavy model. “With MTV News, we’re doubling down on where we’ve seen our biggest successes in youth culture, music and entertainment,” an MTV spokesperson said in a statement provided to Billboard. “While we’re proud of the longform editorial work from the past two years, we’re returning the editorial operation to its roots of amplifying the audiences’ voices and shifting resources into short-form video content more in line with young people’s media consumption habits.”

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook is getting set to roll out a new ad-targeting feature. Once brands select a source audience and target an individual, they’ll now also have the ability to reach others in that individual’s household. While brands were already able to buy ads for niche audiences on Facebook, this is the first time they’ll be able to target consumers at the household level.

Snapchat is making its custom geofilters easier to use, adding a custom geofilter studio right on the app so users will no longer have to go to the studio website. Payment for the feature is also done in app. At this point, the creation tool will be available only in the U.S.

Instagram Stories now has 250 million users. Meanwhile, Snapchat still reaches younger demographics like no other platform. Cynopsis Digital’s latest webinar, Snapchat vs. Instagram Stories: A How & When Guide, is TODAY at 1:30pm ET. There’s still time to register – you’ll learn how to optimize programming and marketing content for both platforms , and when to use which. Experts from Scripps Networks, Giant Spoon, and Laundry Service + Cycle will be on-hand to answer all your questions. Register here.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

Entries are NOW Open!

The 5^th Annual Cynopsis Digital Model D & It List Awards:

Honoring the best in online video, content, advertising, talent, and digital media’s movers and shakers.

Click here for more details

ADVERTISING

Most marketers don’t want to run ads on pirated content, but it can be tough to avoid doing so. The Trustworthy Accountability Group, an ad industry coalition devoted to fighting fraud, is trying to make it easier. The group has rolled out the TAG Pirate Mobile App Tool, a regularly updated blacklist of mobile apps that are known distributors of pirated material. The tool already lists over 8,000 apps that violate intellectual property rights.

Under a new partnership with the contextual advertising specialist Comprendi, AccuWeather will now provide access to more than 40 weather data algorithms that advertisers can use to reach audiences. The algorithms, which include categories such as “Migraine,” “Driving,” and “Lawn & Garden,” can be used to target social media users during specific times of day, and at specific locations, based on weather factors.

DIGITAL PROGRAMMING

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon has gotten plenty of love on digital platforms, especially YouTube. Now the show has come to another one. Starting yesterday, Amazon Echo Show owners gained access to daily video “flash briefings” featuring Fallon’s Tonight Show monologue from the night before. It’s likely that the flash briefings will see more viewership after some time as passed: The Echo Show only began shipping to consumers yesterday.

Jimmy Fallon isn’t alone: Time Inc.’s People is also coming to the Amazon Echo Show. Running at 7am ET on weekdays, People’s Video Flash Briefing will dive into breaking entertainment news. Jeremy Parsons, who also helms the People Now digital talk show, will host.

Food Network is also getting in on the act. Amazon Echo Show users will now be able to ask the Alexa voice assistant about Food Network recipes, programming, and more. The Echo Show’s visual element will also allow users to browse through recipes and view videos of those recipes being made.

And let’s not forget CNBC. The network announced the debut of its updated CNBC Skill and video flash briefing for the Amazon Echo Show. The CNBC skill offers touch screen and display elements to complement CNBC’s existing Alexa offerings. It also lets users watch the digital series Cramer Remix, as well as other video news updates.

CBS announced a new licensing deal with Amazon. Episodes of Salvation, the suspense series that debuts on CBS on July 12, will arrive on the Prime Video streaming service four days after their initial broadcast.

Gaia, an SVOD platform focused on spirituality and personal growth, announced the debut of Unearthing Nazca, an unscripted video series. The series explores the archeological discovery of a humanoid mummy in Peru. Gaia is available on the web, as well as on Apple TV, Roku devices, Google’s Chromecast, and iOS mobile devices. It’s also sold through Amazon, Comcast Xfinity, and Verizon.

PLATFORMS, APPS + DEVICES

Electronics startup Nuvyyo just released a new version of its cord-cutter friendly Tablo DVR. The new Tablo Engine DVR app is geared toward Android TV owners (to start, it works with the Nvidia Shield TV console). The product can record and play TV content from broadcasters such as NBC, CBS and ABC. No additional DVR hardware is needed, though viewers will need an HDTV antenna to capture over-the-air TV signals.

Showtime’s standalone streaming service is now available for Microsoft’s Xbox One. Priced at $10.99 per month, the service doesn’t require a pay-TV subscription. It initially launched two years ago, and was already available for Apple TV, Sony PlayStation, and other connected TV devices.

MEASURING UP

SHAREABLEE SOCIAL TV RATINGS: Top 10 U.S. Primetime and Streaming Shows for June 5 – June 11. Based on Shareablee’s Video Power Index (VPI), which combines viewing, consumer interactions and audience scale across all active platforms, and includes the video performance of primetime and streaming shows.

Source: Shareablee Inc. The total actions metric includes the total volume of post-level likes, shares, favorites, retweets and comments across social platforms.

Tweet of the week: @_HectorR_12: this new #GhostAdventures creeping me out. no joke

Canvs, the emotion analytics company, analyzed tweets about TV and streaming programming from June 21-27 using Twitter data from Nielsen. Insights from the 3,347,448 tweets expressing a specific Emotional Reaction (ER) include:

– Tops in excitement: the 2017 NBA Draft, which was simulcast on ESPN, NBATV and across the internet last Thursday; people were especially thrilled to see Lonzo Ball go to the Los Angeles Lakers.

– Viewers found the latest episode of ABC’s The Bachelorette more than a bit awkward, with many cringing at Jack Stone in particular. (Awkwardness, and the opportunity to comment about it online, is a big part of what draws viewers to reality TV, of course.)

– People were particularly creeped out by a recent episode of Ghost Adventures on Travel Channel in which the team heads to New Mexico to investigate paranormal activity.

– Not only did the 2017 BET Awards telecast have the most ERs over the seven days measured, it also elicited a huge number of congratulatory messages. Viewers in particular sent congrats to Chance the Rapper, who won the 2017 Humanitarian Award for his work with and donations to Chicago’s public school system.

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Gen Z-oriented digital media company Awesomeness has named Katherine Barna as its new VP of Communications. She previously headed up communications for Yahoo’s Tumblr. At Awesomeness, she’ll oversee all communications and PR strategy for the company and its key divisions.

OUR LAST TRIVIA QUESTION

Our Last Trivia Question: Kay Cannon, who created the Netflix series Girlboss, also served as a co-executive producer and writer for which Fox series? Answer: New Girl. Kudos to Matt Volpe-HBO/NY, Kelli McCabe-Chicago Association of Realtors/IL, Louis Lewow-Lewow Media Group/GA, Alejandro Sacasa-Albavision/FL, David Westberg-SAG-Aftra Federal Credit union/CA, Lorrie Shilling/CA, Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/CA, Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/CA, Kendra Campbell-Milburn-UP TV/GA, and Gladys Cheng-NASCAR/CA

Netflix series Master of None was co-created by series star Aziz Ansari. The other co-creator is a former writer/producer for NBC’s Parks and Recreation. What’s his name? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and state.)

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

A recent report from App Annie found that, on any given day, more than 35% of Snapchat users can’t be reached by brands or advertisers on any other social platform. And Instagram Stories boasts more than 200 million daily active users. Both platforms are clearly essential tools, the question is – when to use which ?

Join us for, “ Snapchat and Instagram Stories: A How & When Guide ,” today at 1:30 as social media industry execs show us how to navigate our way to the most impactful content strategy.

JOIN US TODAY

DIGITAL SPOTLIGHT

There’s been a lot of news about the Amazon Echo Show today, so it seems like a good time to learn more about it. The Wall Street Journal took a look at the product in a new video; check it out here.

David Teich
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