Rethinking Premium: The Era of Priority Content

Back in the day, "premium content" meant those professionally made, expensive, and captivating shows you'd catch on your favorite broadcast and cable channels. Even as I moved into digital-first roles, I couldn't help but bring up the premium vs. everything else concept as I championed advanced TV strategies to help buyers plan, buy, and measure video investments with data and programmatic methods.

Fast forward to 2023, and we're still debating what "premium" even means. The media landscape, from how content is delivered to the devices we use, has seen some massive changes. I was lucky enough to be part of a panel at Advertising Week 2023, titled "The CTV Gold Rush." We talked about who gets to decide what's premium and why.

I decided to stir things up a bit and suggest we drop the old-school linear TV thinking and start calling it "priority" content. But why "priority" content, you ask? Well, let me share a little story from the panel.

My wife and I decided to spice up our home by creating accent walls, all thanks to TikTok videos she watched. The videos made it look easy, but as we got into it, we realized that cutting wood with precision and mounting it perfectly took more than a quick video tutorial. It needed time, the right tools, and a whole lot of patience.

As we searched the internet for tips to save time and do it right, we found that "non-premium" content was our lifesaver. These tutorials became our "priority" because they offered practical solutions. Some of these videos even featured products we'd never seen in ads, yet we went out and bought them – they were our heroes in the DIY adventure.

That, my friends, is the magic of "priority" content. It might not have the glitz and glamour of "premium" stuff, but it sure knows how to grab attention, keep it, and deliver the goods. Increasingly, when you look at how people consume content these days, you'll see they're all about video - from quick clips on YouTube to bite-sized reels on TikTok.

So, who gets to decide what's "premium" anymore? It's about time we change our perspective. "Priority" content is effective if it connects with the audience marketers need to reach, holds consumers attention, and drives the business outcomes brands are measuring.
And in case you were wondering about our accent wall, I think it turned out pretty well:

To wrap things up, let's shift our focus from the "premium" fixation and embrace the idea of "priority" content. It fits the changing media landscape and the diverse tastes of today's content consumers. Whether it's a mesmerizing TikTok tutorial or a big-budget production, what truly matters is that the content resonates with its audiences, drives brand awareness and ultimately outcomes for your business.

Posted at MediaVillage through the Thought Leadership self-publishing platform.

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The opinions expressed here are the author's views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillage.org/MyersBizNet.