YouTube packed Madison Square Gen for its Brandcast event last night at the Theater at Madison Square Garden, pumping up the crowd with a DJ blasting music to viral YouTube videos and special choreography from So You Think You Can Dance and DanceOn‘s Travis Wall. The streaming site brought in creators like Bethany Mota and producers of the hit inspiration channel SoulPancake, host of Redbull Signature Series’ Sal Masekela (behind Felix Baumgartner’s viral space jump video). “We look at YouTube as an alternative source of entertainment, but those under 35 look at it as a way of life,” said Google’s President, Sales, Americas, Margo Georgiadis.
The evening’s big announcement was about Google Preferred, an initiative that allows buyers to more easily purchase the 5% top-tier content and to effectively measure video performance. Marketers will also be guaranteed to reach the scale of audience they’re targeting.
Other News:
* DREAMWORKS TV, DreamWorks Animation’s all new FAMILy channel, which will feature original live-action and animation content specifically for YouTube. It officially launches this summer.
* DigitasLBi is signing on to Google Preferred. “The introduction of Google Preferred is the undeniable evidence that there is scarcity in premium online video and it is a marketplace at an exciting tipping point,” said Tony Weisman, CEO of DigitasLBi. Brands like Johnson and Johnson and Heineken have already embraced the Google Preferred plan.
