Watch Live: Video's NewFront - Can Web Video Really Steal Dollars from TV?

May 17 Update: Didn't get a chance to watch John's panel? Check out the video from his discussion below.

Plus, if you're interested in learning more, we also recently published a piece about why digital and TV need to work closer together - check it out here.

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Starting in just a few minutes, watch John McCarus, SVP of Brand Content, The Third Act: (the brand content unit of Digitas) live at OMMA Video as he explores insights and takeaways from the Digital Content NewFronts. Get details on his panel below, and follow @Digitas and #mpomma on Twitter for live updates!

Video’s NewFront: Can Web Video Really Steal Dollars From TV?

By the time of OMMA Video, two weeks of TV-style upfront events known as the “Digital Content NewFronts,” will have just ended. This broad experiment by ad agency Digitas and a consortium of original Web video content publisher/distributors hopes to present its slate of video content as a viable alternative to broadcast and cable TV, which begin their own upfront season later in May. The group includes Google/YouTube, Yahoo, Hulu, Microsoft, AOL, many smaller pubs, and even a few TV networks such as NBCUniversal.

But why should brands and agencies choose Web video? Chief among the differences between TV and video is the fact that television is based on a single, dominant ad model, while most pubs and nets sell their own video formats, which makes buying inventory at scale a massive headache for brands. Unless major ad dollars start crossing over from TV, the reality is that most original Web video projects will not survive. So how do we get there? Our panel of ad agencies and content producers, distributors and sellers will discuss what they learned at DCNF.

Moderator: Joe Mandese, Editor in Chief, MediaPost

Panelists:

- John McCarus, Senior Vice President, Brand Content, Digitas (@jmack1985)
- Chet Fenster, Managing Partner, MEC Entertainment (@mecideas)
- Brian Hunt, Head of Creative Development, Original Video, Yahoo!
- Beth Lawrence, Executive Vice President, Ad Sales and Media Solutions, The Weather Channel Companies
- Dave Morgan, CEO, Simulmedia, Inc. (@davemorgannyc)

Emerson’s “It’s Never Been Done Before” B2B-Mobile Experience Wins Three BMA B2 “Award of Excellence” Honors

The B2 Awards from the Business Marketing Association (BMA) has awarded Emerson and Digitas three “Award of Excellence” for the brand’s “It’s Never Been Done Before” campaign. The B2 Awards is an international business-to-business marketing and communications contest that recognizes excellence among top agencies and corporate marketers. Emerson and Digitas have been honored in the following categories:

• Digital Advertising – Interstitial
• Mobile Advertising – Mobile
• Video - Video Production, Under 2:00

The“It's Never Been Done Before” microsite is a place to find stories of Emerson global innovation and expertise in creating first-of-their-kind solutions. In addition to the B2 Award win, this campaign helped solidify Digitas’ 2012 BtoB Magazine Top Agency honor for the seventh time in eight years, and has drawn attention from leading industry trade press.

 “The challenge was to consolidate this experience on a mobile platform, enabling visitors to access this content whenever/wherever they needed it," says Dennis Reilly, Senior VP-global practice lead, Digitas Business. "Above all, it was about great storytelling within a new mobile, touch screen environment. Each story became quickly recognizable by visual cues. We encouraged exploration and easy digestion by condensing the content, using effective iconography, detailing rich headlines with quick, bite-sized copy blocks, etc."

2012: The Year Social Helps Brands Become Publishers

May 15 Update: Didn't get a chance to see Jordan's panel? Watch the video below, and get recaps from MediaPost here and here.

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In social media, content is currency. For brands to insert themselves in the millions of interactions that take place on social media every day, they must recognize the importance of inspiring dialogue and shares through relevant content. As more and more brands work to engage key audiences, uncovering and inserting passion-driven topics into natural social conversations has become all the more critical. But brands are facing a number of big challenges in creating a successful social content strategy.

Today from 2:45-3:30PM, watch Digitas' Jordan Bitterman moderate an OMMA Social panel discussion with top practitioners in the field on how they’ve overcome content roadblocks on platforms ranging from Tumblr to Twitter. This session will arm attendees with strategies that they can implement to meet social marketing objectives and fully tap into their inner publisher potential. Get more details on the panelists below, and follow @Digitas and #mpomma on Twitter for live updates!

Moderator: Jordan Bitterman, SVP, Social Marketing Practice Director, Digitas (@jordanbitterman)

Panelists:

- Noah Brier, Co-Founder, Percolate (@heyitsnoah)
- Jack Mason, Strategic Programs & Social Business, IBM Global Business Services (@jackmason)
- Jon Steinberg, President, Buzzfeed (@jonsteinberg)
- Peter Stern, CEO, Bit.ly (@peterstern)

Watch Colin Kinsella Live at OMMA Mobile!

May 14 Update: Didn't get a chance to see Colin's keynote? Watch the video below, and get recaps from MediaPost here and here. See why it's so crucial for marketers to put mobile at the core of their programs, and find out what the biggest mobile fail is.

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Starting in just a few minutes, watch Colin Kinsella live as he keynotes OMMA Mobile, a conference designed for content producers, brand marketers, and agency professionals to learn about the latest trends in mobile marketing. Get details on his keynote below, and follow @Digitas and #mpomma on Twitter for live updates! For more insights from Colin, follow him on Twitter as well: @colinkinsella

Obstacles to Mobile Progress

Mobile is on the tongue of the collective industry. We're all moving to more people focused strategies that leverage how consumers engage in mobile. In this keynote, Colin Kinsella, CEO of Digitas North America, will address broader concerns that are affecting our industry's path to progress in mobile marketing and the three areas agencies and brands need to focus upon.

Recap: The Digitas NewFront 2012

Didn’t get to watch the Digitas NewFront? In addition to the blogging we did during the event, we’ve also got a bigger recap from one of our employees, who won a company social media contest to attend the NewFront live in New York. Check out photos from the event on Flickr, as well as our live blog.

This year, with a little bit of luck and social media savvy, I won the chance to attend the ultimate anti-conference, the Digitas New Front, hosted in New York City for its fifth consecutive year. The event brought together brands, marketers, media leaders, and A-List celebrities alike to discuss the newest trends in digital content. The day’s line-up showcased everything from introducing new distribution channels into a brand’s marketing mix to leveraging content to drive a business forward. Here were some of my favorite insights and observations that I took away from the event:

First up, Piers Morgan took the stage moderating stars of both television and digital screens, Kristin Chenoweth, Felicia Day and Michelle Phan.  Each one of these lovely ladies had an inspiring story to tell and did so through the simple form of social media. These powerful women weren’t always household names but they took their story and found a way to make it relevant and accessible to their audiences. The biggest takeaway here was simple: Find your voice and make sure it’s unique but authentic. Everyone will see right through gimmicky brand pushes or falsities of character.

Next up, CMOs from world-renowned companies Xerox, J. Crew and Buddy Media discussed social content within their organizations.  These folks had some pretty powerful things to say, and it soon became apparent that success is born from a clear and defined strategy.  Social Media and Owned Content may be represented in your marketing plan; but if you don’t have a clear message for your audience and engage the right tools in the right way, you have no business dabbling in the social space. I was particular inspired by the brand video from Xerox - it summed up their mission of working hard to give each consumer everything that they uniquely need to do their jobs better in the simplest way possible.

Another presentation that caught my attention: the Fowler sisters (Elle, age 24 and Blair, age 19) who became YouTube superstars and promotion hot spots for brands looking to capitalize on the immense spending power of the 15-30 year old female market.  Again, the crucial thing to remember is authenticity. The girls only promote approximately 10% of the brands that come their way because ultimately, it is about what their audience wants, not what the brand wants.  

Towards the end of the day, Rashida Jones took the stage with encouragement from Andy Cohen (Bravo Executive Producer), Pete Cashmore (Founder, Mashable) and Krista Smith (Vanity Fair) to join Twitter in an intervention-style discussion.  While celebrities have been successfully leveraging Twitter for some time now to gain superstardom and reach a vast amount of viewers, Rashida brought up some valid concerns such as privacy invasion, potential for negative attention, and fear of letting the platform take over her life. Finally, and with fears aside, Rashida made her first tweet live at the NewFront.  Just a little over a week later, she has reached over 60,000 fans!

In short, the New Front confirmed that content is key and that the audience is the new executive producer.  Create something authentic that people want to see, hear, read, experience, share… and you have the potential to grow your brand, audience, and your ROI. Thank you, Digitas, for the chance to attend!

 - Ariana Sinacore, Manager, Marketing, Digitas