The future of HD is no longer clear. Sony is launching a 4K set that can display images with four times the picture quality of high-def, known as UHD (Ultra High Definition).The 84-inch LCD sets will be available in Sony Stores and other North American outlets later this year. Sony says it will bring a “full cinema-like experience” to the “living room with an immersive, full-bodied and rich sound,” including theater-quality 3D content. Sony did not announce a price, although LG said last week that a 4K set it is introducing would cost around $22,000.The Sony set, XBR-84X900, also offers a chance to upload photos and view them with 4K resolution, which can allow people to view “life-sized pictures of their family and friends.”Plus, the set also allows viewers control via a smartphone or tablet and access to online video from YouTube and Netflix via built-in Wi-Fi.There have been suggestions that much UHD content will be available for the sets, but Sony says broadcast shows in a 4K format are in the pipeline. Taylor Swift will release a music video in 4K Thursday.Sony has used 4K digital cinema projectors in theaters and says about 75% of 4K theaters across the globe use its technology.
Positioning itself as a major force for TV Everywhere, Adobe Systems said it authenticated more than 88 million video streams to U.S. viewers during the London Games. That represents “the highest number recorded for a single event in TV Everywhere history,” according to Campbell Foster, marketing director for Adobe Media & Ad Solutions. This summer, Adobe powered two apps for NBC Sports, which streamed the Olympics live via consumer mobile devices. One was a live-streaming app for the more than 3,500 hours of content that NBC promised viewers; the other was a companion app loaded with additional content. Both let fans record footage for playback, as well as share their viewing experiences via social media channels. More broadly, Campbell boasted a 10-fold increase in authenticated streams for Adobe Pass during the first six months of the year, which he attributed to its participation in the Olympics, along with NCAA March Madness, UEFA Euro 2012 soccer, and the NBA playoffs. Adobe debuted its Pass product late last year as a tool to authenticate pay TV subscribers across screens so that only the right customers get access to the content. With Pass, Adobe was addressing widely held concerns among TV cable and satellite providers -- as well as individual content makers -- that new media meant lost ad revenue. Adobe Pass promises a secure authentication system that uses Flash and HTML5 to provide access to content on Windows, Mac, Android, iOS BlackBerry and Google TV platforms. Adobe says the system works via a single user sign-in and doesn’t require additional downloads or other complex authentication procedures. Beyond NBC Universal, Adobe Pass is now integrated with more than 150 pay TV providers and supports over 40 sites and mobile apps from 25 networks, including Fox, ESPN, CNN, TNT, MTV and Disney. “Approximately 98% of pay TV households in the U.S. are now able to view TV content via the Adobe Pass service,” according to Campbell. Domestically, desktop consumption accounted for 70% of authenticated streams, while smartphones and tablets combined for the remaining 30 percent -- with iOS leading by 81%, and Android serving 19% of the streams, Adobe reports. A total of roughly 7 million TV subscriber households accessed authenticated streams online from roughly 10 million authenticated devices. This week, Adobe also rolled out several improvements to its Pass service, including auto-authentications, free content previews for consumers, and a more available API for developers.
Ford is launching new TV ads and a web-centric comedy series that extends its campaign for the 2013 Escape compact crossover, which the company says is the fastest-selling vehicle on Ford dealer lots. The TV campaign, under the “Go Further” brand banner, continues Ford's tactic of using real people in testimonial style, but this time the real people are engineers and designers who were involved in the Escape development process. The ads show how Ford employees are "going further" in the features they developed for the vehicle and how their own life experiences inspired features like Escape's hands-free liftgate, the Eco-Boost engine and MyFord telematics. The ads feature: Scott Makowski, a powertrain engineer who worked on Escape’s two available EcoBoost engines; Erika Tsubaki, design supervisor for Ford of Europe, who was involved in exterior and interior design; Vince Mahe, the engineer behind the hands-free liftgate (the ad shows how Mahe noticed people often have their hands full when they are trying to open a vehicle's rear liftgate); and interface engineer Jennifer Brace, who works on the Sync and MyFord Touch systems. The humorous web series,"Escape My Life," stars stand-up comedian Natasha Leggero, and actor Jo Truglio ("Superbad" and "Pineapple Express"). The show, directed by Zombieland and upcoming film “Gangster Squad” director Ruben Fleisher, follows Hollywood wardrobe designer Skylar Browning (Leggero), who needs a vehicle, and gets an Escape. The vehicle arrives with Barry Gruber (Truglio), a product specialist. “Escape My Life is a thoughtful and respectful approach in the way Ford, and the Escape, is engaging with the consumer–- we are not talking at them, we are showing them the Escape and how it is used in daily life,” said Brock Winger, digital marketing manager for Ford, in a statement. The Escape vehicle is central to various hijinks involving Browning and Gruber. The automaker says the idea was to jettison the traditional online banner ads and feature-benefit commercials and spotlight the vehicle in the context of everyday life. The series will run for eight episodes on its own YouTube channel as well as Hulu, AOL, MSN/Wonderwall, GlamMedia, Tumblr, Facebook and other online outlets, per the automaker. “The series reaches out to consumers where they are at in their media consumption behaviors – we are not interrupting them and forcing them to go somewhere else or stop what they are doing in order to watch and enjoy the content,” Winger noted.
While there have been some mergers and acquisitions in the digital out-of-home space, another kind of consolidation is taking place in the form of advertising sales representation agreements. Smaller networks hand over responsibility for ad sales to established players -- which can offer advertisers greater reach and frequency, as well as access to new audiences. In the latest such deal, Digital Display Networks, which operates 7-Eleven TV, has signed a multiyear contract with Premier Retail Networks, making the latter the exclusive ad sales representative for 7-Eleven TV, effective immediately. The deal covers 7-Eleven’s installed network reaching around 4,400 stores nationwide, which reach a monthly audience of around 100 million, according to DDN. 7-Eleven TV programming is targeted by demographics, locations and dayparts, with content including national and local weather, news and entertainment. It runs up to 20 ads per hour in 7- to-15-second spots, promoting in-store and out-of-store brands.The deal will expand PRN’s footprint by 50%, from 200 million viewers per month to 300 million. It’s a natural fit, given PRN’s established presence in retail DOOH, built on its own network in national big-box retailers and supermarkets, including Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Costco and Albertson’s. The deal apparently replaces the exclusive ad sales agreement DDN struck with ABC Regional Sports and Entertainment Sales, a division of ABC national television sales, in April of last year. Nor is it PRN’s first ad sales rep agreement. Back in 2009, PRN assumed ad sales responsibilities for IndoorDirect, which operates a digital video network reaching 1,077 quick-service and family-dining restaurants. DDN is continuing to roll out 7-Eleven TV to new locations, with an eventual target of 7,000 venues. The rollout appears to have suffered from some delays, as the number of venues with 7-Eleven TV was supposed to reach 6,200 by the end of the second quarter of this year. To date, they are about 1,800 venues short.
TiVo reported a 7% gain in revenue for the second quarter to nearly $65.3 million. But its net loss widened to $27 million compared to $19 million for the same period a year ago.The company reported first-half revenues of $133 million up 24%, with a net loss of $48 million compared to net income of $119 million a year ago.Litigation costs contributed to the losses. The company is preparing for trial in October against Verizon, which TiVo has charged with patent infringement. The company also has lawsuits pending against Motorola, Cisco and Time Warner Cable. In early 2012, TiVo acquired TRA, which itself is embroiled in litigation against WPP’s Kantar. TRA claims that Kantar violated patents related to a research offering that links shopper purchases to TV viewing.“While our significant investment in these cases is impacting our expense base in the near-term, we believe it is vital to protect our innovation, and we are confident that the return on investment will continue to be substantial over time,” TiVo CEO Tom Rogers said of the litigation expense.It has paid off in the past. Dish Network agreed to pay $500 million to settle a patent dispute with TiVo last year. Early this year, AT&T agreed to pay more than $200 million to settle a similar dispute.The company continues to build its subscriber base for its advanced TV systems, working with cable MSOs and other pay-television providers. TiVo said subscriptions worldwide grew 41% in the quarter, highlighted by growth at Virgin Media, the UK cable service provider, where TiVo subs recently passed the 1 million mark.TiVo also said it was working with digital transactions facilitator Paypal to provide its subscribers with a quick way to pay for products they link to and purchase via interactive TV ads seen via TiVo.The company said it expects losses in the third quarter to remain steep -- approaching $30 million -- given the ongoing litigation.
Thom Beers, who has spearheaded multiple network-defining series, will look to resuscitate a few at Fox. Beers, the mastermind behind History’s “Ice Road Truckers” and “Ax Men,” is taking over as CEO of FremantleMedia in North America. The company produces “The X Factor” and “American Idol,” both of which are going through transition. Beers’ production company is owned by Fremantle. Trish Kinane, the president of entertainment programming with oversight of “X Factor,” “Idol” and NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” will report to Beers along with COO Donna Redier Linsk. There are challenges in differentiating singing competition shows and FremantleMedia CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz said earlier this year that there are too many of them. Beers founded Original Productions in 1997 and has developed a niche in “everyday hero programming,” including shows such as Discovery’s “Deadliest Catch” and truTV’s “Black Gold.” Programming has also been produced for National Geographic Channel, A&E and Spike. Frot-Coutaz stated that Beers’ Original Productions is “a dominant force” in production for cable networks’ prime-time fare. Beers may find himself delving into different genres as Fremantle looks to launch scripted programming in the U.S. It recently inked a deal with Random House to co-develop shows.
When it comes to furry little animals, the big challenge for Kia these days is not so much how best to exploit the Hamsters (its now-famous mascots for the Soul compact crossover), but how best not to exploit them. After all, the anthropomorphic mammals have been that rare agency creation that crosses over -- and therefore, has the potential to wander away from Kia's cage. Michael Sprague, Kia Motors America's EVP and chief marketer, confesses that they have to be restrained, as he's gotten some pretty wild offers from movie producers and others who see big potential for the crepuscular comedians. "We have been approached. We have had producers saying, 'We have an idea to make it into a movie,' and every time we have said, 'No.' We don't want them to be overexposed; it's too important for us and too iconic for the brand." He tells Marketing Daily that like the groundhog, the hirsute scene chewers make only one big media appearance per year before scampering into the comparative shade of social media. "We do a month of cinema and TV, and then put them on YouTube, and that sustains the campaign. We have had around 20 million views on YouTube, and we are still getting tens of thousands of views per month." The company launched the Hamsters in 2009 with "A New Way to Roll." The next year was the "This or That" campaign where Kia used the hamsters to make fun of the competitive set of vehicles, depicted, literally, as appliances. The third Year of the Hamster used the now-unbearable LMFAO tune whose name I shall not mention, in an ad in which the hamsters are in a futuristic combat zone video game with killer robots. And it's that time of year again: the quirky cricetidae are back in a new campaign that is also the first to have the hamsters interacting with people, as the rollicking rodents bring electronic dance music -- and of course, the Soul, which rises through the floor in a dazzle of laser light, to a stuffy 18th-century opera house. In the ad, a ballet performance circa 1799 turns out to be conducted by a hamster, who quickly turns things around as another hamster, a DJ, spins “In My Mind” remixed by Axwell. The rest of the animals appear, wearing the licensed Hamstar apparel. Things get wild, as the Soul appears and finally the hamsters climb in and the Soul takes them through time and space to next year's dimension. The ad will run on 18,000 movie screens nationwide, on National CineMedia’s FirstLook pre-show program on Aug. 31, and television, with the ad debuting during the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 6. It will also be on all Kia social and digital platforms, including Facebook, YouTube and Kia.com. Sprague says Kia will use the hamsters until the animals jump the shark (which could actually be a cool idea for next year's campaign!). "Everything we have read and heard so far is they are iconic to the brand, that they represent the brand well, and that there is huge connection between Soul and the hamsters," says Sprague. That connection is so strong, he says, that Kia isn't even using the hamsters to pitch other vehicles. "We have talked about sneaking them into [advertising for] other vehicles; we have looked it for Forte and Rio and others, but they are iconic for Soul."
For many brands, understanding TV co-viewing behaviors can help guide media planning and buying. This USA TouchPoints analysis shows which genres have the greatest share of Adult-Child co-viewing in the average day.• While it may be tempting to picture Adult-Child co-viewing as something that takes place with the adult playing the role of ideal parent and patiently watching children’s programming, this is not wholly or even mostly the case, when we define children as those 17 and under.• Children’s programming may account for 30% of all Adult-Child co-viewing on an average day, but it is outstripped by both News (36%) and Drama (35%).• News may be a factor of where it falls in the day -- around meal times, including breakfast when the family is starting the day and children of all ages are often being shepherded through breakfast and out of the house with the TV on local or national news programming.• Otherwise, we see different genres represented in a manner that suggests much co-viewing is taking place as a family activity with programming choices being based on shared interest, be it reality, movies, sports or sitcoms.An analysis of households with only younger children present may show distinct differences -- perhaps most obviously in the share of children’s programming and drama.
According to Nielsen’s 2012 National Universe estimates of Hispanic HH’s 2+, 53.3% of dwellers are between the ages of 25 and 44, a little more than half the total population. As this new generation of Hispanic Americans emerges, attitudes and behavior, especially with media consumption are changing. In the past, television was consumed by the entire family and in the form of appointment television. Typically, there was one TV in the HH and if “mom” was watching a telenovela, the entire family had to be tuned in. This is not the case today. According to Nielsen, 92% of Hispanic TV HHs have 2+ televisions. The number of TVs per HH coupled with the plethora of media choices available in both English and Spanish means that today’s Hispanics have a choice! With the fall season fast approaching, and media buyers deep in negotiations with networks, let’s take the opportunity to reflect on the very different upfront presentations made by the three major Spanish networks – Univision, Telemundo and Mundo Fox. All three seemed to have very different approaches to the content they are providing their audiences. Univision’s upfront focused on persuading advertisers to shift 15% of their budget from English-language networks – NBC, ABC, CBS and FOX – to Univision. They presented some impactful data that supported Univision outperforming NBC against the 18-49 demographic on many nights this past year, the increase in overall reach with buying Univision vs. simply the Big Four, and their younger-skewing audience when compared to these networks. Are the Univision and English-language network’s audiences comparable? How did the Univision presentation relate to those advertisers that consistently spend with Univision and recognize the unique value and differences of the Spanish-speaking Hispanic audience when compared to the general market? I don’t think that simply shifting dollars is the answer for all advertisers. But what really struck me is how few changes were apparent in its programming. Overall, in contrast to its Spanish-language network competitors, it seems to be taking the approach that, as the undisputed market leader, minimal changes to its content is justified by its history of dominance in the market. Telemundo will launch a new brand image along with new tagline, “Brave New Telemundo,” this coming fall. The tagline will capture the duality of Hispanics who remain connected to their heritage while embracing America, said Jacqueline Hernandez, COO of Telemundo Media. Aiming for a 40% increase in its original content, 2013 Telemundo’s line-up will offer six new telenovelas, two daytime shows and reality competitions popular not only on English-language networks, but around the world, such as, “Yo Me Llamo” and “La Voz: Ninos”, a kid’s version of NBC’s “The Voice,” and “La Boda de tus Suenos” (an adaptation from an international hit in Netherlands).It has also acquired the rights to the sequel of “La Reina del Sur,” the network’s highest-rated telenovela. As the second-place player among Spanish networks, it is evident that Telemundo has a lot of fight in itself, and seems to be increasing its game in order to compete not only with Univision, but also in anticipation of Mundo Fox’s launch. But will these changes be enough to keep its current audience as well as attract new consumers? Despite being a new network, Mundo Fox is prepared to launch with a unique lineup of shows and genres which could end up setting the standard for all Hispanic networks. The network has an upbeat, fresh approach to targeting an assimilated American Hispanic target. During the upfront, the common theme pulled Hispanics from all different backgrounds into one community using the slogan, “I am [country of origin], I am American.” The melding of general market and Hispanic market programming will definitely appeal to the new generation of Hispanics. Its presentation discussed the fact that Hispanics have been used to watching novelas for decades because that was the main programming available. The network is, therefore, aiming to create a demand for break-through programming much like Fox did among the English-language networks. If the quality that has been promised by Mundo Fox is accomplished, then ratings will likely begin to shift, especially among the younger demographic. This strategy could benefit it in that, instead of going head to head against the “giants” in Hispanic broadcast who have had a hold on the older demographic for decades, it is choosing to create something entirely new. Steering in a completely different direction from the blocks of telenovela programming, Mundo Fox is offering all genres of programming that general mass-market networks offer. This includes dramas, comedies, sports, news, and reality programming. The network will also repurpose some general market hit programming in Spanish to include “Bones,” “Minute to Win It,” and “American Dad” in the launch line-up. Mundo Fox will be a trailblazer in broadcast entertainment for the new generation of Hispanics in the U.S. With the fastest-growing segment of the population being bicultural Latinos, which networks will prevail? What we do know is that Latinos have been stuck with what was available in Spanish, which was limited. Now they have more choices. As the population continues to become more diverse and skewing younger, it seems likely that MundoFox’s strategy of offering new Spanish-language genres of programming will excel. With the fast growth rate of the Hispanic population and its median age continuing to get younger, we know that language won’t be as important a factor in reaching them. Instead, competition among television networks is going to continue to get fierce, and networks will find that regardless of language, they will need to focus more on keeping content fresh and relevant.
I sat down with media legend Jack Myers to talk about the publication of his recent book, “Hooked Up; A New Generation’s Surprising Take on Sex, Politics and Saving the World.” His book is based on an IPSOS/OTX research survey of one thousand 17-to 21-year-olds plus interviews, and offers a range of insights on the influences, mindsets and behaviors of this first truly Internet-immersed generation. Jack calls those born between 1991 and 1995 “Internet Pioneers,” and says the way they view and interact with the world not only has immediate implications but also a long-term impact on society. Below is a short excerpt from the interview, which can be viewed here.CW: What is the definition of television for these Internet Pioneers -- and how will that impact the future of television? JM: Television to them is video, wherever they are watching. A declining percentage is watching television in the traditional way. They don’t necessarily differentiate between watching “American Idol” live on Fox versus watching a repeat of “Pretty Little Liars or an MTV show that they’ve DVR’d, or that they are watching on Netflix or on-demand. Or that they are pirating over the Internet. More and more of them are looking for ways to watch programming on any number of means to access it, whether that means iTunes or YouTube or whatever. They love television. It’s extremely important to them. They recognize the importance of broadcast networks. They love the cable networks, but they love YouTube just as much and they are just as likely to watch a three- or five-minute program on YouTube as they are to watch some of the more successful programs on broadcast or cable television. They tend to treat television the same way they treat music. It is the soundtrack of their lives. There is less loyalty to specific genres or programs. Music used to be packaged by albums with specific well-known artists -- but now, because of such services as Spotify and Pandora, there is a discovery process taking place because new music is being pushed out every day. Television will evolve in the same way -- there will be a constant process of discovery. CW: If, as you say in your book, this generation is more gender-blind and more open to diversity, how does this play out politically? JM: I was actually very surprised by the politics of this group. All are now eligible to vote in the 2012 election, and over 90% of these 18- to 22-year-olds intend to vote… not only in this presidential election but also in future elections. Seventy to eighty percent on any given issue tend towards the more moderate and progressive side, and pn average 20% tend to the more conservative side. So they are a very politically progressive block. There are some issues [where] they don’t even understand the debate. When Rush Limbaugh attacked Sandra Fluke on the issues of women’s rights and reproductive rights, they didn’t even understand the conversation. The importance of diversity and human rights is such an ingrained part of their DNA that they [were] confused by the debate and the discussion. While we see it on college campuses today, we can look back and see it in past generations of college students as well. One could say that while they are in college they are progressive, but once they graduate and start in the working world they become more conservative. But what is going to be interesting about this generation is that they will stay connected to each other by the Internet. They are going to stay Facebook friends. They will become Linked-in friends. They will continue to have those same qualities now -- and society is less likely to bifurcate and polarize in the future than it has in the past several decades.
Unless something unexpected happens, millions of Texas residents won’t be able to watch the University of Texas season opener on Saturday night. The game will air only on the Longhorn Network (LHN), the ESPN-owned cable channel with scant availability in the Lone Star State. The LHN saga, where distributors have balked at carrying the network, has been well-covered. One argument is the channel doesn’t offer enough live games. But the Texas opener against Wyoming and the Longhorns’ game a week later versus New Mexico will be on LHN only. So, many fans won’t get a live look at their beloved team until Sept. 15. With so many people with idle time over the next two weekends, the Texas economy will be impacted. Ok, it’s not quite the oil bust, but this is a Saturday tradition gone unexpectedly awry. There will be winners and losers. Movie chains have got to be psyched. During a televised UT game, theaters may be near-empty. Without one, attendance could jump. And there’s that anti-Obama documentary that should be a draw in red Texas. Similarly, retailers have got to be ecstatic. Temperatures will be steamy and the forecast calls for isolated thunderstorms in Houston, so there should be plenty of retail therapy to deal with no game to watch. Domino’s and pizza delivery places have got to be devastated. No Longhorn viewing parties has to mean fewer orders. They’ll be pointing to the Mississippi game Sept. 15. Beer companies should be fine. Yes, they will suffer like Domino’s with fewer viewing parties, but a bunch of Texans unable to watch their favorite team? Hmm… BBQ joints? Should do great. But they’d do well anyway. Not everyone in Texas pulls for the Longhorns, but they do for good BBQ. With so many homes in Austin unable to get LHN, the Salt Lick not far from town should be overrun. Cardiologists? This is bad for business. More people than usual – maybe millions – could actually get off their couches on a fall Saturday. Of course, if those are gouging on BBQ, that could be a push for the physicians. Advertisers might save a few bucks. Running spots in widely carried UT games in the state has got to be pricey. So, there could be a less expensive way to reach people who do stay home and watch something else. The Houston Astros might have some extra fans Saturday. That’s badly needed, considering the team is horrible and ranks 27th out of 30 in average attendance. The Texas Rangers aren’t home, but don’t need help filling the stands. Bars that are carrying the game, of course, should do a brisk business. Call center employees at AT&T and Time Warner Cable have got to love that their companies don’t carry LHN. Angry fans should flood the switchboards, perhaps giving them plenty of overtime pay -- if they can handle it and don't quit first.