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“Music is Crucial to Storytelling” — Live Nation’s Top Video Tips

By Aaron Kirschtel | July 5, 2022

What’s happening in the world of video content creation?

Tune in to this month’s 5 on 5 interview with Aaron Kirschtel from Primis, and Kayla Oktavec, former Director of Content & Creative at Live Nation, the global leader in live entertainment – artist-powered, fan-driven. Kayla talks through content strategies, her biggest inspirations in the industry, and what makes video content sing!

Full Transcript

AK: Welcome to 5 on 5 where we check in with the minds behind some of the most premium content providers in their respective industries.

I am Aaron Kirschtel, Senior Content Manager at Primis and we have a very special guest with us today. From the world’s leading live entertainment company, music powerhouse, we have Director of Content and Creative from Live Nation, Kayla Oktavec. How are you doing today Kayla?

KO: I’m doing alright Aaron, how are you?

AK: I’m doing great, happy you can join us there in the morning in sunny California, and I’m definitely excited to have you on today.

KO: Thank you for having me.

what makes a great video?

KO: I’m going to give you sort of my general answer there because I think everybody might have something similar to say here, but it is the truth where every great video has a great story to it. It doesn’t matter what the length is, It could be relatable or entertaining, it’s almost always authentic I find. And you’re not like reaching a specific point of the video and tuning out, right?

Mentally, for myself, if I’m in an edit and I start to tune out, that’s when the video’s got to wrap itself up. So, telling a great story or making a great video is leading that story. And then specifically since I work in music, the music is also very crucial in our storytelling. One of the most, or our most successful music content is always using the artist’s music in a new fresh way, to keep everything captivating the entire time.

What content types perform well on your channels?

KO: We find the best performing videos are usually crafted specifically for the platform where the artist lives. Depending on how an artist is booked with us, we’re looking at all of their socials, whether they’ve got the biggest fan numbers on YouTube or is it on TikTok. We’re really crafting the story to be the best fitting for that platform. Really looking for the best performance and then crafting the narrative to reach that. It’s usually shorter content for us than longer running times, but just packing everything in a nice little punch.

AK: How is that for you? You’ve been working for Live Nation for the past 10 years and obviously different social media platforms are coming and going all the time, you have YouTube and then you’re jumping to short-form content from Vine to TikTok, etc. How is it for you making these types of changes?

KO: I love that you mentioned Vine, and specifically TikTok because I feel like on our team that’s something that I’m always trying to identify what the newest platform is going to be and how we can really capitalize on that. In many ways, like you said, it’s been short content throughout most of my career.

We actually in, I want to say 2018 or 2019 started to dip a little bit longer into our running times, closer to two minutes or sometimes even five. But we found it’s still the shorter the better. And in a lot of ways we started, even in our longer-form content, figuring out what the snackable version of it was. So, we take something long that we call a hero, that would say two minutes in length, and then create the 15 seconds that told the whole story from front to end, despite much less running time. I’ve really enjoyed how things have changed so fluidly and I feel like I’m the one team member that’s always trying to push our clients to do what’s next.

what are your main KPIs for your content strategy for 2022?

KO: Going alongside that thought that we had, where these video landscapes, they just keep changing. One of the biggest things we’re working on with our brand partners this year is to build out more robust storytelling with them. It used to be, we’d have a lot of one-offs. We’d come in, we tell one distinct story and we’d sort of move on, and that would be the close of that partnership. Now we’re looking to expand upon that more and create multiple months of programming, where we’re really looking at the distribution strategies that they have, what content platform are they looking to publish against the most, and definitely put in the artist’s storytelling as much as possible within that.

We like to keep the branding light for that reason because that’s the most organic to audiences, but it’s really blending together the brand and the artists as best as we can each time. And then separately, I didn’t speak to this yet, but we also have an editorial arm. We’re looking to reignite that in a big way this year and sort of restart it, But it’s very strategic, so like you sort of mentioned, the pandemic and everything, the impact that it had upon the video content landscape. We’re looking to really narrow in that scope of work and be very specific about where we’re distributing that content.

who is your target audience, and what do you have in mind or who do you have in mind when you create content?

KO: The fans. Again, with music content, it’s all about where the fans live, especially as it pertains to being successful with a video. We’re trying to reach them in the most authentic platform possible. And oftentimes that could be a multigenerational affair.

We have, you know, historic legacy, rock and roll artists and where can we really craft the narrative to fit them best in their distribution. And then separately we got young Gen Z, how do we appeal to them? It’s really with fans first and foremost in mind, and of course, alongside that, trying to tap into the artists and where they’re currently at in their journey.

AK: How do you find when you’re working with some of these legacy artists, that, as far as giving them the push, that kind of change to something new when things have changed so dramatically from, you know, even as far as people buying music or how people are consuming music these days?

KO: You have to sort of blend it together, right? Because if their audience is used to seeing something specific, you really need to still go that route. But it’s then trying to say, all right, we think this piece of content will obviously perform really well on YouTube. But how do we then reshape that for your Instagram that you’re looking to grow? Oftentimes, at that point, it becomes suggesting reels or the new format, taking again that preexisting idea that we know will sing really well with their audiences and trying to pave that path for them into the future.

who inspires you when it comes to video, when it comes to music?

KO: Okay, so I’ve got a lot of favorites, and in that same vein of looking at video platforms, what’s new constantly. It’s also looking at artists and what they’re out there doing. My two favorites, I would have to say right now are Lizzo and Lil Nas X, because they’ve planned years into the future of what their artistry is going to be and they’re creating their videos around that.

So, Lizzo has been on TikTok as one of the biggest artists there for years now, and her newest album is coming out and she’s really looking to that audience there to help spread the word on her new music. And if you are, I believe it’s on everyone’s for you page right now. But her song “About Damn Time” is just taking off because of it. But it’s because she’s authentic with them and then separately, Lil Nas X. I just love the new ideas that he brings. He’s constantly coming up with these new stories and surprising me, which I think is really difficult right now because, with video content, it feels like every idea has been done, but he has a way of just refreshing himself every time he’s releasing anything from new music to his tour announcement recently, which was also really cool.

Bonus question: what content are you watching? What captures your eye?

KO: TikTok, I’m a little obsessive about it. I have to have one of those screen time notifications for myself or I just get lost in it.

AK: Down the rabbit hole.

KO: Yeah, it’s become almost like a TV replacement in many ways for myself. And then on the creator front for that, I have never really bought into that culturally and for whatever reason, those voices that come through my for you page feel so authentic that I do have several that I follow now. Some of my favorites are Maya Knight, she’s a mom of two twins, which is random for me, but I really enjoyed her content, Anna X, and then a more recent one is Dylan Mulvaney. And again, all of these are just really inspiring voices and they’re just themselves and that’s what’s appealing.

AK: Okay, well thank you so much for running through these questions with us, and thank you so much for your time, and thank you everyone for tuning in to 5 on 5 we’ll definitely have another content provider next month, but this has been Kayla Octavec from Live Nation and thank you so much.

Really appreciate you spending your morning over here.

KO: Thank you Aaron.

Publishing in the Age of the Metaverse

By Omri Polak | April 13, 2022

Six months after Mark Zuckerberg announced Facebook was rebranding as Meta, people are still trying to grasp the “metaverse concept,” the simplest definition being a virtual world where people can socialize, shop, work, and play. But what does it actually mean for our day-to-day lives and industries?

The term was originally coined by Neal Stephenson in his 1992 novel ‘Snow Crash’ and revisited in Ernest Cline’s ‘Ready Player One.’ Now the announcement by Meta is reinvigorating interest, and its modern understanding is driven by advancements in Virtual Reality headsets, NFTs, and mixed and AR technologies. There’s also the shift online in response to the pandemic and consumer adoption of digital spaces, resulting in Meta banking on the metaverse becoming the future of the internet.

Understandably some are skeptical. While apps like Marriott Hotels or Vroom have already experienced success, most industries lack business cases that leverage the technology in meaningful ways. A recent survey from the Reuters Institute found that only 8% of publishers plan to invest in more metaverse apps in 2022. So how will it affect digital publishing, and what is the publisher’s take on the situation? We talked to two leaders in the gaming world, Mariusz Klamra, CEO at GRY-OnLine SA and Gamepressure, and Amine Issa, Founder and Warchief of Science at Mobalytics, for their opinions.

What opportunities await publishers in the metaverse?

To be part of metaverse’s future, publishers can explore the opportunity to improve user engagement with more immersive experiences and build digital communities.

“In terms of the gaming industry, the concept of the metaverse already existed – the idea to go online, meet new friends to talk to, and have adventures is basic in games from the 80s. The technical means might be better, e.g., virtual headsets but the metaverse concept is already strong in this sector,” said Klamra.

“The level of immersion makes it easier for people to believe the illusion; that is the game they’re playing or the metaverse. But it’s hard to picture a metaverse that doesn’t exist outside of a game ecosystem; that’s essentially what it is a game within a game,” added Issa.

In 2021 Roblox saw revenues boom as Generation Alpha spent billions of hours in the game’s digital world. Travis Scott, the American rapper, played a virtual concert in the Fortnite universe. Over 12 million players logged in to watch the show, making him an estimated $20 million in only 9 minutes from ticket and merchandise sales.

Second Life, with around 900,000 active users, created in 2003 by Linden Labs, has seen its virtual world newspaper Second Life Enquirer massively grow. The ‘paper’ allows business owners to advertise to consumers by purchasing virtual “advertising spots” acquired through payments made to advertisement boards using virtual-world currency.

The Wall Street Journal encourages investors to investigate and research metaverse technology, “even if they do not understand it yet,” and Reuters foresees an increasing number of interviews held on the metaverse in 2022.

Whereas media and entertainment are likely to diverge from “standalone experiences” into a multitude of interoperable entertainment spaces experienced together. Some have started doing this through virtual events; Complex developed Complexland, a virtual space that provides shops, drops, activations, and other features for a more immersive experience.

Real-world cryptocurrency analytics companies like Messari and Coincheckup are starting to display news sections. These amalgamate different articles which address a specific metaverse platform and its associated crypto token.

“It’s just that the medium has changed, right? If this were 15 years ago, we’d have a phone call. If it were 100 years ago, we’d have to meet. Now we have a video call, and in 20 years, we’ll go into a virtual space, and you’ll make yourself look however you want. It’s just changing the construct, the medium through which the interaction takes place,” explained Issa.

Monetizing the metaverse

The metaverse will usher in a new era for the media. The digital space allows for interconnected places to be experienced together. For publishers, advertising is potentially the most lucrative route and the most straightforward option to ease them into this new world. Interconnectivity is not the norm now, but monetizing in traditional methods will become more difficult. At the same time, brands can feel confident that they are reaching a valuable demographic.

“When we talk about consuming content for publishers, we are actually talking about how consumers will access the content. I am sure content consumption will change and play a big part in the metaverse, e.g., the ability to meet with other people and creators,” said Klamra.

“I think the ultimate dream of what is being advertised is something like ‘Ready Player One.’ The actual concept of the metaverse has existed in online gaming for ages. People become their avatar, and the metaverse is just taking that and doing it in a way that people who don’t play video games might care about,” thinks Issa.

For the metaverse to reach its full potential, worlds must interact with each other and the real world. Interoperability, seamlessly traveling between or transferring assets between worlds, will greatly benefit brands and consumers.

“What will the real metaverse look like, will companies separate, e.g., an apple universe? Who will own them? If an advertiser wants to show a billboard, do they need approval from each owner? I think there will be lots of smaller worlds with the ability to move between them. For example, I can’t see why the MET would allow free movement through it. Consumers will need to buy five or more subscriptions. ‘Megafragmentation’ could lead to Walled Gardens, with companies creating small ecosystems. Meta (Facebook) is just running away from its current problems, feeling the pressure of the market. It’s not a new thing,” said Klamra.

Then there is going full-on virtual through NFTs, another way brands can engage with their metaverse audience. Adding a layer of authenticity to a virtual item or service and allowing buyers and sellers to tell the difference between buying an authentic product or not. It’s already over a year since The New York Times author Kevin Roose’s article Buy This Column on the Blockchain! was sold for $560,000, the first such sale for the paper on record.

What does a metaverse future look like?

The expression “in real life” has taken on an entirely new meaning for those trying to create a connection with today’s new generation of consumers. It is not enough to be digital; it needs to be entertaining, meaningful, and immersive, precisely what the metaverse can offer brands.

Publishers need to explore what’s out there and understand how to best monetize their content, whether with NFTs, advertising, or building loyal communities that favor immersive, live, and interactive experiences. With people’s avatars directing online friends to new content sources. But for now, the most important thing is to stay in the loop and watch this “virtual” space.

Breaking Through the ‘Video Content’ Clutter

By Omri Polak | April 11, 2022

Video as a marketing medium has skyrocketed in popularity over the past few years. Entire companies and industries have been built on the popularity and effectiveness of a video’s ability to communicate with consumers, prospective customers, etc. Video can play an important role in a publisher’s ability to engage with users and keep them as loyal visitors. It has been reported that video can increase the time spent on a website by 88%.

Like any piece of content you put forth on behalf of your brand, video must be carefully curated to communicate your mission, values, and brand promise. It can also make your website more compelling and engaging for all users and extend a user’s time spent on your site. However, if not done properly, videos can be distracting and create usability issues or performance problems.

Below are some recommendations on how to develop a sound video strategy and make video work for you.

Grab their attention

Unlike a blog or long-form article, a video must grab the viewer’s attention almost immediately. In advertising, for example, experts estimate that you have about 8 seconds to grab the viewer’s attention. In some instances, that number could be even lower. So, it is important to present your hook as early as possible and bring the viewer into your story. The recent Netflix drama Manifest did an excellent job of grabbing the audience’s attention right away and building the storylines from that point on.

Great videos mean nothing if people can’t find them. The first two things people will see when searching for videos are the title and the thumbnail. These are critical elements when developing your video strategy. Publishers can actually adopt some of the analog tactics from tabloid newspapers. Look at the back page of a tabloid paper, and what do you see? An attention-grabbing headline (title) and compelling image (thumbnail). It’s a tried and true tactic newspapers have used since their inception, and the idea still works today.

Now, I’m not saying use clickbait headlines, but they have to be creative. Use this as an opportunity to build a relationship with your visitors and start to build a fan base.

Establish your brand

Develop your own language from a visual and storytelling perspective. Something that is unique and will help users identify your content. You will start to establish your brand and build a relationship with your audience. It’s a critical step in building a fan base. Series-based content is a great way to do this because it accomplishes several key things. 1. You are informing your audience that you are not one-and-done and that there is more to come. 2. It easily aligns your videos with a consistent theme, e.g., sports, culture, food, politics, etc.

Next, adapt the content to the specific medium/distribution channel. The construction of a 4-minute YouTube video is far different than a 15-minute piece on your website. If it’s for social media, choose content types and storytelling methods that work in each and use them.

Also, don’t rely on just one type of content. Granted, focusing on one topic can be a good thing, but being one-dimensional in how you tell the story tends to lead to underperformance and poor viewership. Diversify your content portfolio, create high-quality videos and then surround it with varying types of content. Think of it like each video is a satellite orbiting around your subject with a goal to drive traffic to it.

Build your audience

The old saying goes, “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” The same applies to content. If you produce a video and nobody sees it, is it even there?

No matter how great your videos are, if you don’t have an audience to watch them, it won’t matter. It is critical to grow your reach and get eyeballs viewing your content. The more views your content receives, the easier it is to monetize your work either through syndication or on your own website. Branch out and find as many distribution channels as possible.

Whether you are an established publisher, or an individual looking to express yourself in new ways, video can be a great medium for you. Remember, you are not likely to succeed right out of the gate. There will be trial and error until you have established your audience, but continue pushing forward and producing more content.

This article originally appeared in MarTech Series on March 30, 2022

Multiplayer Gaming: How M&As Are Impacting Publishers

By Omri Polak | March 1, 2022

Until 2022, the largest acquisition in the gaming industry was Tencent’s purchase of the Finnish company, Supercell, known for their mobile app, Clash of Clans, for a whopping $8.6 billion in 2016. Last month, Take-two interactive announced their planned purchase of mobile gaming company Zynga for $12.7 billion. It was then massively overshadowed by Microsoft’s announcement that they plan to acquire Activision Blizzard for a record-breaking $68.7 billion.

The acquisition will further accelerate the software giant’s gaming business growth across mobile, PC, console, and cloud. Microsoft has been acquiring gaming companies for some time now, for example, Mojang, creators of the popular game Minecraft, for $2.5 billion in 2014. The deal is still pending approval, and it’s not the only one in the pipeline. More are set to blow the industry out of the water this year. We’re taking a look at the massive increase in the amount of M&As in the gaming space over the last decade to see how it impacts digital publishers.

Why are companies buying into gaming?

Gaming has always been popular; gamers of the 80s and 90s have grown up and now head gaming companies. This generation is the first in the industry to have grown up as gamers themselves. Their passion and understanding of the environment have helped the industry evolve and are fuelling the drive. That’s not to mention the move online over the last decade, fast-forwarded by the pandemic. With Covid forcing people inside, looking for things to take up their time and a way to communicate with others, gaming was the perfect outlet. Immersed in virtual worlds and communicating with other online players, the industry saw a 39% increase in time spent gaming during the initial outbreak of Covid in 2020.

With a markable increase in market value and gaming time, big opportunities are to be had, and it’s not gone unnoticed. In Q4 2020 alone, 75 M&A deals were announced. Nearly double the number in Q4 2019. So, who’s pulling up a seat at the table, and where is the money?

The Money Stream – Who’s playing and how are they paying?

With the pandemic skyrocketing the already popular gaming industry and big money rolling in, PC and console gaming attract a highly loyal target audience, meaning the stakes are high for both publishers and advertisers in the gaming vertical. Gone are the days when a gaming community consisted of the neighborhood nerds sat in their bedrooms, sending text messages over their commodore 64. Gaming exploded, and gaming communities went mainstream.

This loyalty is further enhanced by subscriptions that also bring in the moolah. Think; Gears of War and Forza Motorsport, two popular Xbox and Microsoft titles. An Xbox game pass subscription gives access to these and other much-loved titles. Thanks to their resources, large companies can also cross-promote. For instance, Microsoft promotes a roster of games under its umbrella, including Minecraft, the Tomb Raider trilogy, State of Decay, and soon also Call of Duty.

Notable gaming acquisitions to date

Embracer Group bought Asmodee for $3 billion. (Dec 2021)
Shareholders of Codemasters approved the $1.2 billion acquisition offer from EA.
The European Commission approved Microsoft’s $7.5 billion deal to acquire ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Doom and Fallout studio Bethesda Softworks. This made Microsoft the proud owner of 23 1st party game studios.
EA acquired mobile game developer Glu Mobile for $2.1 billion in enterprise value.
Blizzard acquired King.com for $5.9 billion. (Nov 2015)

Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1248063/biggest-video-game-industry-acquisitions/

How is the gaming industry performing?

M&As add funding and the required resources to publish better games quickly. For example, Naughty Dog, the publisher of the popular Uncharted and The Last of Us series, was acquired by Sony back in 2001. The result? An exclusive series of best-selling, award-winning games that drove exponential revenue and demand like no other gaming publisher.

2021 was another record-breaking year for the gaming industry, with an estimated market value of $173.7 billion. In particular, companies from the Asia-pacific region (e.g., Sony, Nintendo, and others) produced $88.2 billion in 2021, with a 30% year-on-year increase. 2022 is now off to a flying start; Microsoft will acquire Blizzard, Take-two interactive will purchase Zynga, and Sony is purchasing Bungie, and we can expect many smaller purchases to go through.

What’s the publishers’ take on all this?

We spoke to Mariusz Klamra, CEO at GRY-OnLine SA. The company owns a group of gaming and electronic entertainment sites, including Gry-Online and TVGry.pl, Gameplay.pl, and GamePressure.com. Here’s what he had to say;

“I am not sure Microsoft’s acquisition will go through because it could limit the games to their platform, which might not be allowed. However, they have said some titles will still be available on PlayStation for some time after the acquisition goes through.

But there’s also an issue with sharing internal knowledge. If you have a popular game like Call of Duty run on Playstation, this could stop the acquisition because they [gaming companies] don’t want Microsoft to have access to Playstation players and the data.

There are two types of M&A trends we are focusing on:

1. Large companies buying gaming developers, e.g., Microsoft/Activision and Sony/Bungie. These [M&As] are detrimental to players. The major new titles will no longer be available on PlayStation and only on Xbox or vice versa. Building a walled garden and preventing competitors from accessing major franchises. Interestingly, Microsoft and Sony don’t raise objections to investment in PC games, as they don’t perceive PC gaming as competitive to their platforms but complimentary. That results in PC players having the broadest market offering, with access to both Sony and Microsoft’s title portfolio. This is, however, offset by the general expensiveness of the PC platform for AAA titles.

2. Medium-sized companies buying smaller developers. They leave them with the ability to push their own agendas after the acquisition. They only supply them with working capital and marketing/business support and know-how but leave the original developers with control over the artistic vision. I like this trend much more and embrace it. E.g., Embracer completed over 70 acquisitions of independent studios. It’s a very interesting angle because it provides the market with diversity. In comparison, bigger franchises like the game Call of Duty can’t be easily tinkered with, as there are more restrictions and risks to the studio.”

What’s the next step?

Undoubtedly, the gaming world has massively evolved over the last few decades. In 2021, there were an estimated 3.24 billion gamers across the globe. With this drive in the industry, advanced tech, and gamers’ unique loyalty, it’s no wonder that everybody wants to get in on the action. As such, we’ve seen an explosion in gaming M&As hitting the headlines. Now is the time for publishers to capitalize on the hype, the market for content in this sector is so strong, and there is plenty for publishers to play for. What can publishers expect from this booming sector, and will large companies be interested in purchasing gaming publishers as well?

The Top Ten Videos of 2021

By Omri Polak | January 24, 2022

The power of video is not going away. Video consumption continues to grow, and online video is still a top priority for publishers and advertisers alike, with no signs of slowing down. So, before we take a deep dive into 2022, we’re looking back at 2021 to see what pointers we can take away. We’ve reviewed our video library for the content with the top likes, highest impressions, highest engagement, and more, to bring you the top ten videos of 2021.

Check them out!

Pit Bull Sticks Out Tongue and Flicks It While Sleeping – Jukin Media

This cute video of Nyla the pit bull was a quick hit. Worn out after a long day at the park, this doggie clip of her soundly asleep with her tongue sticking out received 1,382 likes, and is just one example of real-life videos that people upload of their pets and kids. Cute animal videos are always a massive hit and a safe bet in the “like” department. They’re relatable, non-offensive, and adorable to watch.

CFB Preview: Georgia Vs. Georgia Tech – SportsGrid

This Preview had viewers glued to the screen to watch the full commentary of former UGA player Corey Allen, who joined SportsGrid for a preview of this heated rivalry last November. This video was one of the leaders in completion rates in its category.

Artist Journey: Halsey – Live Nation

Videos on celebrities in music and entertainment always grab the audiences’ attention, with fans actively looking for news on their fave celeb or whoever is trending at the time. Halsey made headway last year, becoming the 11th most streamed female artist in 2021. No wonder this video of a rundown of her rise to fame was a hot favorite. Another win for Live Nation and their dedicated channel, “Artists Journey,” covering the famous and influential in the music industry.

How To Find Bees in Minecraft – PCGamesN/Network N

Since its release in 2011, Minecraft has amassed 141 million active players worldwide. This video received a 97.5% View Through Rate (VTR). Gaming and content on video gaming are exploding, and players are keen to get insights and tips about their favorite games, as we see more of, in our rundown of the top ten videos.

Dainsleif questions and answers in Genshin Impact – Pure Game Guides/Gamurs.Group

This is another video with a rundown on how to answer questions to move forward in the game. The video ran for over 3 minutes, amassing one of the highest engagement rates in the category (a whopping 13.3%).

Fed: On Track To Slow Support for Economy – Associated Press (AP)

More than 6.5% of users opted to unmute the sound of this video, a great testament to the level of interest it drew. Many videos have subtitles, so users can keep their phones on silent. However, with news coverage featuring interviews, it’s not surprising that people were more interested in hearing the interviewee, in this case, Chair Jerome Powell, of plans to announce the withdrawal of financial support that had been provided after the coronavirus attacked the economy.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Resigns After Multiple Women Accused Him of Sexual Harassment – USA Today

This was big news that hit the headlines, of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s resignation after multiple women accused the Democrat of sexual harassment, as such, it generated a high amount of views.

GameStop Doubles As Losing Hedge Funds Retreat – Reuters

Viewers were keen to like this content on the share prices of GameStop with news that the price was doubling and message boards aimed at amateur investors continued to hype the stock.

Bitcoin Rises to All-Time High – Bloomberg

Again, no surprise with this one. Bitcoin has been a popular topic for content with investments and cryptocurrency and NFTs high up on people’s agenda.

Megan Thee Stallion Signs First-Look Deal With Netflix | THR News – The Hollywood Reporter

Another top musician of the moment and Grammy winner, Megan Thee Stallion, signed with the OTT streamer to produce a new show. With news of the series spreading far throughout entertainment news sites. Fans and Netflix viewers are all target audiences for this newsreel.

Takeaways:

What can publishers and content providers take away from these results? In 2021, videos covering breaking news, gaming, entertainment, and adorable animals were a big hit. While this isn’t surprising, and you didn’t need us to tell you that, it’s still great to have the data to back this up. With that in mind, these trends are likely to continue into 2022, so with a lot of video content out there, what is clear and can give you the edge is offering users a high-quality and rich variety of content.

‘Jingle All the Way’ With the Best Videos for the Holiday Season

By Omri Polak | December 20, 2021

For ‘the most wonderful time of the year,’ spread the joy with the gift of video. We have a video library full of content users love, whether it’s your favorite Christmas tunes or movies, crafts to decorate your home or to give as gifts, and of course, food! Cookery inspiration for a meal to remember. Santa and his elves are not the only ones who have been busy; we’ve been working all year round to make sure our video library is full of high-quality content from top providers. So, this festive season, it’s not just Santa who’s ‘sleighing’ it!

Fa la la la la

We all have our favorite holiday songs and movies that stand the test of time and remind us of Christmases’ past. A simple Google or search on Youtube will show you how popular this trend is.

Think Mariah Carey’s 1994 hit, “All I want for Christmas!”, it unsurprisingly hits the top of the billboards every year and has also been used to measure holiday cheer. Just stepping into a store or tuning into the radio means you can hear the holiday tunes jingling themselves your way!

WatchMojo is one channel that certainly deserves a round of ‘Santa-plause.’ It has never-ending top 10, top 20,…yep, movies we all love. Or you can hum along with your favorite music scenes from movies. Then grab a glass of bubbly and sit back as Michael Buble discusses his favorite songs brought to you by USA TODAY.

Season’s ‘Eatings

Ho ho ho… it’s time for another turkey with all the trimmings! If you’re looking forward to laying on a bountiful spread worthy of those extremely elasticated pants your great aunt bought, then we’re with you! So get cookin’ from the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… and bake some beautiful delights.

Indulge in So Easy’s cake decoration videos for an extra wow factor for videos that will have you drooling.

Or ‘deerdream,’ with channel TMBI – Taste of Home, for the tastiest recipes around.

Then channel Twisted is riding high this season — with some show-stopping festive desserts and recipes just right for the holidays.

Treat Yo’ Elf

Don’t want a lot for Christmas… But, there’s just one thing you need? … Some fun and addictive crafts you can do with the family! Well, get yo’elf ready; we’ve got you covered with videos jammed-packed with inspiration from homemade stocking fillers to upcycling of old items into some ‘tree-tastic’ decorations.

Check out channel Craft FactoryC for their Christmas crafts and DIY tips. Grab your Elmer’s glue for activities that are incredibly satisfying to make and are sure to keep you entertained.

So, what do you sleigh?… Too busy watching our videos, we get it! We’ll leave you alone. Happy Holidays!

2021 Predictions and Trends for Ad Spend Over the Holiday Season

By Slava Godkin | November 24, 2021

With the holiday season upon us, holiday shopping is good news for the whole economy. Traditionally the busiest and most profitable time of year for many industries, last year they took a hit due to the pandemic. While it caused significant disruption to overall consumer spending and advertisers’ budgets leaving some industries devastated, the fast-tracking of technology, enabled other industries to stand firm. So, while holiday shopping may look different from pre-pandemic times, the season of spending returns.

To help publishers and advertisers better understand this year’s holiday-shopping landscape, we’ve pulled data from our demand partners for October 2019 to 2021. We’re taking a look at the share of ad spend and impressions in six top industry verticals to assess how they responded and predict trends for the upcoming holiday season.

Food and Alcohol

We saw the biggest drop in the share of ad spend and impressions for the food and alcohol industry in 2020, compared to the other sectors we looked at. With no vaccines and lockdown in place, people were not going out, and there were no holiday parties. Now spending has recovered and is doing better than in 2019. Businesses expect customers to host more holiday gatherings this year, with bigger spreads of food for friends and family.

While we saw a considerable drop, 29% in ad spend share from 2019 to 2020, this industry is also experiencing the best recovery. There was an increase of 47% in the share of ad spend in 2021 compared to last year, surpassing 2019 levels. Unable to enjoy the holidays together last year, it’s clear that this year people are keen to eat, drink, and be merry.

Tech

Tech surged last year, and other than politics with high ad spend due to the elections, there was a significant jump in both impressions and ad spend. Again, this follows the change in consumer behaviors over the pandemic, with people working remotely from home. Since the vaccines and return to the “new normal,” there has been a drop, however, it still remains much higher than the pre-pandemic levels of 2019.

For impressions, we saw a 56% increase in 2020 compared to 2019, and ad spend was similar, with a rise of 46%. At the same time, they dropped by around a third for impressions and a quarter for ad spend, but are still higher in comparison to 2019, between 30- 35% for impressions and ad spend. The industry is holding firm and perhaps changed forever, as we expect continued growth in the sector.

Automotive

Automotive digital advertising had been on the rise in the years leading up to the pandemic. Even as Covid hit last year, digital ad spend increased by 22 percent. Automotive advertisers have evolved from relying heavily on linear television and its declining reach to programmatic advertising to reach larger audiences on auto shopping sites and other digital destinations.

We saw little change from 2019 to 2020 for share of impressions, with only a 3% drop. Whereas the share of ad spend was up 18%. However, this year the numbers have taken a nosedive, dropping by two-thirds for both share of ad spend and impressions compared to 2020. Automakers and dealers plan to spend less on advertising this holiday season, following a year of supply chain disruptions. Some auto dealerships have been left with roughly one-third of their normal inventory levels, leaving little reason for brands to pay out for holiday ads.

Retail

Also, referred to as the “Golden Quarter,” for many retailers, holiday shopping is when they make the majority of their annual revenue. While the retail sector took a big hit last year, struggling under declining sales, retailers are getting ready to go head-to-head as they keep up with the strong projections this Black Friday through New Year’s Eve cycle, and ad budgets are set to see a return to pre-pandemic days.

Our data mirrors this trend, as we saw both the share of ad spend and impressions dropped by 25% in 2020. However, this year’s levels bounced back to those seen in 2019. It is no surprise that this is a similar pattern to the food and alcohol industry. When it comes to holiday shopping, the two go hand in hand, as people shop for parties, family get-togethers, and presents.

This has resulted in a quick recovery for the retail industry, as businesses prepare to greet more customers in-store, with bustling shopping centers and trips to see Santa.

Key Takeaways

While the pandemic caused an immediate pullback in ad budgets in 2020, following a review of our data we’re predicting a healthy demand over the 2021 holidays for many industries, with the food, tech, and retail industries looking forward to solid ad spend.

Global supply chain disruptions have prompted inventory issues across multiple categories; meaning automotive advertising is down this year, due to a shortage in supply. But publishers and advertisers should be prepared as we head into the thick of the holiday season; the National Retail Federation says it anticipates nearly 2 million more people will shop from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday alone. So make sure you have the video content brands want to appear next to and users love.

The Best Videos Thanksgiving Users Are Sure to Love

By Omri Polak | November 21, 2021

When it comes to Thanksgiving, we all know about the three Fs; family, food, and football! And when it comes to video content, we’ve got you covered for them all. Whether it’s delicious recipes and food prep videos for the perfect Thanksgiving menu, fun crafts the whole family will enjoy, or the best coverage on the football, the Primis library is stacked with Thanksgiving joy.

F is for Family (and Friends)

Thanksgiving is the perfect time of year to show your family and friends how grateful you are, by spending more time together. Your family will love watching these crafts and DIY videos for inspiration on fun activities. Whether it’s table decorations or outdoor activities, keep the grandparents and kids busy with crafts to teach them more about the holiday and get everybody in the holiday spirit.

For the best crafts and decoration ideas, we love channel Craft Factory from Jungle Creations. With videos brimming with fun art ideas and gifts you can make at home. So, why not make this holiday extra special with videos to show you how to make autumn leaf roses, clay leaf dishes, or acorn and pumpkin pie pendants. You’ll be glued to the screen and having fun in no time.

F is for Food

Thanksgiving is one of the most important meals of the year. Content on food and recipes is available in its droves. Talk about sharing and giving; the holiday brings out people’s best intentions and is a great time for recipe sharing. Think cranberry sauce, whether it’s from the can or granny’s secret recipe, whatever its “source,” it’s love in a sauce, and you can’t have a Thanksgiving meal without it. Then there’s the array of seamlessly endless options for how to make sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, we imagine this dish is what a cloud might taste like if you could eat it, and as if we could forget, the tons of recipes for how to make the juiciest or crispiest best roast turkey.

So, if you’re looking for content that can inspire and is full of holiday recipes, we recommend channel TMBI Taste Of Home – they have amazing videos, for example, want to know, “The Secret Way to Make Extra-Juicy Thanksgiving Turkey,” um yes! Or how about green bean casserole, or sausage stuffing! All their recipes will leave your mouth watering and are packed with tips and easy-to-follow recipes you can whip up, for a Thanksgiving menu to remember.

F is for Football

Since the 1920s, pro football has been played on Thanksgiving Day, and for many families watching football is part of the holiday tradition. So get your beers and bets ready with content to consume for a three-course feast of football action. Settle in for the showdown between Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions, Las Vegas Raiders vs. Dallas Cowboys, and Buffalo Bills vs. New Orleans Saints.

For excellent football coverage, we’re glad to have joined up with Fan Duel. It is the largest daily fantasy sports site out there, covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, college football, and basketball.

Video Discovery: How to Effectively Distribute and Monetize Video Content

By Simcha Weil | November 4, 2021

Remember the first time you fell down the video rabbit hole? Maybe it was a satisfying loop of unboxing videos, perhaps you were pulled into the beauty vlogger world, or you just wanted to learn a new skill and ended up learning ten.

Chances are, you’ve experienced some version of this. Whether on YouTube, binge-watching on Netflix, or some other type of video feed. We all know video is a highly engaging form of content, especially when personalized to our own tastes.

These ‘rabbit holes,’ when we’re highly engaged with video recommendations, are the focus of Video Discovery, opening up new revenue opportunities for the industry.

Let’s take a deep dive into Video Discovery and why it’s taken the ad tech world by storm.

The Power of Video

Video is the most accessible and powerful type of content for advertising on the web. In 2020, 96% of consumers increased their online video consumption, and 9 out of 10 viewers said they wanted to see more video from brands and businesses.

A 2021 report by Wyzowl revealed that 86% of businesses use video as a marketing tool, and 93% of marketers say it’s an important part of their marketing strategy.
According to Cisco’s Forecasts for 2021, global internet video traffic will grow 4-fold from 2016 to 2021, a compound annual growth rate of 31%.
Total global online video traffic will be 80% of all internet traffic in 2021.

Video has become the most popular choice for content consumption. A whopping 3 trillion minutes (5 million years) of video content will cross the internet each month in 2021. That’s 1 million minutes of video streamed or downloaded every second.

So there’s a lot of video content out there, but offering the right video is the key to real monetization. That’s where Video Discovery comes in, enabling publishers to recommend personalized video content in real-time.

Why Video Discovery is Better

When you show users videos that interest them, they’re more likely to stay on the page longer. Video Discovery done right is an engagement-driven video unit that recommends relevant video by scanning the page’s content and offering a playlist of videos that score high for metrics, such as; contextual matching and engagement rate using real-time data. Users can interact with the player, watch or skip videos, depending on what they find the most interesting.

The 5 Principles of Video Discovery:

Drive users to Consume more videos – With an extensive video library full of content from top content creators. Publishers can control the categories, channels, and keywords to best fit their site.
Monetize new inventory – Increase monthly video impressions and preroll opportunities.
Measure to optimize – Use a Discovery Engine that scores every video in real-time according to engagement data and contextual relevance.
Work with Trustworthy partners – Brands only appear in a safe environment and comply with the latest industry regulations.
Use tech that Simplifies – An interactive experience that allows users to engage and watch the entire length of a video without breaks or being shown an ad. Videos that don’t lead to engagement are skipped to allow users to discover the next video.

Tackling Scale, Placement, and Content Production

Publishers spend a lot of time and resources creating and producing videos but often don’t scale them enough to deliver a decent ROI. Video can be expensive, and distribution has to be even more effective to keep production costs manageable. Videos that don’t reach the right people aren’t worth the cost.

But to provide good content distribution requires more than just a tech solution. Playing a publisher’s own video alongside a playlist pulled from an extensive library of video content from popular, brand-safe content creators creates the optimal environment to engage users. Publishers can further increase monetizing opportunities by placing the unit throughout their site, recommending the most relevant videos for each page of content while including their own video in different playlists.

“YouTube, Facebook, Hulu – you name it – they all invest heavily in tech to match the most suitable recommendation to each user, to increase consumption. At Primis, we help our publishers do precisely that but on their own sites. Our tech uses; contextual matching, engagement metrics, and machine learning algorithms to match every user with the best content – for them. Allowing publishers to provide a better user experience, improve customer retention and create a sustainable revenue stream.” – Eyal Bezalel, Co-CEO, Primis

The player’s placement can be optimized depending on the page the unit is on; this not only increases viewability and the likelihood of users engaging with video, but it actually enhances user experience. It means the player may appear above the fold in certain sections of the site and lower down in other parts. Having the player placed throughout the site provides a seamless omnichannel video experience for users who associate the site with video and come to expect it.

Takeaways: Publishers, Advertisers, and Users All Stand to Profit

Users want video, and with the enormous amount out there, publishers need to provide a player that recommends videos from high-quality, brand-safe channels that users already know and love and allows them to discover and control what they want to watch. A good Video Discovery platform takes all of this into account, benefitting everybody. Publishers are given an easy way to match their content with the right user and create more ad inventory with higher CPMs. Advertisers can target relevant users while appearing next to high-quality, brand-safe content, and users get to view great content that they’re actually interested in, in a non-intrusive way. A win, win, win situation and a better way to do video.

Spooktacular Videos for Halloween to Boost Content Consumption

By Omri Polak | October 25, 2021

Halloween is upon us. If you hear creaks from the floorboards and feel a chill down your spine, then don’t be alarmed. Get Halloween ready, and check out our playlist with the best videos for Halloween movies worth watching, from the horrifying to those that will make you laugh ’til you’re coffin—witch is the whole point! To add to the thrills and chills, viewers are going wild for holiday crafts and fang-filled costume ideas, so if you’ve got it – go haunt it. Speaking of bats…after the playoffs, the World Series begins. Baseball fans are glued to their screens, waiting for updates, as the Atlanta Braves face off against the Houston Astros in an effort to determine who will be this year’s MLB champ.

Who Ya Gonna Call? – Halloween Movies

This year’s spooktacular movies and tv series have the audience hiding behind their seats, with ooo-ahhh moments that leave a chilling sensation.

For the best seasonal recommendations, sink your teeth into Watchmojo for Halloween film binge-watching. For more family-focused fun, Cover Media has plenty to keep you and the kids entertained.

Another channel high up on our Spook-o-meter is The Digital Fix! With everything you need to know about the scariest and most chilling characters that have ever hit our screens…or come out of them ;)!

Creepin’ it Real – Spooktacular Crafts

It’s time to eat, drink and be scary! With Halloween around the corner, content on crafts is coming out of the woodwork. And, there’s something for everybody, from DIY Halloween crafts that are too cute to spook to the creepily horrifying.

Add the simplekidscrafts.com channel from Video Elephant to your playlist for DIY Halloween crafts with an extra fa-boo-lous touch.

And, if you’re throwing a party, you can make sure you’re the “ghostest with the mostest” with the most fangtastic costume ideas from USA Today.

Field of Dreams – 2021 World Series

It’s time to put the gloves on and make a play for it. 2021 saw the MLB return to a regular season. Following the playoffs, the World Series sees the Atlanta Braves return to the World Series for the first time since 1999 to pitch against the Houston Astros. Viewership for the playoffs was strong, up 89% compared to the 2020 MLB playoffs.

Vedia is hitting it out of the park this year with updated coverage throughout the series. And, for more coverage to keep the fans entertained, Sports Grid and Sports Illustrated are lighting up the scoreboards with their top videos.