CYNOPSISDIGITAL
01.25.17

Good morning. It’s Wednesday January 25, 2017 and this is your first early morning digital briefing.

Yikes. As first reported by Variety, Go90 has laid off 155 staffers, mostly from its San Jose, California office. The Verizon-owned mobile video platform, which launched with much fanfare in late 2015, has struggled to pull in as many young millennial viewers as Verizon had hoped for. The San Jose team was mostly focused on product development, as well as some marketing and content operations work. Variety reports that the Go90 division will now be rebuilt by the team that joined Verizon when the telco acquired Vessel in October. Verizon confirmed the layoffs to Variety, but denied that they signified a global shift in strategy.
 
 

 
Clint Kisker knows a thing or two about VR. A longtime figure on the entertainment finance scene, he co-founded entertainment content company Madison Wells Media in 2015. Reality One, a Madison Wells property focused on immersive content, launched that same year. Cynopsis Digital connected with Kisker to ask him about the current state of immersive entertainment, and about how we can expect the industry to evolve as we head into the future. Check out a snippet of the Q&A below.
 
Cynopsis: A lot of VR content and hardware came out in 2016, but it’s not yet the mass consumer medium that some people believe it can be. Moving forward, what are the biggest challenges when it comes to getting VR content in front of as many eyeballs as possible? And how long will it be before VR truly scales?
Clint Kisker: “In immersive content, we are all in the covered wagons heading West, so to speak. With so much VR/AR content being produced, definitive proclamations are and should be met with real skepticism. However, what truly distinguishes the appeal of VR/AR to consumers from previous false starts begins and ends with the user-experience. When someone has that firsthand high-end experience, it imprints deeply and stays with people as a magical moment of forced presence. This immersion is a solid foundation upon which to grow – especially when it comes to building an entertainment medium. I like to compare this experience to the moment audiences first heard sound in Steamboat Willie in 1928. Just like that, a new connection to the moving pictures was created, wholly different from the silent cartoons audiences were accustomed to. This kind shift is not small, and deserves the amount of capital and resources folks are now investing in exploring the near-endless possibilities that VR/AR presents.”
You can find the full Q&A here.
 

AOL announced new self-serve capabilities for One by AOL: Mobile, its programmatic mobile supply-side platform. AOL says that the new self-serve and self-registration features will enable publishers and developers to “immediately sign-up [and] integrate[.]”"With today’s launch of self-serve availability for ONE by AOL: Mobile, we’re empowering mobile publishers and app developers around the globe to make the right decisions for their own brands in a powerful, low friction environment,” said Matt Gillis, AOL’s SVP of Publisher Platforms.
 
Cross-device marketing company Tapad has announced a partnership with WideOrbit, a provider of advertising management software for media companies. Under the new deal, Tapad and WideOrbit will develop what the companies are calling “the industry’s first programmatic TV-buying platform powered by a device graph.” The partnership will pair Tapad’s demand-side tech with WideOrbit’s supply-side inventory. The companies say that the new product will enable marketers to leverage cross-device audiences in their TV ad buys. Tapad’s device graph (simply called the Tapad Device Graph) will be integrated into the platform. 
 
 

The Silicon Valley news startup Ozy Media means business. The company has raised $10 million in a new Series B funding round led by VC firm GSV Capital. That puts Ozy’s fundraising total at over $35 million to date. Ozy says it will use the funding to hire more editorial staff and beef up its video team and production capabilities. The company was founded in 2013 by former TV host Carlos Watson.
 
 

 
To determine the TV ads generating the most digital response, attention analytics company iSpot.tv measures digital actions across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and all major search engines. Here, a look at the brands that advertised during the People’s Choice Awards.
“If you watched the 43rd People’s Choice Awards on CBS, you may have noticed that the ads had something in common: They were all for Procter & Gamble brands, because P&G has owned the show and has been its sole sponsor since 1982. So which of its brands did P&G choose to put front and center this year? The top 5 brands advertised during the big show were Pampers, Downy, Febreze, Tide and Swiffer, in that order, ranked by estimated spend. But it was Crest that scored the highest percentage of the digital conversation, with its ads for its 3D White product line – perfect for a show that featured a lot of blinding celebrity smiles.” – iSpot.tv
 
 

The ListenFirst Television Interest (TVI) Rating (TM) is a standardized measurement of the most buzzed-about TV programs on linear TV and streaming services. A complement to ListenFirst’s other syndicated data products (such as the ListenFirst Digital Audience Rating – TV), the metrics included in the rating capture organic actions that are largely unaffected by paid media. Programs that surface on the TVI leaderboards are the most hashtagged on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Tumblr, as well as most searched for onWikipedia (used as a proxy for organic search volume).
 
Streaming Series (1/16/17 – 1/22/17)
 
 
Source: ListenFirst. The TVI Rating aggregates metrics that measure organically generated activity by fans of the TV show. The metric includes total volume of official hashtag mentions on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Tumblr, along with Wikipedia page views (as a proxy for organic search volume) for a show as a percentage of the total volume of the same activities for all shows.
 
 

One good thing that comes of a $26 billion acquisition: You get the company’s talent. Microsoft has named Kevin Scott as its new Chief Technology Officer. It’s a (rather huge) expansion of Scott’s current role; he’ll stay on as LinkedIn’s SVP of Infrastructure. Microsoft says the hire is designed to “drive strategic, cross-company initiatives” between itself and LinkedIn.
 
Eyeota, an audience data company that works with programmatic and data-driven advertisers, has announced a new hire. The company named Elizabeth Christensen as its new General Manager of the Americas. Christensen will oversee U.S. operations, leading the company’s platform, data, and publisher acquisition teams. She joins the company from Xaxis, where she served as VP of Global Business Operations.
 
 

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JOB OPENING: SALES PLANNER/MUSIC CHOICE TV/NYC: Resp for development/fulfillment of integrated media plans & proposals across all Music Choice television platforms for advertising clients. 1-2 yrs media or sales plan’g/assistant at an agency or ntwrk. Solid understanding of media math. Full info HERE (2/1)

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JOB OPENING: CONTENT SCREENER/MEDIA INFORMATION SERVICES/NYC: Entry-level position writing summaries of TV programs. Full Time w/Benefits. Requires BA/BS, strong writing skills, attention to detail and love of TV. Send resume to [email protected] (1/31)

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JOB OPENING: SENIOR WRITER/PRODUCER/NAT GEO/NYC: The Senior Writer/Producer conceptualizes, writes, & produces the Channel’s highest priority promotional spots for specials, stunts & priority series for NatGeo & NatGeo Wild. Full info/apply HERE (1/28)

JOB OPENING: ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE DR/WGN/NYC: Self-motivated, personable, competitive & energetic professional to help inspire/grow a young & expanding Direct Response Team. BA deg or 5  yrs sales exp within the industry. Mini 3-5 yrs combined exp. Full info/apply HERE (1/28)

JOB OPENING: MARKETING MGR/MSG NETWORKS/NYC: Sports enthusiast w/3+ yrs creative, social media, & media exp at cable net or agency; Exp w/social community mngmt, project mngmt, strategy & budget mngmt; Creative thinker & collaborator http://bit.ly/2j0OiGS (1/28)

JOB OPENING: SENIOR PRODUCER/MSNBC/East Coast: Responsible for creating, producing and supervising programming for a MSNBC New Primetime Show.Full info/apply HERE (1/27)

JOB OPENING: LINE PRODUCER/PRODUCTION MGR/NYC: A hands on, not afraid to get your hands dirty field exp’d LP/PM type. Must be willing to wear both hats & mng daily operational processes of a fast moving prod. 3 – 5 yrs operations LP/PM exp pref’d. Strong kwldg of guild & union guidelines. Resume to: [email protected] (1/27)

JOB OPENING: SCI & TECH VIDEO PRODUCER/NBCNews.com/NYC: The digital arm of NBC News, is looking for a highly skilled video producer to produce smart, stylish videos for our digital, mobile and social platforms. Full info/apply HERE (1/27)

JOB OPENING: INVESTIGATIVE PRODUCER/NYC: Join our Investigative Unit! The Investigative Producer will be pitching and developing original story ideas for NBC News broadcast, cable, and digital platforms. Full info/apply HERE (1/27)

JOB OPENING: VIDEO PRODUCER, LIFESTYLE/NBCU/NYC: TODAY.com, the digital arm of the TODAY show, is looking for a highly skilled video producer to join our lifestyle team and produce stunning original videos for our platforms. Full info/apply HERE (1/27)

JOB OPENING: VIDEO EDITOR, LIFESTYLE/NBCU/NYC: TODAY.com, the digital arm of the TODAY show, is looking for a video editor to help produce snappy, addictive original videos for our digital, mobile and social platforms. Full info/apply HERE (1/27)

JOB OPENING: BOOKING PRODUCER/MSNBC/NYC: Book wide variety of national and international newsmakers, experts, and guests from various fields including politics, foreign relations, business/economy, health, etc. Full info/apply HERE (1/27)

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JOB OPENING: SEGMENT PRODUCERS/MSNBC/NYC: We are looking for experienced Segment Producers to write and produce segments with speed and accuracy for news programming, in a breaking news environment. Full info/apply HERE (1/27)

JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR, PRODUCTS/NBCU/NYC: Want to reinvent how we get the news? The role: product manager to lead Mobile and OTT experiences for all NBC News brands, reporting to the VP of Product.
Full info/apply HERE (1/27)

JOB OPENING: ANALYST, RESEARCH & ADVANCED MEASUREMENT/GSNTV/Santa Monica: 2+ yrs ntwrk Research exp. Familiarity W/synd rsrch software; Data fluency; Strategic analysis of data such as overnight ratings, universe estimates, aud growth stories, trend analyses, demo, lifestyle & industry reports. Res/cvr: [email protected] (1/27)

JOB OPENING: MGR, BRAND MARKETING/USGA/Warren NJ: USGA-Mgr, Brand Marketing-responsible for the activation and implementation of the emerging USGA Championship Brand Identity vision and strategy. +5 yrs brand mgmt exp req. creative/digital/video output a MUST. Full info/apply HERE (1/26)

JOB OPENING: MGR, CNN DIGITAL ANALYTICS/CNN DIGITAL/NY: Support sales team responsible for selling CNN’s Digital Portfolio through primary and secondary research. 5+ yrs exp and proficiency in media analytics. Apply: https://www.turnerjobs.com/job/new-york/manager-cnn-digital-analytics/1174/3747196 (1/26)

JOB OPENING: ANALYTICS SUPERVISOR/NCC MEDIA/NY: exceptional problem-solving and project management skills, leadership traits, meticulous organizational skills, able to meet deadlines, prior TV Media exp., advanced Excel skills a must, SQL preferred but not mandatory. RESUMES [email protected] (1/26)

JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR, NEWS STANDARDS/NYC: NBC News & MSNBC seeks a Director in their Standards & Practices team. The Director will provide support and guidance to all platforms of NBC News & MSNBC Wednesday-Sundays. Full info/apply HERE (1/26)

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