Adweek : Video

Modest Buzz for NewFront Content Based on Social Sharing Data

Mike Shields — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:08:03 GMT

Are people buzzing about all those Web video series rolled out during the NewFronts? It's hard to say. The industry is still miles away from a Nielsen-like overnight rating equivalent, despite its digital nature. And tracking buzz for TV shows is an inexact science, so gauging Web shows might as well be alchemy.

Still, we took a stab at it. Adweek provided Unruly Media with a random sampling of shows either introduced at the NewFronts or recently rolled out by the big Web video players. Here's the list we supplied:

—Ricky Gervais' new YouTube channel

—AOL's Little Women, Big Cars Season 2

—The LeBrons Season 2 trailer

—AOL's Fetching

—AOL's Candidly Nicole

—Yahoo's Burning Love Season 3

—Yahoo's The Fuzz

—Blip's Hipsterhood

—Sony/Crackle's Comedian in Cars Getting Coffee

—Univison's Salseras

—Arrested Development Season 4 trailer

A few major caveats:

1. Unruly tracks video sharing, not reach, views, or the like.

2. Unruly can only track sharing on YouTube and Facebook. It doesn't track Web video across the Web. While YouTube does carry some of the content from companies like AOL and Yahoo, it's not necessarily the primary distribution outlet.

3. Some of these shows haven't officially launched yet, and only clips are available.

4. Arrested Development is not really a Web series per se, but a resurrected cult series.

With all that said, it's clear that fans are a lot more excited about return of the Bluth family than any Web series. Also, Sony's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, which is coming back for Season 2, is generating some authentic fan enthusiasm. And people are pumped about the first appearance in several years of The Office's UK boss David Brent. Other shows, not so much.

Buyers Pushing Nielsen Data for Web Video and YouTube Won't Play Ball

Mike Shields — Thu, 16 May 2013 04:00:02 GMT

Following the NewFronts, the battle lines in Web video are being drawn, and YouTube might be on the wrong side.

After several years of testing, clients and their agencies are eager to buy video inventory that is guaranteed against particular audience demographics, just like they’ve been doing with TV for decades. The biggest ad agency holding companies are convalescing around Nielsen’s Online Campaign Ratings data or comScore's Validated Campaign Essentials (VCE) as their preferred currency in Web video, according to multiple buyers and sellers. As are top marketers like Procter and Gamble.

“We were in beta mode, and now we’re trying to use it for as many campaigns as possible,” said Donnie Williams, chief media officer at Horizon. “We are leaning into OCR. I want to buy video on audience guarantees.”

“There is a lot of demand in the market for this,” added a top video player.

That’s not always good news for Web publishers, which typically have to significantly overdeliver impressions just to meet client goals. It may be not such good news for YouTube, which is refusing to sell inventory in this fashion.

GroupM is one of the big agencies that supports the use of Nielsen OCR. “YouTube is definitely losing out on revenue by not accepting OCR,” said Vik Kathuria, GroupM/MediaCom managing partner.

But even publishers that accept OCR or comScore's VCE are losing out on some cash, say sellers. That’s because the products are imperfect at best. In most cases, buyers and sellers accept upfront that only a percentage of impressions will be guaranteed to reach a particular demo.

Beyond that base level limitation lies an even bigger challenge. Despite digital media’s reputation, Web publishers can’t simply sell guaranteed impressions that will 100 percent reach women 18-49. Rather, they can deliver a campaign that is estimated to reach a large portion of that group using Nielsen or comScore data. And then wait to hear from Nielsen or comScore days later to see how they're doing, buyers and seller say. That's more than ironic for a publishing industry that has oriented itself around precise audience buying and real-time optimization.

“This is not real time at all,” said a publisher.

But the demand certainly is. And to hear publishers tell it, the burden is on them to handle the labor, implementation and the lost revenue from wasteful impressions as OCR and VCE gain traction.

“Publishers have to overdeliver significantly to deliver against OCR and they lack the tools to understand their audience,” said Brian Kane, COO of Liverail, a Web video tech platform. “In order to deliver even 80 percent of a [purchased] audience they deliver many more than needed.”

That can really hurt some smaller sites, which lack scale in video ("they are really struggling with this," said a seller). And that dynamic can also drive up CPMs, say sellers, as as much as 40 percent of a campaign can go to waste.

"Without a doubt, we’re seeing increased market demand for compliance, especially with our larger agency holding company partners,” said Andrew Budkofsky, evp of sales and partnerships at Break Media. "The challenge will be for fair value to be given to the targeted audience in digital video and original content. TV buyers pay fair value CPMs for targeted audiences on TV. The same needs to hold true for digital video.”

Nielsen and comScore are pledging to continue to improve their product offerings. Sellers argue that these firm need to make an adjustment fast. “They’re not product companies by nature, and you feel it," said a seller.

Still, Nielsen and comScore are the best the industry has for now, particularly as it angles for TV dollars (also ironic: Nielsen—a laggard when it comes to Web metrics—appears to be losing ground in this battle to comScore, which was born as a Web researcher, in part because of its alliance with Facebook. Plus, TV centric agencies in particular are pushing Nielsen, say insiders). ComScore tells a different story; it claims that 22 of the 25 brands are using VCE, including P&G.

“They both have very different approaches,” said one seller. “It’s sort of battle of the panels.”

“I think we're living in a world of imperfect metrics,” said Adam Shlachter, svp of media, Digitas. “Look at TV ratings. If OCR/VCE are a way of creating consistency against how we evaluate, negotiate and track the digital video space, those that don't align with those metrics will suffer somewhat.”

In other words, YouTube may miss out. Parent company Google believes it has a better way of measuring Web videos. And with a billion users, it certainly has some clout. Plus, Google has long had designs on competing with Nielsen and comScore.

"We know buyers want meaningful measurement, which is why we're investing broadly in brand-friendly metrics like Active View, which just received MRC accreditation, and Active GRP, which we started testing last year," said a Google spokesperson. "We'll continue to explore new measurement options for brands as well."

One theory on why Google won’t play ball on OCR is Nielsen and Facebook’s relationship. That’s Horizon's Williams’ take on situation. Google declined to comment on this matter.

Regardless, as upfront/NewFront deals play out, it’s going to be worth watching who bends and who doesn’t, and what sort of fallout occurs. Said one seller: “This year and next will be interesting, and it will be painful.”

Maker Studios Planning to Own More Content

Mike Shields — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:30:52 GMT

Last week, Ynon Kreiz replaced Maker co-founder Danny Zappin as CEO of the YouTube production/media startup. Kreiz has a long track record in the TV space, having served as chairman and CEO of the global production company Endemol (Deal or No Deal, Big Brother). Kreiz served as Maker’s chairman since last year.

Maker Studio is a hot company at the moment in the even hotter Web video space. But it’s not without its own drama and challenges. It had a very public breakup with YouTuber Ray William Johnson. It’s received funding from Time Warner Ventures. It’s also morphed its mission slightly while the space it plays in—YouTube MCNs (multi channel networks)—has come under scrutiny. And since Kreiz came on board, there have been a handful of layoffs.

Kreiz took time out to talk with Adweek to discuss his plans for the company, based in the burgeoning Silicon Beach section of Los Angeles.

Adweek: I’ve heard Maker describe itself as a studio out of the old Hollywood era. And more recently the company has talked about its role as a programmer that coaches talent on how to use YouTube, as well as just a video ad network. So what is Maker?
Kreiz: Maker at the core is a content platform. There are different ways to think about the MCNs on YouTube. Some are services, some are ad networks. This is a content-led company, with content in its DNA. We’re about production, understanding content flow. This is really a next generation media company ... orienting towards connecting viewers and advertisers.

What are your plans as the new CEO?
There are a few key components to what we are investing in right now. We want to accelerate our investment in programming. There are going to be more channels under the Maker banner. That’s a key part of what we want do. We’re not reinventing ourselves. Another dimension is that we intend to build and develop and a full-fledged commercial infrastructure. We’re working with content producers, brands and agencies to build media products.

So, more original Maker-owned content?
We worship talent. And talent is crucial, in TV, film, media, any treatment. We tried to work with as many of the best as we can and try to give them the best platform. And we're also looking to build our own talent. It's not too dissimilar to the studio model, where you see a combination of multiple approaches. We intend to expand in more genres, more themed brands. Some of this could be scripted.

Regarding your commercial infrastructure plans, one challenge in this space is that it’s hard to make money as just a video ad network because pricing can be low. But brand integrations are tough to scale.
We’re not an ad network. We don’t see ourselves that way. We have a lot of scale and content. We’re working on packaging and positioning our content and making it more palatable for the ad ecosystem. That has to work at scale in a more focused way. Some of it is through brand integration.

What does that mean exactly? You want to automate branding somehow?
We’re now investing pretty heavily in tech tools, things that can help us optimize or support talent and help advertisers reach [their] target audience. We want to create ... tools that will [offer] reliable data, the ability to optimize the way we commercialize our content. I don’t want to say too much but we have new products coming that complement what YouTube is doing.

What’s your take on the industry’s attempt to take on TV with the NewFronts?
The industry is young. It’s developing and broadening. the advantages of online video distribution will outweigh the challenges. The holy grail is reaching individuals with the right messages and measuring it. TV is very inefficient. ... Online video ability to reach individuals is much more accurate. It’s more engaging. The value is higher, and critically, you can measure with 100 percent accuracy. It will become much more efficient. It’s still early. There are inefficiencies. It will find its equilibrium.

How big do you guys want to get? There have been some layoffs, and you have some affiliates and some full timers.
We’re north of 300 and it’s a good size. We move very fast. We’re in hyper-growth mode. We are hiring in some areas and reducing in other areas.

You didn't have a NewFront, though your talent was featured. Do you want to become bigger in the eyes of Madison Avenue?
Yes we intend to become more active, collaborative. As a media company, we see the ad community as a commercial partner. We want to become more active and more involved and present with that community. Web video has become a mainstream product. It's not an alternative. It’s early. We’re at the margins. We're not going to destabilize it in a day. But it doesn't matter what you or I think. Look at the facts and how video is growing. Google will have 4,000 people out selling Web video but it will be driven by its own velocity, and it will be very fast.

These Are the Biggest Hurdles Facing Social TV

Chris Copeland — Tue, 14 May 2013 02:25:24 GMT

TV has a new love—that little blue Twitter bird. And like any new infatuation, the promise of what’s to come is almost too good to be true.

Most recently, the Grammys became #Grammys. Host LL Cool J (@llcoolj), when not busy doing bicep curls off stage, spent most of the evening hyping the “Hashtaggrammys.” At one point, Beverly Jackson (@bevjack), senior director of marketing/social media for the Grammys, tweeted that they were averaging more than 200,000 tweets per minute. The only thing CBS didn’t do in promoting its Twitter social connection was put a hashtag on Carrie Underwood’s dress. She’s @carrieunderwood, by the way.

On the heels of Nielsen and Twitter announcing a Twitter TV rating system and the social giant’s acquisition of TV social monitor Bluefin Labs, it is clear that 2013 will be the year social TV makes its first full-on run at becoming mainstream.

Exactly what that thing will be is still unclear. For social TV to be meaningful to advertisers and TV viewers alike, a few pieces of the puzzle have to be put into place. For one, we need to find a way to make tweeting work for live episodic TV as well as it does for event TV.

Massive watercooler moments like the Super Bowl, the Oscars or even the presidential elections are ideal for social TV. Recent Trendrr Social TV data found that eight of the 10 most popular cable shows were reality/sports content. For the Grammys, the E! Network’s pre-event red carpet show drew as many social TV mentions as The Simpsons, the longest running scripted show on network TV. Scale is a must for marketers, but it’s not there yet for social TV during the average drama or sitcom (with the exception maybe of The Walking Dead; the AMC show’s season premiere did 10 times the social media traffic of The Simpsons on Fox).

We also need to find a way to get hashtag TV out of its own echo chamber and apply some filtering to Twitter. During the Grammys telecast, LL Cool J joked about being backstage trying to keep up with all the tweets being posted. Since the volume of tweets (at 200,000 per minute) would be the equivalent of a full-length novel every hour, I’m guessing no one read every single comment made about the show. This challenge is not only for celebrity award show hosts but also all Twitter users.

This is a big, long-term problem for the social site. If you can’t keep up with the chatter, you have a skewed noise-to-sound ratio. Your network may or may not be made of valuable communicators on a given topic, but without real-time curation by Twitter or another source, you are left with a less than stellar experience. Twitter is reportedly working on this, but it remains to be seen how Twitter’s determination of relevancy impacts individual users. For the time being, it’s too easy to miss entire conversations or be exposed to tweets that fail to paint a complete picture.

The other big hurdle facing social TV is the “where does it happen” factor. The single biggest variable in determining just how real social TV will be in 2013 is the technology experience. GetGlue, Viggle and IntoNow, among others, want to be the de facto destinations for TV viewers who are using a second screen to enhance the first.

At the same time, Twitter is searching for ways to keep people on its own platform to own its combined experience. Other players, from TV manufacturers to console systems, will want in on this as well. The ad dollars flow through this end of the pipe, so there will be a battle to see who can put metrics and scale against the destination. Today, everyone is willing to go to multiple sources and buy inventory, and Twitter continues to increase price based on its clubhouse lead at the moment.

Not every TV show is appointment viewing, and it’s safe to assume that not every show will be hashtag TV. But, as deal flow and content production better align with the social opportunity, social TV is going to explode. Whether that happens in 2013 or beyond is difficult to forecast.

The resolutions to make social work for live TV, balancing noise and sound on Twitter, and owning the platform from which social TV originates will determine if this becomes “The Year of...” or if it simply lacks the clarity to make a breakthrough.

Chris Copeland (@C2Next) is CEO of GroupM Next, the digital innovations unit at GroupM.

Illustration: Sam Brewster

YouTube Sitcom Will See Year Two

Mike Shields — Mon, 13 May 2013 04:01:02 GMT

Here’s an original scripted series born out of YouTube’s 100 funded channel initiative that is coming back for Round 2. And format wise, it’s a lot more traditional than you might expect.

The Fine Brothers, a comedy duo and YouTube powerhouse, have announced the renewal of MyMusic, an old-school sitcom launched via the brothers' funded YouTube channel last year. The show, a mockumentary-style comedy set at a fictional music studio, stars Grace Helbig of the popular YouTube vlog Daily Grace and Adam Busch (TBS’ Men at Work, Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

The show was created by The Fine Brothers (Ben and Rafi) perhaps best known for their collection of videos capturing funny reactions of kids, teens and seniors to pop culture and news events.

Season 1 of MyMusic generated over 26 million views, while reeling in 350,000 subscribers, per the Fine Bros. The show cranked out over 30 episodes, generating anywhere from 200,000 to a million views.

Plus, the show’s fictional characters have garnered close to a quarter million followers in social media. This time around, several characters from the show will "write" blog entries and offer music commentary via a yet-to-be-launched site. “We had an overwhelming fan response in Season 1, and we definitely couldn’t have made it to a second season without their viewership and participation,” said Ben Fine.

Added Rafi Fine: "Our company has been online for almost nine years...and MyMusic had so many specific narrative strategies from early concept to even today that were designed to bring in more viewers, keep the audience engaged and incorporate interactivity...We're able to leverage our audience just like a television channel can, to get the word out on new properties."

Season 2 is about to start and is expected to go live this summer.

ESPN Uses Client Testimonials in Its Upfront

Anthony Crupi — Mon, 13 May 2013 03:18:25 GMT

There’s an uncommonly large crowd on hand for this taping of SportsCenter, as some 2,000 observers are huddled around as anchor Hannah Storm winds down the 9:30 a.m. segment. Throwing to a taped interview with what appears to be a retired Ivy League linebacker, Storm introduces her virtual guest as Peter McDonough, the chief marketing and innovation officer at Diageo North America.

This particular installment of SportsCenter isn’t being broadcast beyond the confines of New York’s Best Buy Theater, and McDonough hasn’t suited up to chat about Penn’s third conference title in four seasons. (For one thing, he’s a Cornell man.) Instead, as part of ESPN’s 2012 upfront presentation, he’s agreed to offer a testimonial on how the network’s sales team has delivered significant results for Diageo over the last several months.

As part of a yearlong deal, the liquor distributor signed on as a presenting sponsor of the ESPN series Pardon the Interruption and Around the Horn. The “Diageo Happy Hour” execution put the company out in front of legions of younger male viewers while throwing a spotlight on its Guinness Black Lager brand. But the sponsorship didn’t end there.

“What was really exciting was how it would satisfy a second objective we had, which was reaching the multicultural consumer,” McDonough said, adding that a similar strategy was used to pitch Captain Morgan Rum to Hispanic viewers of ESPN Deportes. “I couldn’t be more excited about this partnership.”

This marks the third year in which ESPN will thread client testimonials into the fabric of its upfront presentation. Previous participants included Gatorade, Taco Bell and Goodyear. The sports giant will have three more brands in the wings (Macy’s, Cheez-It and Subway) when it unveils its 2013-14 slate on Tuesday, May 14.

A nod to the mutual trust between the network and its clients, no money changes hands when ESPN books its testimonials. “We didn’t want to simply go up there and remind everyone that we delivered their GRPs,” said Ed Erhardt, ESPN’s president of global customer marketing and sales. “The idea was to identify senior clients who were willing to talk about how the relationship they have with ESPN was driving their sales and business goals. I mean, isn’t that why we’re all here?”

As a top 10 sports investor—per Nielsen, Subway in 2012 spent $114.3 million on TV sports programming—CMO Tony Pace is the kind of guy you want to have up there extolling the virtues of your sales team.

“We’ve been working with ESPN for a long time, and this is just a great way to thank them for their good work,” Pace said. “Not only does this present an opportunity to talk about some of the things we do with ESPN that are unique to our brand, but we’re also getting our message out beyond the venue. Even though this is ESPN’s show, an awful lot of other media outlets will hear about it.”

Pace is particularly enthused about Subway’s association with ESPN personality Bill Simmons. A longtime supporter of Simmons’ podcast, Subway was a founding sponsor of his sports/pop culture site, Grantland.com.

Do NewFronts Really Affect TV Pricing?

Sam Thielman — Mon, 13 May 2013 03:17:57 GMT

Google’s Eric Schmidt may have told an audience full of media buyers that Web video had already replaced television last week, but the ad industry isn’t so sure the NewFronts are going to make that much difference when it comes to moving ad dollars.

“They’re a distraction,” said Pivotal Research analyst Brian Wieser (formerly lead forecaster for Magna Global). “They’re a useful sideshow for developing relationships, but they don’t serve any other practical purpose.”

The mechanics of the video business, Wieser said, haven’t changed at all. Clients don’t have to commit money in this upfront unless there’s a massive discount on already-cheap inventory “because there’s no scarcity.”

Jason Krebs, president of sales/marketing at Blip, couldn’t disagree more strongly. “There is a high amount of scarcity for high-quality video,” he said. “Anybody who says there’s no scarcity is not paying attention and repeating the rhetoric.” Krebs says that the problem is extreme scarcity—there just aren’t as many pure-digital offerings out there that demonstrate the production value consumers are used to on linear cable or broadcast. “House of Cards (on Netflix) is an anomaly, but not for long,” he said.

To some extent, comparison between the NewFronts and the upfronts—or even between more than two or three NewFront presentations—is an apples-and-hand grenades proposition. Google and Hulu have radically different business models; Netflix is a name on everyone’s lips and it doesn’t even take advertising. But most industry execs agree that digital companies are going to have to create higher-quality, higher-profile shows if they’re going to take any share away from TV.

“When The Walking Dead premieres, you wouldn’t miss it,” said Francois Lee, svp and group client director, MediaVest Worldwide, one of several agencies that called on video companies to up their games in an open letter last week. “It’s on the subway, it’s outside, it’s on networks, and with a lot of the digital content, you don’t see that level of promotion.”

On television, production begins months in advance. Then networks winnow down as many as 100 total programs in development into a fraction that will air. “It’s true there are millions and millions of dollars spent on this stuff, and it doesn’t always work. But there’s an attempt made to make it a buzzworthy event,” Lee said.

Wieser says the NewFronts hold out the promise of a bargaining chip that buyers desperately want. But for a bargaining chip to be credible, you have to be able to walk away from the negotiation, and digital may not be there yet. “That will only happen if five or six big brands go out publicly and say, ‘We’re putting 20 percent of our budget into Web video,’ and they’ll have to follow through,” Wieser said.

Krebs dissents. “The differences have already been felt,” he said. “TV executives don’t go five minutes in a traditional upfront without talking about their digital abilities.”

IAB Fires Back With an Open Letter to Digital Buyers

Mike Shields — Thu, 09 May 2013 22:31:41 GMT

For a digital industry, these guys sure love their letters.

In response to yesterday's open letter to the Web video ad seller community from a cadre of top digital buyers, IAB president and CEO Randall Rothenberg fired off an open letter of his own to the digital gang of eight, which includes Digitas' Adam Shlachter, Zenith's John Nitti and GroupM's Rob Norman.

The buyers used their letter to push the Web video industry to raise its collective game by delivering big hits, better metrics and stronger stewardship of the wealth of new shows rolled out during last week's Digital Content NewFronts. Rothenberg and the IAB, which oversaw the execution of the NewFronts, have answered back. Rothenberg and the IAB agree with most of the buyers' assessments but think they didn't go far enough.

"Even if we collaborate on all the actions you outlined in your open letter, we will not achieve our mutual goals," Rothenberg wrote. Why? In part, because agencies are structured in ways that prohibit cross-media planning. "Agencies remain fragmented in the ways they develop strategies, craft creative, plan, and buy different media, reflecting equivalent organizational and process fragmentation inside client companies," Rothenberg wrote.

"All of this threatens to take a remarkable opportunity and shred it into a thousand expensive, proprietary solutions," he added.

Rothenberg also urged agencies to do better creative, make buying much simpler and work to protect intellectual property. He even put out a request for some seed funding to be used in establishing a Digital Video Center of Excellence aimed at bettering the medium for all.

Here's the full letter:

To: David Cohen/Universal McCann, Adam Shlachter and John McCarus/Digitas, Amanda Richman/Starcom, Walt Cheruk/Carat, Rob Norman/GroupM, John Nitti/Zenith, Ben Winkler/OMD
cc: Advertising Agency Executives Everywhere
From: Randall Rothenberg, IAB

Dear David, Adam, John M., Amanda, Walt, Rob, John N., and Ben:

Thank you for your open letter yesterday praising the presentations, programming, productivity, and outcomes of the Digital Content NewFronts 2013. Fifteen top media companies presented more than one hundred original digital video shows that will soon bring laughter to the lips and stimulate the minds of men, women and children around the world, distributed across laptops, PCs, smartphones, tablets, and connected TVs everywhere. I think I speak on behalf of all NewFronts presenters—indeed, for the entire digital publishing industry—when I say we agree with you: This is a revolution in marketing, advertising, and media…and a transformation in consumer engagement.

We particularly welcome and appreciate the way you positioned the next stage of this revolution: as an activity in which agencies, marketers, publishers, and technology companies must work together to develop consensus solutions that will elevate opportunities for all of us. Sure, we will negotiate hard with each other, and compete fiercely to win business, publisher against publisher and agency against agency. But that should never stop us from collaborating for the greater good of our conjoined industries, our customers, and our consumers.

We also agree that for this revolution to truly alter the way we do business, we've got to commit ourselves to practices that benefit consumers, bolster transparency, build revenues, and boost profits for marketers, agencies, and publishers. So we dedicate ourselves, as individual publishers and collectively through the IAB, to work with you and your clients to, as you put it in your letter, “change the narrative, and leverage measurement—across the now and next screens—that elevates digital video beyond an extension of TV. To disrupt the commodities-like pricing for broad segments of audiences, to new currencies based on the response and reactions of the people we want to reach…[and to] give digital video (and its consumers) the attention, the brands, and yes, the dollars that it deserves.”

To accomplish this, we pledge to collaborate with you on the three items you enumerate in your “call to arms”: program promotion and discovery (including digital and social promotion), processes for audience-delivery guarantees, and measurement solutions that tell the true story of digital content’s reach and influence.

But we cannot stop there. Because even if we collaborate on all the actions you outlined in your open letter, we will not achieve our mutual goals. If we are truly to revolutionize marketing, advertising and consumer engagement, we must work together—unendingly—to embed other principles in our daily activities. Accordingly, speaking for all digital publishers, we ask you and the agencies you represent, as well as all other agencies, to commit to the following.

Make cross-screen programming, marketing, and consumption a reality. Perhaps the biggest message emerging from the 2013 NewFronts is that everyone—consumers, advertisers, and publishers—wants seamless cross-screen experiences. Yet despite our violent agreement, it’s hard to pull off. Agencies remain fragmented in the ways they develop strategies, craft creative, plan, and buy different media, reflecting equivalent organizational and process fragmentation inside client companies. Publishers and technology companies, in turn, pursue their own products and services for cross-screen distribution, measurement, and analytics. All of this threatens to take a remarkable opportunity and shred it into a thousand expensive, proprietary solutions. Let’s collaborate on the essential technologies and standards that will make it easy for consumers to discover programs, start watching shows and ads on one screen, pick them up on another screen, and complete their experience on yet another screen.

Simplify the marketing-media supply chain. We’ve all heard the same complaint: “Television is so simple; I can place a multi-million-dollar buy with a handshake. Why is digital so complicated and expensive to transact?” One answer, unfortunately, is an interactive advertising supply chain that’s been put together piece by piece, year by year, with chicken wire bytes and spit bits. While that’s been great for innovation and competition, it’s been a nightmare for operational efficiency, and has added untold millions in costs to our collective businesses. And with the rise of programmatic buying, it only threatens to get worse, as exchanges, real-time bidding solutions, new forms of creativity, social sharing opportunities, and mobile consumers multiply. Let’s commit to cross-industry solutions that aim to take complexity and cost out of the digital advertising supply chain, and make low-cost “handshake buying” a reality in interactive advertising.

Be as creative as possible. We’ve got to be honest with each other: We face a clutter crisis. Ads are or soon will be everywhere—and with the rise of programmatic buying and other forms of automation, will be everywhere-squared before too long. The result is common conversation in our industry: “banner blindness,” consumer disengagement, and rebellion against the fact and craft of advertising. The history of advertising tells us there is only one way to cut through the clutter and generate affinity for advertising and for the brands that advertising builds—creativity. Simply put, great results require great advertising. Great creativity can work so much harder in interactive media than in other environments, because it allows consumers to dive in, ask for more, pull things out, share their experiences, and participate in the story-building. Some of that creative advertising will be “native”—unique to the site or the individual publisher. But scale economics dictate that much of that creative advertising will have to cross sites and cross screens. Let’s work together to venerate the big ideas and great creatives behind them, as we have done in other media, and also to find standards and processes that will enable the best advertising to flourish in digital environments.

Make measurement make sense. In your open letter to us, you asked for “metrics that value the true power of digital—engagement and interactivity” and for “the bridge-metrics that paint a portrait of a single piece of content or programming within the broader, non-linear web of viewing and engagement.” To which we answer: absolutely! We have to get not just reach and frequency right, but demographics, social sharing, and more. But we have an ask in turn: Please commit yourselves, your agencies, and all other agencies you can influence to participate in the cross-industry “Making Measurement Make Sense” initiative. 3MS is the largest digital measurement standardization project in history; already, marketers, agencies, and publishers, working through the ANA, the 4As, and the IAB, have committed almost $6 million to this initiative, which is forging consensus around the metrics and currencies that matter. While many of you have been deeply involved with 3MS, some agencies and clients remain distant from the process, and continue to call for special metrics and one-off currencies that add complexity and cost to the industry as a whole. However flawed conventional television metrics may have been, they have worked for more than 60 years because all parties stuck with a consistent understanding of shared risk and reward. Let’s get the entire ecosystem and all its major players committed to the 3MS process, and to making the Media Rating Council the neutral body for setting, evolving, and policing industry measurement standards.

Protect consumer privacy. The uniqueness of the Internet is that it is the only medium that allows media and marketers to go globally broad and minutely targeted at the same time, while respecting consumer anonymity, privacy, and choice. Yet regulatory constraints—proposed and in some cases already imposed by government bodies or large technology companies—threaten the ability of consumers to receive and companies to deliver targeted programming and advertising. These proposals may even undermine our ability to offer cross-screen consumption and measurement. The entire media and marketing industry is under threat—from both activist groups that seek to inflame consumer privacy fears to eliminate advertising from digital environments, and from our own relative silence about consumers’ legitimate concerns for the security of their data and the privacy of their interests and activities. Working through the cross-industry Digital Advertising Alliance, our industry has done a good job creating a self-regulatory program and mechanism with real teeth; our “AdChoices” program is distributing 1 trillion notifications to consumers each month about how to opt out of or into targeted advertising, and millions of consumers have exercised their choice. But here again, while many agencies and clients have been involved in self-regulation, some still remain distant. Let’s commit to even more consumer education, and to getting industry leaders to speak more openly about both the value of targeted advertising and programming, and about the harm to consumers and economies that will result from bad regulation or poorly imposed technology constraints.

Protect intellectual property. Unique, proprietary content is the life’s blood of media and advertising. Original content is the magnet that attracts consumers to media, thus creating the audiences that advertisers need. But the ubiquity and porousness of the Internet long have threatened the creators of content; it’s far too easy for pirates to steal their IP and distribute it freely and widely. In some cases, the pirates make their money not from reselling the stolen IP, but from advertising on the sites where the stolen goods are offered. Let’s find consensus solutions that limit the use of advertising to support the piracy of intellectual property, but without destructively re-architecting the Internet or hindering the distribution of legitimate content and advertising.

We’d like to close with an offer. IAB has planned for several years to launch a Digital Video Center of Excellence—a group of people within our organization dedicated solely to initiatives that will grow the marketplace for original digital video programming. The Digital Content NewFronts provided some seed money that will allow us to get this started, at least in a small way. Why not help us get it going? At the very least, let’s plan a meeting—soon—among key companies representing the most important components of the burgeoning digital video ecosystem, to brainstorm our collective priorities, the ways we can most productively pursue them, and how we can work together to build a mutually vibrant video future.

On behalf of the NewFronts presenters—on behalf of all publishers—we’ll gladly buy the pizza and beer.

Seriously, on behalf of the industry, we welcome your call to arms, and pledge our collaboration.

Regards,

Randall Rothenberg
President & CEO
IAB

AOL Names Cyndi Stivers EIC of Homepage

Lucia Moses — Thu, 09 May 2013 19:14:30 GMT

AOL has named Cyndi Stivers as editor in chief of AOL.com as it tries to make the portal relevant to Web surfers again.

The appointment is important in terms of Stivers’ editorial heft and her mandate. Her background spans a wide breadth of platforms and verticals, including print (Vanity Fair, Time Out New York), radio (Martha Stewart’s satellite radio channel) and online (serving as managing editor of EW.com and launching Premiere on CompuServe). Most recently, she was editor in chief of the Columbia Journalism Review.

At AOL, which is focusing more attention to its portal after building a collection of acquisitions including the Huffington Post and TechCrunch while investing heavily in the local venture Patch, Stivers will be charged with making the homepage a destination, drawing from content AOL-homegrown and otherwise.

“We are looking at AOL.com to be more than just a way station to send people off to all our different brands, where you can be informed and entertained at any time of the day,” said Susan Lyne, who came on as CEO of the AOL Brand Group in February to grow its own brands and content.

That may be a tall order for AOL, which now ranks 15 in U.S. traffic behind sites like Google, Facebook and Amazon, per Alexa rankings (although comScore had AOL at No. 6 in March). Lyne believes AOL has an opening, however, because “people are looking for curation, they’re looking for someone to identify what’s important and what they might like.” She said to look for a redesign in the third quarter.

Lyne said she had the chance to see Stivers’ editorial experience in action when the two worked together before, at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and Premiere.

“I’ve watched her hire, train, create an agenda and a highly functioning team of people,” Lyne said. “She’s an idea factory, she reads more than anybody I know and is just on the Web constantly. She’s also just got the creative gene that allows her to come up with great ideas and franchises. She’s just had a long history of covering virtually everything in society and culture.”

Stivers' hire apparently came as a surprise to her. When she came down for her first meeting, she thought she was just giving hiring advice, and ended up being offered the position. "I didn't think I was going there to apply for a job," she said.

Stivers acknowledged AOL has some perception issues, as longstanding brands often do. "AOL’s been around a long time, but if you think of it as a place with the little discs and dial-up, you’re going to be missing a lot. There will be a lot of exciting stuff going on at the home page, and there’s a lot of stuff that can be surfaced better, too."

Stivers is set to start in early June and will report to Chris Grosso, gm of AOL Homepages.

YouTube Launches Subscription Offering

Mike Shields — Thu, 09 May 2013 19:14:00 GMT

YouTube is officially launching a paid subscription service for its content partners.

As has been widely reported, the Web video giant is looking to providing its growing collection of content partners with another revenue option. Starting today, a handful of channels will test a subscription offering with prices starting at 99 cents-per-month.

Among the test partners are several kids channels including Sesame Street, DHX Junior and Jim Henson Family TV; niche sports players like UFC and SportsSkool Plus; and hard-to-find fare like Digital Theatre (offering the best of British theater). Here's the full list. All are offering a two-week trial for subscribers.

According to YouTube, there are a million channels generating revenue on YouTube, “and one of the most frequent requests we hear from these creators behind them is for more flexibility in monetizing and distributing content,” the company wrote in a blog post.

It remains to be seen how many big YouTube channels will opt to charge for content that has up until now been free and plentiful. According to one Hollywood executive Adweek spoke to, programmers know they’ll take an audience haircut if they implement subscriptions. Any increase in revenue will have to be weighed against long term growth.

Other pilot partners include Alchemy TV (Rap Battle Network), Baby First TV, Big Star Movies, Carsdottv, the documentary-themed ILoveDocs, the indy film channel Gravitas VOD, the boobs and Vegas-centric Guys Night In, the horror net TheAsylumNet, and channels from the PGA and TNA.

YouTube plans on rolling out the offering more widely in the coming weeks. Interested creators should click here.

Meet the Most Powerful Woman at Condé Nast

Lucia Moses — Thu, 09 May 2013 10:49:54 GMT

Many at Condé Nast aren’t sure what Jill Bright does, but they are sure of one thing: She’s one of the most powerful people at the company.

“So powerful, she’s scary” is actually how many describe Bright, 50.

Bright’s title is chief administrative officer, but a more fitting one might be consigliere to CEO Chuck Townsend. And while “scary” may not be the first word one associates with human resources, at a privately held, talent-driven company that historically has had no obvious org chart or formal employee-review process, Condé Nast’s HR apparatus wields considerable influence over careers and often-lucrative pay and perks.

Jill Bright Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Bright joined the publisher as a mid-level HR executive in 1993, working under Pamela van Zandt, a kingmaker at the time. “You weren’t going anywhere unless Pam was behind you,” recalled a former executive. “Pam was very close to Si [Newhouse, chairman of Condé Nast parent Advance Publications], and Jill was a junior person on that team. Jill saw a very powerful head of HR.”

Bright ran the department from 1996 to 2010, when she was named chief administrative officer, a newly created role overseeing corporate communications and strategic planning. It was a time of major change at Condé Nast, which had just named Bob Sauerberg president in a play for new revenue streams outside advertising. As if to add to the mystery surrounding Bright’s reinvention, the company described her role in a jargon-laden announcement as someone who would “coordinate strategic business initiatives” and assess “organizational effectiveness, providing important guidance on people, productivity and alignment.”

In an interview at Condé Nast’s 4 Times Square headquarters Wednesday, Bright described her role as wide-ranging, a behind-the-scenes “chief of staff” who counsels the brands and keeps the company on its road map. It's often noted that Bright now oversees areas in which she lacks direct experience. Bright allowed that “it wouldn’t necessarily be a logical move” for an HR exec to follow her career path. But, she said, “We are a very talent-driven company, and [with] my appreciation for how the company works and my key relationships with the people, I think I’m very attune to know how to assist them.” She added that she also has an MBA (NYU’s Stern).

Early on, Bright decentralized the PR department so that individual magazine publicists reported directly to their brands. She then got rid of the old guard. Longtime communications chief Maurie Perl was sidelined, then shown the door in January. Bright shook up the new guard, too, letting go svp Patricia Steele just last Friday, a move that has renewed chatter about her power at the company.

Bright’s ascension coincides with a renewed interest in elevating the Condé Nast corporate brand.

It’s been a few years since the company let its “Point of Passion” campaign lapse. Meantime, rival Hearst has unleashed its own brand positioning, “Unbound,” and it pushes harder into Condé Nast’s space with fashion books Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan.

“There’s a fairly healthy paranoia about Hearst now that [former Condé Nast executive] David Carey is there,” one Condé Nast sales exec said. “Jill’s there to burnish the Condé Nast crown.”

The recent appointment of Vogue editor Anna Wintour to artistic director, the staging of multibrand events at Art Basel in Miami Beach last December and at the Four Seasons to celebrate the National Magazine Award nominations, and hiring of the Tribeca Film Festival’s Patty Newburger as vp, special projects all point to an effort to elevate the corporate identity. “We’re not looking to replace the brands,” Bright said, adding, “Wouldn’t it be great if there was a Condé Nast event” that leveraged their influence. (Given that Bright is seen as a stand-in for Townsend, it would be hard to imagine her not persuading editors to rally behind her.) Bright’s publicity strategy involves more swagger than the company has displayed in the past, as evidenced by a congratulatory ad for the magazine awards that read: “We’re kind of a big deal.”

Bright may be inscrutable, but the question of how someone who’s not in a revenue-producing role or advancing a new business model could become so important at the company is one of endless debate inside its walls. When it comes to talk of succession, Bright’s name is mentioned in the same breath as Townsend and family scions Steve and Jonathan Newhouse. To be sure, her institutional knowledge, political instincts and negotiating skills are all solid.

“She understands the people dynamics, organizational behavior,” said former Fairchild president Mary Berner. She's also close to Townsend, who emailed that "Jill is a key member of my executive committee and has been an instrumental force in moving the Condé Nast agenda forward. Quite simply, she artfully embodies Condé Nast's commitment to excellence, quality and innovation—and she does so in her own unique, elegant way."

Bright comes across as warm, but extremely guarded. When Adweek approached her about an interview, Patti Röckenwagner, her new svp of corporate communications, asked whether the talk could begin on background, explaining that Bright prefers not to be in the spotlight. Bright started our conversation by revealing it was her first with a reporter, and during the 45-minute interview, deferred frequently to Röckenwagner.

When asked at one point about her identity as a minority woman at the company (Bright is African-American), she claimed not to think about it, saying, “I don’t think of myself, so I don’t really think other people might think about it. I think I’m very Condé Nast.” Bright seemed to immediately regret her choice of words, commenting, with a glance over at Röckenwagner, “I knew I was going to get in trouble.”

Bright’s lack of forward-facing experience may be a stumbling block as she transitions into a more public role. Her tight-lipped style may have worked in HR, with its requirement of confidentiality, but in communications, people are used to more transparency. She’s known for not returning emails. Shortly after she took over PR, people saw her imprint in a company wide memo from Townsend that took jargon to a new level with phrases like “multiplatform, integrated sales and marketing organization” and “commitment to consumer centricity.” Said the sales-side exec, “She’s really good at understanding the talent piece. The only Achilles heel she has is, she operates in the shadows.”

How Bright’s ascension plays out may depend somewhat on how Bob Sauerberg defines his own role at the company. Sauerberg now oversees HR, along with technology and consumer marketing. (It was he who named Bright’s HR replacement, JoAnn Murray.) Sauerberg is the presumed successor to Townsend, 69. That said, his lack of sales background is seen as limiting, and the jury’s still out on his big initiatives in consumer marketing and digital video. If Sauerberg doesn’t succeed, could Bright be waiting in the wings?

Some thought it telling that at a recent publishers’ meeting, it was Bright who made the rallying speech. When the announcement came that Lou Cona was being promoted to president and CRO of the media group, gossip had it that Bright had her eye on his old CMO title.

Asked about that, Bright responded, with a nod to her boss, “I’m not angling for the job. I like the job I have very much. I think, honestly, Chuck thinks he’s got that title.”

Digital Buyers Implore Ad Sellers to Get Their Act Together

Mike Shields — Wed, 08 May 2013 21:27:34 GMT

Last week the online ad industry was abuzz over the Digital Content NewFronts. For the most part, buyers raved about the improved quality of the video content peddled by the likes of AOL, Yahoo, YouTube and Hulu. And the collective buzz definitely seemed to elevate the medium's profile, though some complained about overkill or a lack of breakout, hit-worthy content.

Now comes the hard part. In an open letter to the big digital video content companies, a copy of which has been obtained by Adweek, top buyers from Digitas, UM, Carat, GroupM, Zenith, Starcom and OMD urged ad sellers to do better. The group, which included UM's chief media officer David Cohen, Amanda Richman, Starcom USA's president of investment and activation, and John Nitti, Zenith's president of activation, called on industry sellers to promote their host of new Web series and make them much easier to buy and measure.

"We know that not every show will be a runaway hit, but perhaps there could be enough semi-hits that in aggregate, can help build audience-at-scale. So now that you’ve built it, let’s help consumers discover it," reads the note. "We want to invest in your programming. We want hits."

But these hits must be understood and sold through to clients. "Answer this question and you’ll have lots of folks like us leaning in and listening: What are the bridge metrics that paint a portrait of a single piece of content or programming within the broader, non-linear Web of viewing and engagement?

"Together we will transform our industry and accelerate the marketplace," the letter says.

See the full note below:

To: Digital Video Publishers Everywhere: A Call to Arms

From: David Cohen/Universal McCann, Adam Shlachter and John McCarus/Digitas, Amanda Richman/Starcom, Walt Cheruk/Carat, Rob Norman/GroupM, John Nitti/Zenith, Ben Winkler/OMD

Date: May 8, 2013

With the close of the second annual Digital Content NewFronts, there are high expectations and a few critical questions to address. Can DCNF really create market-shaping brand opportunities? Have we overcome the barriers to closing the “big deals?" Will we, and the rest of the buying community, put equitable skin in the game? The authors of this letter declare yes to all of the above, and for one reason: We must.

We have a unique opportunity to reinvent the way we work together to capitalize on this. To change the narrative, and leverage measurement—across the now and next screens—that elevates digital video beyond an extension of TV. To disrupt the commodities-like pricing for broad segments of audiences, to new currencies based on the response and reactions of the people we want to reach.

Few will argue that the numbers, habits and behaviors of consumers are undeniably shifting, and have been for years. Yet, there are some who challenge the viability of the digital content marketplace and the publishing community’s ability to capitalize on it. We will prove them wrong. Together we will transform our industry and accelerate the marketplace. We will give digital video (and its consumers) the attention, the brands, and yes, the dollars, that it deserves.

Here are three calls to arms to help us get there:

1) Give your shows the promotion they need and deserve.
One of the biggest challenges in betting big on original, digital programming is giving advertisers the confidence that we can actually deliver audiences-at-scale. If you build it, will they watch, love and follow? Likely not without a little help. You (the digital publishing community) have an arsenal of data. You know your audiences best. Use that data to find them. Get aggressive to intrigue, build, and attract an audience that is as big as it is valuable. We know that not every show will be a runaway hit, but perhaps there could be enough semi-hits that in aggregate, can help build audience-at-scale. So now that you’ve built it, let’s help consumers discover it.

2) Give us and our clients (more) reason to believe
Simply put, here’s the ask: give us a reason to believe and trust our gut with metrics for guarantees. Let’s call this the “gut-guarantee.” We want to invest in your programming. We want hits. We want greater regularity in show quality. We want an arsenal of success stories. Yet, we need your insights on how our audiences are watching, sharing, shouting and discussing your shows to get excited. Pitch the programs in a way that mirrors what people see (and do)—screen-blind, what they share, how often and why. Give us hope (backed by metrics) that you will find new audiences who are as irresistible to brands as they are engaged with your programs.

3) …and back the faith with measurement.
Help us build the bridge to these other screens. Not only through reach but also with metrics that value the true power of digital—engagement and interactivity—that builds dialogue with brands. Bring us the consumer insights; both viewership and video-specific engagement. Help us measure video with more transparency, and commit to measuring and valuing sharing, conversation and comments.

Let’s take it one step further. Answer this question and you’ll have lots of folks like us leaning in and listening: What are the bridge-metrics that paint a portrait of a single piece of content or programming within the broader, non-linear Web of viewing and engagement?

We need you…

Yes, the video terrain is a constant “new frontier.” Yes, new outlets for distribution, discovery, and consumption are developed every day and across every platform—mobile, tablet, connected TV, and now Facebook and Twitter. But because of that, the best way for digital video to attract big dollars is to break outside of the traditional channel silos. We’re listening with our gut, and will act on the guarantee. That’s our promise to you. We also promise to commit to proactive program development with our most important media and digital publishing partners.

House of Cards actor Kevin Spacey said it best, “Give people what they want, when they want it, in the form they want it in, at a reasonable price—and they’ll buy it and they won’t steal it.” That’s not to say that we should be charging for all digital content. But Netflix credits the series in large part for bringing in two million new subscribers in the first quarter of 2013. They had the confidence in their consumer to make a huge, high-quality content investment, and it paid off. Help us prove that we can create big successes. Help us show that with growing audiences come new opportunities that will command immediate action.

Together, let’s do this. If we do, brands will come, and the dollars will follow. We’ll put skin in the game if you will too, and many of you already have. A big thank-you to some of the publishing partners who have fearlessly addressed the above head on. And based on what we have seen at the DCNF last week, we are collectively confident that the video neighborhood will thrive.

Look forward to hearing from you,

Adam, Amanda, Ben, David, John, John, Rob, Walt

AOL's Armstrong Reflects on NewFront Season

Mike Shields — Wed, 08 May 2013 20:08:34 GMT

AOL's exhibited revenue growth along with a solid upticks for its display ad business during its Q1 earnings call this morning. That came on the heels of a NewFront presentation last week during which the portal rolled out 15 high profile shows, some of which are already catching on, and even nabbed a major ad commitment during the event. CEO Tim Armstrong grabbed a few minutes to talk with Adweek about the video market, display and the portal's ongoing turnaround.

You guys announced a deal during your NewFront last week. Was this a special case or will we see more of this as the rest of the NewFront/upfront season plays out?
We think interest level is really high. We had 17 meetings with agencies before the NewFront and we’re in active negotiations with some folks right now. There’s a lot going on. We’re following up with a road show this week. I think there is pretty strong scarcity for quality video. I’m not sure how it translates.

Do you see buyers pitting TV and the Web against each other in negotiations?
I spoke to a top TV buying exec, somebody really senior yesterday, and he said that Web content and TV content could be smushed together at this point. His take was that the lowest quality TV and lowest quality Web isn’t going to survive. It’ll be the lower quality cable stuff that takes a dive. I dont’ know if we’ll get evaluated against TV. I know that the MediaOcean partnership lets people look at both things together. I do think CPGs, Detroit, they’re all looking at moving TV dollars. I’m not sure if it will be explicit or implicit [as they negotiate against us]. Another interest thing I heard, and I didn’t fact check it, was that this past season, no network shows took off. All the new breakout hits were on cable. And this one executive sees the same kind of dynamic happening, [from] network to cable to Internet.

AOL saw some nice growth in display, though third party network growth did decelerate. What’s driving that?
With display, I think there are a few big dynamics. We’ve made investments in three things. We’ve invested in strong content brands, premium brands and video. And those are things advertisers want. So we’re picking up share. And we’re investing in our ad tech stack, skating to where the puck is going there. And our CPMs went up there year over year and our reserve inventory is up year over year.

Speaking of premium publishers, how’s HuffPo selling?
Well, we’re growing our reserve pricing, but we’re also adding a lot of inventory. So there’s an opportunity to sell more reserve. It’s really become a monster property on its own. But we need to sell it. It’s a much bigger sales thing.

Do you think you might make any content acquisitions, along the lines of Dreamworks deal for AwesomenessTV?
We’re mainly focused on organic, but we’re open to looking. Our results have been pretty differentiated. All of our key revenue lines are growing and this is just another step in the process.

The Story Behind AOL's NewFront Deal

Mike Shields — Tue, 07 May 2013 21:38:22 GMT

Is AOL winning the NewFronts so far? And did the company really sign a deal with an advertiser during its splashy event last week?

On the latter point, yes—for the most part. During last week’s NewFront at the Farley Post office in New York, AOL CEO Tim Armstrong broke in at about 3:30 p.m.—before the NewFront was even over—with news that the company had inked a deal with Razorfish, Digitas and LBi to sponsor the company’s new business channel/series.

Turns out, Armstrong and company had only just heard about the deal being signed that day, right before AOL’s NewFront began. According to Razorfish’s global chief media officer Jeff Lanctot, his team met with AOL about the new business content, including the startup-themed Funded, on April 24 (the NewFront was April 30). “It was in the works over the weekend, and it got confirmed the day that Tim was on stage,” Lanctot said.

The Razorfish team decided quickly after that meeting it wanted to lock up the sponsorship, but had to get the client to sign off. “It was literally Tim waiting on our confirmation. It was like an hour beforehand,” Lanctot recalled.

Razorfish/Digitas/LBi’s quick move flies in the face of much of the anti-NewFront backlash of late—the idea that NewFronts aren’t necessarily like TV upfronts, since Web video inventory isn’t scarce.

“For video, not so much, but for high quality content, there’s scarcity,” said Lanctot. “They did a great job. This content was really, really good.”

So will we see a slew of such deals? Lanctot’s not sure. “I don’t expect to make more such deals but I wouldn’t rule it out. I do know that it will happen throughout the year. I think next year you’ll see more of this.”

Somebody might want to jump on one of AOL’s other projects: #Candidly Nicole. The new show, inspired by Nicole Richie’s tweets, generated over a million views in under a week. It seems that the power of Richie’s social media presence, along with promotional placements on AOL.com and AOL Mail (17 million unique viewers daily via comScore), have proved potent. According to AOL execs, the company has also promoted #Candidly Nicole heavily across its syndication network AOL On, and the show also benefited from mentions on E!, MTV, The Ellen Show and in People magazine.

Be Candid With Me: Share what's on your mind tagging my @aolon series #CandidlyNicole & it may appear on the show! aol.it/11EzoDu
— Nicole Richie (@nicolerichie) May 2, 2013

Maker Studios Names New Executive Chairman

David Taintor — Tue, 07 May 2013 20:09:31 GMT

The YouTube-native network Maker Studios has announced a leadership shakeup. Ynon Kreiz, Maker's chairman, has been named executive chairman, while co-founder and CEO Danny Zappin will settle in as an adviser and remain on the board.

In a memo to staff, obtained by AllThingsD, Zappin said he will be stepping away from his day-to-day work with the company but promised to "work very closely with Ynon during this transition phase to make sure everything goes smoothly." And in a written release from the company, Zappin touted Maker's potential for growth as an opportunity to initiate the leadership change.

“We founded Maker to provide support for talented content creators around the world allowing them to focus on creating the best content possible while building large audiences," Zappin said. "We have accomplished this and so much more. At the same time, I recognize that as we enter into our next phase of growth, we need additional leadership. After a year of working together closely I feel confident that Ynon is the right person to take Maker to next level."

Maker has plenty of cash on hand to help take it to the next level. The company took in a $36 million round of financing led by Time Warner Investments late last year. But it hasn't been entirely smooth sailing.

Before that financing was announced, Maker went through an acrimonious -- and public -- split with Ray William Johnson, one of the network's stars. According to AllThingsD, though, Tuesday's announcement didn't have anything to do with that ordeal. Last week was announced that Johnson had partnered with the Web video site Blip.

Nivea Runs Comedy Series With Damon Wayans, Jr.

Christopher Heine — Tue, 07 May 2013 15:31:02 GMT

Beiersdorf, the 131-year-old German consumer-packaged goods firm, today is launching a branded comedy video series dubbed "Just Face It" for its Nivea Men product line, starring actor Damon Wayans, Jr. (Happy Endings) and featuring writer Chadd Gindin (It's Always Sunny In Philadephia). Through June 4, eight episodes will run via Break Media's MadeMan.com and that site's YouTube channel .

To promote the brand's grooming products, Wayans' character mingles with friends and co-workers while interacting with his love interest, played by actress Janina Gavankar (True Blood). Break Media utilized its consumer panel to help inform creative, which takes aim at the things MadeMan.com viewers—predominantly young males—find most irritating about daily life. Per comScore, the site drew 1.85 million viewers in March.

"We hope 'Just Face It' gives men a comedic break from the dreaded daily ritual of shaving and an understanding that comfort lies within the right skin-care products," Evan Eckman, vp and CMO of Beiersdorf North America, told Adweek via email.

The campaign helps launch Nivea's Shave Gel, Sensitive Face Care Gel Moisturizer and Sensitive Post Shave Balm products. In addition to the comedy series, it has a mobile optimized content hub on MadeMan.com that entails branded content, including a sweepstakes opportunity dubbed "Shave off Your Monday Morning Irritations" that includes one weekly winner. Prizes will involve things such as noise-cancelling headphones and cash prizes to help pay for taxes.

Meanwhile, the Nivea partnership continues Break Media's aim at selling branded content via MadeMan.com while contracting notable comedic names. For instance, the Los Angeles-based Web video company a year ago ran a comedy series on the site for Bacardi starring Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover).

Hispanics Are the Most Digitally Savvy Group

Roberto Ruiz — Tue, 07 May 2013 02:17:21 GMT

There is no doubt the digital media universe continues to shift and evolve with the constant introduction of new platforms and ways for consumers to engage.

Marketers looking for a massive demographic embracing this shifting landscape needs look no further than U.S. Hispanics. A community 52 million strong, representing 17 percent of all Americans, Hispanics are a marketer’s dream: digitally savvy, young and socially connected.

Indeed, it’s no secret that Hispanics are tech-forward. Digitally, Hispanics far over-index non-Hispanics. For example, smartphones are indispensable to their lifestyles, with the vast majority (72 percent) owing at least one device, according to a recent Nielsen Mobile Media Marketplace study. Web video? Hispanics watch 62 percent more digital video than non-Hispanics, according to Nielsen’s Cross-Platform Report. In fact, according to Nielsen’s State of the Hispanic Consumer Report, this community’s Web video consumption rocketed 282 percent from 2007 to 2012.

Hispanics are also early adopters. When asked in Simmons and Nielsen Mobile Media Marketplace surveys to respond to the phrase “I’m the first of my friends to have new electronic equipment,” Hispanics were 24 percent more likely than their non-Hispanic peers to be the first to buy a new smartphone, 8 percent more likely to be the first to purchase tablets and 6 percent more likely to purchase 3-D TVs.

Overall, Hispanics are 10 years younger than the rest of the U.S. population with 77 percent under the age of 45 vs. 57 percent of non-Hispanics. By 2022 the U.S. Census estimates 26 percent of all teens and 23 percent of the 18-34 demo will be Hispanic, with all the growth in the 18-49 demographic being Latino.

The key for agency professionals and marketers who want to win über-engaged consumers is the fact that technology is a cultural enabler. Hispanics are driven to stay connected to their passions and our people, and technology has made it easier for us not only to keep that link, but to make it stronger. According to eMarketer, 72 percent of U.S. Hispanic Internet users will use social networking in 2014 vs. 68 percent of the total population in the U.S.

Looking to further leverage this technological shift by Hispanics, Univision for the first time participated in the Digital Content NewFronts organized by the IAB last week. We are married to a 360-degree digital media approach. Proof of that is the launch last fall of the bilingual UVideos digital video network, which offers comprehensive access to the best in Univision programming, a time-synched social experience and available across a broad lineup of digital platforms.

To effectively reach out and connect with these consumers, marketers and their agencies need to keep the content, messaging and social interaction culturally relevant. Simply repurposing elements originally meant to be consumed by a non-Hispanic, non-Spanish-speaking consumer just does not work for this audience.

With 75 percent of today’s Hispanics choosing to speak Spanish at home, according to the Census, it’s imperative for marketers to understand that language is a powerful tool. It connects this valuable consumer to culture, community and country of origin. Hispanics, including those who are bilingual, choose to consume Spanish-language media for content they can’t get anywhere else, including news, and cultural content related to food, sports and music. That said, Hispanics are actively using their smartphones, tablets and laptops to stay current and connected.

According to Simmons, multiplatform multi-tasking also fits their profile with 21 percent more of the overall Hispanic demo visiting websites on their mobile phones while watching TV than non-Hispanics.

So beyond smartphones and social media engagement stats, ultimately, what is this market worth? Hispanic America’s purchasing power now weighs in at $1.2 trillion, according to the Selig Center for Economic Growth.

Now that’s a metric brand marketers can happily tweet to their CFOs in the hunt for real ROI potential.

Illustration: Dan Page

Electus Invests in Hud:sun Media

Mike Shields — Mon, 06 May 2013 04:00:02 GMT

IAC’s multi-platform production studio Electus is making what it’s calling a “strategic investment” in Hud:sun Media, an independent production firm known for shepherding such series as Bravo’s Pregnant in Heels and AOL’s Decoding Style with Nina Garcia.

The two companies plan to collaborate on programming for TV and the Web in the U.S. and beyond, as well as branded entertainment, said officials. Hud:sun Media was founded in 2010 by producer Michael Rourke and the creative marketing agency MDC Partners.

“Michael’s tremendous work with brands is one of the many driving forces that has allowed him to build Hud:sun Media into a multidimensional content company. He and his team produce premium content that truly resonates with audiences all around the world,” said Electus CEO Chris Grant.

Founded by former NBC co-chairman of entertainment and president Ben Silverman, Electus has had its hands in a number of Web and TV hits. Recent projects include VH1’s Mob Wives, the TNT reality competition series The Hero, and the YouTube channel Hungry.

"Electus is the perfect partner for Hud:sun,” said Rourke. “Ben Silverman, Chris Grant, and Drew Buckley have truly created a next generation studio model with great creative content, terrific brand relationships and unparalleled distribution muscle. The power and reach of Electus, coupled with the influence and expertise of MDC Partners, gives Hud:sun Media tremendous momentum for the future."

These TV Pilots Look Like Sure Bets for Fall

Anthony Crupi — Mon, 06 May 2013 03:09:19 GMT

For all the talk about binge viewing, the most crucial period of TV time suckage doesn’t involve Johnny Lunchbox sawing through three seasons of Breaking Bad on Netflix. As part of the annual ritual that determines the fall broadcast lineup, network poobahs last week began hunkering down in front of their 60-inch flat screens, poring over dozens of pilots in the mix for the 2013-14 season.

While only network personnel and a few hundred lucky (?) civilians will ever watch the bulk of these pilots (of 104 scripted efforts ordered by the five English-language nets, perhaps a third will ever see the light of day), the executive suites and conference rooms of Los Angeles cannot contain the early buzz. We won’t know for certain which shows will light up our living rooms until the week of May 13 when the nets unveil their schedules, but insiders say the following programs have the best shot at breaking into the lineup.

NBC
NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke last week told investors that while the Peacock showed some progress with The Voice, a single hit won’t right the listing ship. “We really need to get one or two more good shows,” Burke said. “We are putting a tremendous amount of focus and concentration on…developing shows.”

Having renewed just two of its freshmen series, NBC has plenty of room on the fall roster. Of the 30 pilots it ordered, the untitled Michael J. Fox sitcom seems a sure thing, having been cleared for a prime-time berth.

Insiders are also raving about the single-camera comedy Mr. Robinson, starring The Office alum Craig Robinson, as well as Mulaney, a late entry created and written by and starring the hilarious stand-up comic and SNL scribe John Mulaney.

On the drama side, Jonathan Rhys Meyers will explain how a guy who can’t see himself in a mirror manages to be so dapper (Dracula).

ABC
If Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Ming-Na Wen) isn’t the breakout hit of the fall, I’ll eat my Avengers hat. With a built-in audience of comic fanboys and $1.5 billion in box-office value, S.H.I.E.L.D. will pull ABC out of fourth place.

Meanwhile, keep your eyes peeled for Doubt (Steve Coogan, Carla Gugino) and Gothica (Chris Egan, Tom Ellis). And David Spade’s Bad Management and Divorce: A Love Story (Adam Goldberg) could make a splash in ABC’s wobbly Tuesday night comedy hour.

Fox
Insiders are falling all over themselves in praise of the untitled Andy Samberg cop comedy, while Dads, with Seth MacFarlane attached as exec producer, is a sure thing. Dramas Rake and Sleepy Hollow should also make the cut.

CBS
Always a tough nut to crack, CBS has 23 pilots on the boil but very few open spots. Chuck Lorre’s Mom (Anna Faris) will find a home on Monday nights.

Here's Our Scorecard for the 2013 NewFronts

Michael Shields, Sam Thielman — Mon, 06 May 2013 03:08:57 GMT

Here's Our Scorecard for the 2013 NewFronts

Mike Shields, Sam Thielman — Mon, 06 May 2013 03:08:32 GMT

The stars were bigger, the venues sleeker, the lines longer. Close to 20 companies from Yahoo to Blip hosted NewFronts last week, earning generally strong reviews. "If last year was about the start of a movement, this year was about evolution and maturity," said Adam Shlachter, svp media, Digitas.

“The increased high quality programing, celebrity involvement and the flexibility of the medium has to be getting the attention of the TV buyers,” added Andrea Kerr Redniss, chief activation officer, Media Storm. In fact, some upfront style strike-quickly buying happened last week. During AOL's NewFront, CEO Tim Armstrong announced that Razorfish and its sister agencies Digitas and LBi had locked up inventory in one of the portal's new business series.

Yet despite that others complained about what they saw as excessive showmanship and undifferntiated projects. “We’re still trying to be TV,” said Amber Lawson, former head of AOL Video, “instead of embracing our strengths.”

View the DCNF Scorecard here

How Robert Kyncl and UTA Helped Introduce Awesomeness to DreamWorks

Mike Shields — Fri, 03 May 2013 12:22:17 GMT

Earlier this week, DreamWorks acquired the tween/teen-focused YouTube channel AwesomenessTV for $33 million. Allthingsd.com said the incentive-based deal could be worth as much as $117 million by 2015. Pretty amazing, considering that Awesomeness, founded by veteran producer Brian Robbins, only launched nine months ago. YouTube even brought DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg on stage with Robbins during the company’s NewFront on Wednesday to celebrate.

A key player behind the scenes of the deal was United Talent Agency. Not only has the agency repped Robbins for years, but the company has also been an investor and advisor to Awesomeness TV.

Adweek talked to Brent Weinstein, head of digital media at United Talent Agency, about the big deal.

Adweek: Tell us about UTA's relationship with Awesomeness TV.
Brian Robbins has been a client of the agency for many years. This really started several years ago. We introduced Brian to Lucas Cruikshank, who was behind this crazy character Fred on YouTube. And Brian turned Fred into a TV and movie franchise. And I think then he realized he power of digital storytelling, that it was about short-form content, having two-way conversations, etc. He was very successful with that project early on, and thus Brian wanted to push aggressively into that space, leveraging YouTube and creating IP that could move into other media.

What was your company's role in the DreamWorks deal?
Well we were certainly trailing on Brian’s vision. We helped them with negotiation their funding early on, we led the negotiations with DreamWorks, a whole bunch of things in between. It’s something that we were really proud to be involved in.

How fast did it happen?
Relatively quickly. Robert Kyncl (YouTube’s global head of content) suggested that Brian and Jeffrey get together. The deal happened within a few months. Things moved very quickly.

Why do you think Awesomeness worked?
What was unique about this was that several things intersected at the right time. First, you have Brian, who is one of the most successful producers of tween and teen content maybe ever. Then you had YouTube really hitting critical mass, and they were about to embark on the funded channel effort which helped get this this off the ground. And you had this audience that was shunning traditional TV in massive numbers. And there was a lot appealing to then on YouTube but it wasn’t centralized. So it felt like a very big idea. If we did it well could turn out positively.

Could you have launched it without YouTube’s funding?
They’ve been great partners. To diminish their role would be unfair. Their financing has really been an amazing thing. In absence of that, I still believe the idea was big enough that we ultimately could have gotten it funded. But beyond the check they wrote, they put in place a tremendous amount of infrastructure. It’s undeniable that YouTube put a huge effort into that. I understand some that were part of the funded channels initiative were not as pleased, and some people didn’t have as much success, and maybe that was preordained. The content has to work. Not everything works. This was a magical combination.

Still, the speed is pretty wild, right?
We always knew if we built something valuable it would work. A lot of people are focused on the nine-to-10-month pace but the company really goes back to 2010. It’s been an amazing ride for the past two and half years. Brian’s instincts to how to program to this audience are great. It’s something a lot of YouTube stars have figured out and a lot of traditional media has not figured out. YouTube isn’t some magic bullet. In some cases it’s about batting averages. Brian and his team really took the time to learn it.

With this deal done, do you see a ton of YouTube channel acquisitions coming?
I don't think so. At the end of the day of the it's not like fantasy football where there’s a run on tight ends. They have to be looked at very carefully. I think if you look at Maker Studios, it speaks to that potential synergy with a media company, given Time Warner's huge investment. You see companies saying, "there are people out there that understand this world way more than I do.” And to a certain degree it does validate the space. But I don’t think you’ll see a ton of deals.

Disney Launches Story App Aimed at Moms

Mike Shields — Thu, 02 May 2013 12:00:02 GMT

While most of the NewFront lineups this week have centered on Web video series, Disney Interactive is taking its moment in front of the ad community to pitch a slew of apps, games, Web destinations—and a handful of originals.

Among the projects Disney touted on Thursday is Story, an app aimed at parents, particularly moms. The app, which goes live next week, is designed to pull photos and videos from a user’s phone (like say, all the pictures of the new baby) and put them together into a shareable story.

Disney also looked to entice brands to support video series that aren't solely about video. And these projects reach across several demographics. We’re focused on producing content that serves the entire household,” said Jimmy Pitaro, co-president of Disney Interactive. “That’s kids, tweens and teens and parents. And we’re selling audiences, not shows.”

For example, there’s Blank: A Love Story, a show inspired by Disney figurine collectors; It’s a Small World, a show based on the iconic theme park ride; and Digitales, which features finger puppets. Another show in the works is Citizen Kids, a documentary series focused on exemplary children. A clip shown at the NewFront featured a young girl who erected a lemonade stand in Times Square and helped raise over $100,000 for a charity organization that combats child slavery.

On the mom front, Disney is also pushing several original video blogs born on its parenting site Babble, including That's Fresh With Helen Cavallo. Disney has also scored success with social games aimed at moms: per Pitaro, 15 million women have played social games like Disney's Ghosts of Mistwood on Facebook. Babble is also set to expand into Latin America.

The company is also planning to significantly overhaul Disney.com, which it has done several times in the recent past. But reaching its audience on tablets and mobile apps is arguably a bigger priority for Disney, given its demographic mix. In fact, Disney has had seven No. 1 mobile games in the past year, said Pitaro, and games have become a powerful breeding ground for Web shows. "We love this space," Pitaro said.

The popular Swampy's Underground Adventures, which was born as the iPhone kids game Where's My Water?, is now headed to its second season, said Pitaro. Here’s a stat that might surprise some who expect Disney’s TV offshoots to account for most of its digital traffic: Swampy generated 27 million views, outperforming everything else Disney offers on the Web (the company's content has generated 2 billion views on YouTube collectively).

And on the other end of the spectrum is a Web show born out of a slew of apps created by Outfit 7, including Talking Friends and Talking Tom Cat, an animated interactive cat that drinks milk and farts, among other things. A Disney produced Web show tied to Talking Friends has already generated 130 million views. So expect more of the same.

“Our goal is to create new franchises for the company," Pitaro told Adweek.

Disney also announced a new partnership with Vevo that will see both companies sharing music video and series content.

Pitaro said unlike some of the NewFronts this week, Disney doesn’t necessarily see its series concepts as fully baked. "The hope is to craft some of these projects with advertisers," he said. "My goal is to ultimately collaborate with the people in the room. Here’s what we have so far, let’s sit down and figure out a partnership."

YouTube Touts Home-Grown Talent Over Hollywood at Brandcast

Mike Shields — Thu, 02 May 2013 04:09:13 GMT

This year, YouTube embraced being YouTube.

Last year, while courting the advertising community at its inaugural Brandcast, Google executives touted the Hollywoodization of YouTube, showcasing 100 funded channels backed by the likes of Ashton Kutcher while rolling out movie stars like Julia Stiles and Jennifer Garner.

This year the messaging was markedly different. There were famous names on stage, but there were folks famous in the YouTube universe for YouTube reasons, such as violinist Lindsey Stirling, a reject from NBC’s America’s Got Talent who now claims 300 million views, and dancer D-trix.

In fact, front and center at the slickly produced event were baby videos, bawdy vloggers, musicians riffing off each other, response videos and all sorts of native YouTube fare unique to the platform. And rather than trotting out actresses and Hollywood producers, YouTube also highlighted stars born on the site, including Korean pop sensation Psy, Baauer of the Harlem Shake, and Macklemore, the American rapper without a record contract who performed to close the show.

During one of the many clip packages YouTube presented at the Brandcast, one young creator said, “I don’t care if it’s a show shot with a professional camera.” That sort of summed up YouTube’s point of view as well.

“I want to talk about what I got wrong,” said Robert Kyncl, YouTube’s global head of content. “I thought YouTube was like TV. I was wrong. It isn’t. YouTube talks back. It's interactive. And YouTube is everywhere.”

Kyncl cited Nielsen research that found that YouTube reaches more adults 18-34 than any cable network in the U.S. “TV skews older,” he said.

Google chairman Eric Schmidt pushed that message home even harder: that YouTube is changing the world's behavior. “This is a new thing we have to figure out,” he said “It’s not a replacement for what we know. It’s participatory ... that’s a profound change. It’s not just another choice.”

Execs were pushing the YouTube-is-different-than-TV narrative hard this year, given that last year the company embraced a more TV-like sales pitch, and it didn’t entirely work.

This time around, YouTube is pushing brand-safe ad packages around content genres like sports and food.

But Wednesday’s Brandcast was a far cry from the NewFronts held early in the week in that it wasn’t about YouTube urging brands to buy this show or this channel. Instead, YouTube urged brands to embrace content creation. Among the companies showcased during the event were Red Bull, which drew a stunning 8 million concurrent views for its space jump stunt last year, and GoPro, a camera company that has generated 100 million views via user-generated content.

Kyncl unveiled a new product, Brand ID (from the budding video ad tech firm Zefr), which allows advertisers to identify fan-produced videos on YouTube. Turns out there are a lot more than you think. Take Pantene. The company’s official channel boasts of a fairly impressive 39 million video views, per Kyncl. But Brand ID found fan-created videos were responsible for 113 million more views.

“We have to start thinking beyond commercials,” said Margo Georgiadis, vp, Americas, sales. "Consumers are giving us that message."

Google hasn’t completely given up on selling big names. Kyncl touted new channels in the works by comedians like Sarah Silverman and Ricky Gervais. And YouTube proudly put the spotlight on AwesomenessTV, which was just acquired by DreamWorks (spurring CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg to make an appearance on stage).

But for the most part, the night was about core YouTubers, and the generation of young viewers growing up watching them and communicating with them. Said Felicia Day, veteran Web content producer and creator behind the niche-enthusiast-serving Geek & Sundry channel, “This generation is not going back.”

Neither is YouTube, so it seems.

Mountain Dew Fiasco Shows Brands Desperately Want Street Cred

Christopher Heine — Thu, 02 May 2013 00:56:06 GMT

Mountain Dew's problems with cultural sensitivity this week culminated with the pulling of its "Felicia the Goat" spot today, after suffering similar marketing damage when the family of Emmett Till during the last several days denounced the brand's sponsorship of rap artist Lil' Wayne. The rapper negatively references Till—an African American who was brutally murdered during 1955 in Mississippi after allegedy harrassing a white woman—in his "Karate Chop (Remix)" tune. What's more, both developments come on the heels of Reebok, an Adidas property, firing hip-hop artist Rick Ross for describing what seems to be a date-rape scenario in his lyrics.

It appears obvious that some brands desperately want to tap young urbanites while signing up their edgiest musical heroes, such as Lil' Wayne, Ross and Tyler, the Creator—who produced Mountain Dew's spot. But do six-figure-salaried marketers actually know what they are doing while attempting to reach the street? And are these examples once again showing the advertising world's lack of diversity?

Larry Woodard, CEO of Graham Stanley Advertising, suggested there's no excuse for not having minorities in the campaign decision rooms. "There are enough urban-savvy marketers to fill a phone book who can help Mountain Dew connect with the urban audience and select the right material from the right artists," he said.

Woodard, an ad-world vet who has spoken regulary at forums on multicultural marketing, was asked about his key takeaway from Mountain Dew and Adidas' plight. "Like reaching any other market, it is important to have the right curator," he explained. "The urban market is layered and nuanced. Its audience is wide and spans generations. Many times when companies make mistakes, they've tried to take the path of least resistance or a simpler path and, sometimes inadvertently skip important steps."

Myra Burks-Davis, CEO of MBD Strategic Communications, added, "[Mountain Dew] is backpedaling because they didn't do their due diligence. And right when I heard about the video, I thought, 'There probably wasn't a person in the boardroom who understood the target demographic.' "

Mountain Dew has historically done extremely well in Great Plains and Southeastern states with suburban and rural youth but has struggled connecting with the inner-city segment. The brand's parent, PepsiCo, declined comment after the Mountain Dew fiasco made social-media rounds this afternoon.

"It is possible to get street cred when you really tap into a subculture," Woodard from Graham Stanley said. "However, it works much better when you don't alienate other key audiences in the process."

Yuriy Boykiv, CEO of Gravity Media, compared Mountain Dew's spot to another recent brand fiasco—Ford's envelope-pushing, allegedy sexist cartoon ad that depicted the Kardashian sisters tied up in the back of a car.

Mountain Dew was in "just bad taste," Boykiv said. "The spot is using stereotypes to sell a product, which is never a good strategy. I [saw] it done by a lot of general-market agencies 10 years ago. ... However, seeing it in 2013 makes me think people don't learn. I do not think [Mountain Dew's] spot is racist, but it is poorly done."

Indeed, it didn't go well for the brand—and PepsiCo appears to realize that. "We understand how this video could be perceived by some as offensive," a rep said, "and we apologize to those who were offended."

Hey guys - made a big mistake we've removed the offensive video from all our channels. #fail
— Mountain Dew® (@mtn_dew) May 1, 2013