A NewFront 2020 Threesome—YouTube, Vevo and Roku

The Big Message: Make that two messages here. First, Google/Alphabet's content distributor is as impactful an advertising medium as any other. Second, in a shift from previous appeals labeling smart TV set/device consumers as a growing population to cultivate, compared with PC or mobile viewing, YouTube now reaches a substantial smart TV set/device assembly.

Host: Chief executive officer Susan Wojcicki, assisted by a number of YouTube personalities.

What Worked: Giving people a choice of what BrandCast to watch—what played during the first hour of the live NewFronts presentation, or a customized showcase set up in advance and available Thursday afternoon through an e-mail link. Viewers for the custom edition picked different elements from primary host to content genre they wanted to see most, such as fashion and lifestyle, comedy/entertainment, music or sports. Graphics throughout the show highlighted a viewer's first name, while the content montages were well-paced and edited.

What Also Worked: Special sequences featuring YouTube personalities doing unusual things. For my comedy/entertainment-centric presentation, magicianDavid Blaine (pictured at top) performed a card trick from home involving guests situated elsewhere. FYI: Blaine will be doing a live YouTube special later this year.

What Might Have Worked If…: Customized participants had one fact clear up front. For their participation, a free pizza would be delivered—with their choice of dough and toppings—in time to enjoy the show. The one fact not communicated: you had to makethe pizza yourself, after getting all the ingredients, pizza pan and cutter, at your doorstep. Great thing the instructions were excellent—and yes, so was my pizza with vegan cheese, vegan sausage and mushrooms.

What Didn't Work: Lack of details about future original series/specials and putting a spotlight on YouTube talent on the rise.

Data Points:

**100 million plus U.S. citizens watch YouTube via smart TV sets and TV-connected products each month

**The popular "Dance Monkey" video from Tones & I has received more than one billion views.

News: Google Preferred, where advertisers place spots on the most-watched YouTube channels, will be upgraded to YT Select, increasing access to a wider variety of popular YT content.

Parting Words: "When it comes to working with us, listen to us. Listen to creators and listen to their audiences."—Tarek Ali, a content maker during a NewFronts interview with YouTube chief marketing officer Danielle Tiedt

Earlier last week, Roku and Vevo presented their NewFront segments. For Roku, it was all about positioning their smart TV device as a powerful ad platform. As for Vevo, back on the NewFront trail after a long absence, the theme was inviting greater sponsor support of music videos.

The Big Message: This is the decade of smart TV supremacy over other content-catching platforms. Roku kicked off their spot predicting that by 2030, all TV, all TV viewing and all TV advertising will be through a smart set or gadget. Music videos, through Vevo can be "a forever foundation" for public enjoyment.

Highlights: Putting the focus on specific viewing trends in Roku's case, such as the sharp rise this spring in catching fitness programs or routines. Vevo features an extended interview with pop music mega-star Katy Perry, well-handled by sales and distribution president Kevin McGurn.

Lowlights: Lack of information about ad options on new Roku-distributed services (more than 5,000 are now available on this platform), and in Vevo's instance, promising a segment on original, beyond music video content near the end of its presentation (with an on-screen graphic), then cutting to concluding remarks from McGurn.

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