The smart TV product/multichannel bundle platform/music video-centric programmer Vevo launched several years ago continues to grab an increasing share of TV viewership and advertising support. Vevo used its 2023 NewFronts event May 4 to deliver an in-person update on that climb, as well as reiterate a commitment to expanded multicultural diversity in its content catalogue. All that and a full-tilt performance from superstar singer/rapper J Balvin happened inside Sony Hall, the underground concert venue next to the Paramount Hotel on W. 46th St.
The Big Message: With 20 ad-supported genre music video channels reaching viewers through 35 smart TV products and content bundles, Vevo is unquestionably the music video source for viewers and sponsors alike. "We're your solution for scale, with star power," said Kevin McGurn (pictured at top), the organization's President of Sales and Distribution. "Media buyers can gain reach and intelligence in an unprecedented mix of diverse audiences."
Hosts: Divided among a group of Vevo executives, opening and closing with McGurn.
What Worked: Delivering the presentation in bite-size understandable segments, all introduced with music videos and loaded with factoid graphics displayed behind each speaker.
What Also Worked: A number of pre-presentation elements, starting with a history of music videos on TV flashed on one of the Sony Hall stairway walls. To show off Vevo's "The Home of Music Television" tag line, a clever video sequence presenting rooms of a house -- each with a TV set tuned to Vevo in the center -- rotated in the manner of a Ferris wheel. Neat display, especially when munching on appetizers attendees selected from their seats or at the bar in the back of the room. My faves: crab cakes and baked macaroni and cheese squares.
What Didn't Work: Few words about how advertisers accomplish success with campaigns which make substantial use of Vevo. A segment with a sponsor or agency executive speaking in-person or on tape about specific campaigns and the results achieved (sales lift/target audience increase/social outreach performance) would have done the trick.
Bonus Point: J Balvin's charismatic performance with the audience on their feet all the way. Balvin got his biggest chart-topping hits in off the bat, including "Mi Gente" and his cover of the cha-cha title song from the 1994 movie I Like It Like That --still a crowd-pleaser after all these years. He also did a sneak preview of new single "Click, Click, Flash." The animated graphics behind him were stunning.
Data Points: More than 900,000 videos are in Vevo's content house, with 15 music video debuts per week on its 20 channels. Average tune-in time: 30 minutes-plus. Sixty-five million people watch Vevo through their smart TVs, and 10 million people watched Grammy Awards-related programming on Vevo while the ceremony aired live on CBS this past February. About 90 percent of Vevo's audience is under age 55, and 75 percent of the Gen Z crowd watch at least one Vevo-running music video every week
News: Vevo will dive into original short and long-form programming waters with On Site, a new content-making studio producing material for individual sponsors and brands. Several concepts already are under consideration with advertisers, including live performances, brand-sponsored dayparts with VJ hosts, artist interviews and storytelling sequences. Coming soon: Vevo Features, a 24/7 channel devoted to holiday and cultural commemorations from Black History Month to Pride Month, July 4th and Halloween. Samsung TV Plus will become the exclusive home to a trio of new Vevo channels this summer or autumn -- Alt & Indie, Dance & Electronic and 2010s. Philo is the latest multichannel bundle to affiliate with Vevo, and look for more smart product/bundle distribution agreements later this year. Off camera, look for the release of Vevo Intelligence, a suite of data-driven tools created to leverage audience and viewership behavior with brand campaign performance for producing customized media opportunities.
Parting Words:
"Music videos have come back to the biggest screen around … the TV." -- Kevin McGurn, Vevo Sales and Distribution President
"Viewers are demanding and deserve content that mirrors their culture. Diversity is important to our DNA. Diversity is the majority audience and advertisers must shift to reach this multicultural audience." -- Vevo Vice President of Inclusive Network Sales Rob Velez
"With the increasing availability of premium content and the scale of distribution, free ad-supported channels are the only growing sector of TV viewership now and for the foreseeable future." -- Rob Christensen, Vevo Senior Vice President, U.S. Sales and Global Distribution
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