By Julie Van Ullen, Vice President of Member Services, IAB
After the first week of NewFronts, which were chock full of TV quality original digital video programming, A-list talent, and multiple deals being announced onstage, it is clear that this marketplace has matured significantly over the past year.
If 5000 buyers passed through the NewFronts last year, it wouldn’t surprise me if it we doubled that number of attendees this year and with good reaons. Among the memorable moments: Bryan Cranston behind an innovative new Crackle original Throwaways and Jerry Seinfeld returning as the star of the hilarious Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee; The New York Times releasing its new Times Video hub with Acura as a launch sponsor and AOL announcing that DigitasLBi has purchased exclusive advertising rights to two of the sixteen shows they debuted. Hulu had a star-studded presentation that featured folks from their exclusive syndication partners and showcased their high quality originals such as The Awesomes.
In the midst of the glitz and the goodie bags, a couple of themes emerged in the presentations that are similar to ones I have seen gelling over the past year —the content creator’s commitment to highly quality, immersive video designed for the cross-screen consumer and, correspondingly, how the thirst for cross-screen viewing is fueling the convergence of TV and digital video into vastly expanded distribution channels. The IAB will be bringing together leaders (from BPN, GroupM North America, and more) to discuss how advertisers can fully benefit from the cross-screen phenomenon at our upcoming IAB Cross-Screen Marketplace conference, and the trends being illuminated during the NewFronts underscore the incredible importance of digital video in the cross-screen mix.
Where it maybe have been arguable last year, there is no refuting the ubiquitous migration to a new way of watching video through digital platforms –on a television in the living room , on a tablet at work, or on a smartphone at the gym. Consumers have high expectations for fluidity of video content. And importantly, there are new behaviors developing, particularly where the television experience is being delivered digitally. Right now most of those behaviors are around second screen but they will continue to evolve as digital video offers more engaging, intuitive experiences within the content stream. This is where advertisers should pay close attention as they start thinking about the possibilities of advertising on a truly smart TV. For example, Hulu unveiled an in-stream purchase unit that allows for a complete purchase to be made while the content simply pauses.
A refrain during this year’s NewFronts continues to be the question of whether there is scarcity in digital video – enough to warrant an upfront. And I would offer this: that albeit digital video is not slotted into a lineup the way cable and broadcast television are, there are still finite demos and eyeballs. Furthermore, premium, high quality digital video content is far from abundant. And the originals, like those unveiled at NewFronts, are mostly sold as sponsorships, so once they’re sold they’re gone. From my perspective, this is a competitive landscape for high quality content, which is fantastic and all the more reason why NewFronts serves an important role in this exploding marketplace.
Julie Van Ullen is a veteran of the IAB, having worked in various roles since 2006. As Vice President of Member Services, Van Ullen is responsible for attracting new members to the IAB and developing a portfolio of opportunities and initiatives to keep current members engaged. She oversees a number of IAB’s elite Committees and Councils and is charged with putting industry best practices and thought leadership into the marketplace. Her team is committed to listening to the membership, extracting the most pressing industry issues and responding.
Prior to making her transition to the digital space, Van Ullen was an Editor at The Taunton Press in the books division of Fine Woodworking and Fine Homebuilding. When not on the job, ex-opera singer Van Ullen sings with a classic rock cover band.
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