Vevo's NewFront Presentation: Big News and a Great Musical Performance

Multi-platform 'round-the-clock music video destination Vevo staged its NewFront presentation Thursday at the Hammerstein Ballroom, a popular midtown Manhattan concert venue, and made its case for a greater share of advertising budgets.

The Big Message: With more than 147 million U.S. viewers watching every month -- and 150 million viewers elsewhere checking out the service every day -- Vevo stands alone as the world's best place to see music television. Increasingly, the platform has also become a major avenue of video engagement among multicultural consumers worldwide.

Host: Several Vevo executives shared the role, led by Kevin McGurn (pictured at top), Vevo's President of Sales and Distribution.

What Worked: Emphasizing the breadth and depth of Vevo's linear and on-demand channels, where the videos are arranged by music genre, decade or population (African American, Latino, Asian-American, LGTBQ, etc.).

What Also Worked: The pace of the presentation. Every segment went right to the point, backed by statistics displayed centerstage behind the speaker. It never dragged.

What Didn't Work: Everything was perfect. Bravo!

Bonus Points: A mesmerizing musical performance from Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter-actress Chloe. The former grown-ish co-star let loose with her dynamic voice and didn't let up until the final note of her last song. A sure-fire candidate for best 2022 NewFront musical turn. We can see Chloe, in time, becoming this generation's combination of Judy Garland, Eartha Kitt and Mary J. Blige.

Data Points: Among communities of color, Vevo attracts 24 million African Americans and 31 million Latino viewers each month. More than 18 million members of Generation Z watch a Vevo linear or on-demand channel every month. Seventy-nine percent of Vevo watchers participating in a recent survey claim music videos play an important role in global culture. Of special note to brands: While 42 percent of Vevo's audience watch commercials there, they do not watch the same commercials when they run on traditional TV.

News: A number of interactive features will premiere over the rest of 2022, customized to individual smart TV set and device providers. First up: search and discovery apps where viewers can learn about more than 700,000 music videos at any time. Samsung and Apple TV are in the process of deploying these apps, with other launches to follow. Several interactive ad options, or experiences, will be ready for rollout among consumers later this summer or fall. Expect several genre channels to launch new format elements near-term, such as dayparts devoted to videos by favorite artists, music video countdown programs on the weekend, long-form specials and live/taped concerts.

Parting Words: "We're living through an unprecedented transformation where TV and digital have converged." -- Kevin McGurn, Vevo President, Sales and Distribution

"We're giving viewers the power of choice." -- Rob Christensen, Vevo Senior Vice President, Global Sales and Distribution

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Simon Applebaum

Simon Applebaum has covered the TV medium for more than 38 years. Now a regular MediaVillage columnist, he produces and hosts Tomorrow Will Be Televised, a program all about TV, now in its 12th year. Previously, he was a senior editor for various TV-centric … read more