The capacity crowd witnessing Samsung Ads' 2024 NewFront offering April 30 came away with announcements aplenty. One round of newsnotes dealt with new free ad-supported services on multichannel bundle Samsung TV Plus. Another round updated activity at Samsung Gaming Hub, home to more than 3,000 interactive games playable without a set-top console. Before the presentation at Lavan's midtown Manhattan facility ended, Samsung raised the curtain on a groundbreaking initiative connecting both ventures.
The Big Message: With artificial intelligence embedded in every smart TV set Samsung makes -- and the majority of smart TVs operating within its consumer universe -- there's a wide-open galaxy of innovative, interactive and immersive experiences advertisers can generate for their audiences. "The living room is the most important real estate in media. We're the consumer's starting point and ending point," explained Samsung Ads' Vice President, Head of Advertising Sales and Operations Michael Scott. "No one comes closest to our reach. We are the indisputable market leader in smart TVs."
Hosts: Executives from Samsung Ads, Samsung Services Business and Samsung TV Plus received the opportunity to guide attendees through individual segments of the presentation, with Scott up first and last.
What Worked: Creating an intimate setting for Samsung executives to relate better with the audience as they delivered their remarks. Rows of chairs were arranged in a semicircle covering half of the room, and a vertical white runway in the middle had the executives stand out even more.
What Also Worked: Videos and graphics screened on a trio of walls facing the audience gave everyone a clear look at the information presented. Especially impressive was the technical crew's effort to consistently ensure the screens were not blocked by a pair of columns, one on each side of the vertical runway.
What Can Work Here: Taking a few minutes to showcase how an advertiser is running a unique campaign, interactive or shoppable ad somewhere on Samsung TV Plus or Samsung Gaming Hub -- and the end results. Just one example could do the trick in attracting new clients.
Data Points: Samsung TV Plus now has more than 500 channels and thousands of on-demand TV shows and movies in its bundle. Usage has increased 60 percent year-to-year.
News: Over the summer, Game Breaks will be scheduled on various Samsung TV Plus channels. Under this innovation, Viewers will be able to play titles from the Samsung Gaming Hub catalog, or original games that sponsors can co-develop. An early example of the latter will be The Six, a six-question trivia test that may include shoppable and co-branding elements. Upcoming additions to Gaming Hub include Rivals Arena, a cinematic-style card game allowing advertisers to run in-between game play interstitials. In the months ahead, Samsung TV Plus will launch individual FAST channels featuring both original and library content from Major League Baseball, PGA Tour, One Championship TV (mixed martial arts), the Formula 1 auto racing circuit, Jim Henson Co. and several YouTube content creators/personalities. In another development, Warner Music Group will put together a pair of exclusive video-on-demand channels -- The Drop, featuring new album releases, and Artist Odyssey, mixing music videos, concert footage and short-form documentary segments on individual Warner Music Group acts.
Bonus Points: Distributing assorted snacks to attendees before and after the presentation.
Parting Words: "To us, artificial intelligence underpins everything we do. It should be working for you seamlessly in the background." -Sang Kim, Samsung Services Business Executive Vice President and General Manager
"We're on a mission to remove barriers for gaming. You don't need a console and everyone has access. We've got every kind of game for every kind of player." -Samsung Services Business Vice President of Marketing Cathy Oh.
"We're helping you find gaps with your linear and in-app audiences." -Travis Scott Howe, Vice President of New Products and Solutions with Samsung Ads, describing the goal of "Optimal Reach," a new AI back-office feature that provides useful insights on audiences across both linear and smart TV outlets.
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