June 13, 2013

NEW YORK – A Buzzfeed executive on the 2013 MultiScreen Summit said that since consumers don’t have faith in content only living on one screen, taking a tool-agnostic approach is prime for the corporate.

During the “Insight – TV & Entertainment: Social Conversations within the Digital Age” session, executives from Buzzfeed and the Syfy Network spoke about how social media and mobile are increasingly fueling online engagement for brands to create compelling content. The session was moderated by Gary Schwartz, CEO of Impact Mobile and MSS conference chair, Toronto.

“I don’t actually desire to parse out mobile – it’s like saying that you just had a laptop strategy 15 years ago,” said Jonathan Perelman, vice chairman of agency strategy and industry development at Buzzfeed, Ny.

“I don’t think the buyer says, ‘Well I’m going to consume a work of content, so let me go get my mobile because it’s going to be better here or at the desktop,’” he said.

“It’s mobile-first, but we’re completely agnostic and seamless on a phone and whatever else. We just desire to create great, sharable content.”

App versus Web debate
According to Mr. Perelman, there are differences in how publishers and types approach mobile applications and sites.

The mobile Web is comparable to a newsstand where consumers come to find new content, and the app is for the subscriber.

This basically dictates the kind of content that marketers serve up and will help publishers segment out their mobile audience.

There can be a possibility to develop short, snackable content that may be read while consumers are waiting in line or have several extra minutes to spare and might easily be shared to family and friends.

The other use case with mobile is to exploit the shopper who’s bored and at home.

Marketers ought to understand that no matter where a shopper is reading content, they’re likely engaging with multiple screens and other kinds of content besides.

Multiscreen content
According to Doreen Rokhsar, director of selling at Syfy Network, Long island, finding new easy methods to distribute content is fundamental today.

For example, in April Syfy Network desired to build awareness for its show “Defiance,” and the corporate desired to start with the net to advertise it.

As portion of the promotion, the network partnered with Buzzfeed to leverage the web publication’s content with marketing to create unique advertising opportunities across the show with the goal of driving consumers to tune-in.

“We search for partners that may help us use content that we believe is most compelling and finest on that exact platform,” Ms. Rokhsar said.

“Television after all before everything [is most critical], but at the present time, we distribute our content around the Web and across VOD platforms in addition,” she said.

Final Take
Jonathan Perelman is vp of agency strategy and industry development at Buzzfeed, Ny and Doreen Rokhsar is director of selling at Syfy Network, New York