This week at the CES Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Twitter assembled content producers and advertisers behind closed doors to showcase the kinds of programming it has put on the platform in recent months and invite partnerships to fuel its video efforts.
Now that Twitter has 15 months of video executions under its belt, it wants to differentiate itself from rival social giants like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat who are chasing the same advertising dollars with their own content strategies.
In attendance at Twitter’s CES meeting was Kay Madati, Twitter’s new head of content partnerships; Anthony Noto, chief operating officer, and representatives of current Twitter partners including Buzzfeed, Bloomberg and Live Nation.
Madati is the former executive vice president of digital media at Viacom-owned BET.
From Variety. Story by Andrew Wallenstein.
Twitter wants to accelerate video efforts around what it does best: live moments that have made Twitter the home for real-time community conversations. To take things further, Madati is eyeing overseas expansions for new and old content like the 24-hour news network, TicToc, launched with Bloomberg on the platform last month. He also has his eye on capitalizing on other verticals including music, fashion and food.
With a team of 130 people across the globe, Madati has emerged the point man for the video initiatives crucial for Twitter to monetize in order to maximize the momentum the company rediscovered in 2017 coming off an even shakier year.
“Twitter is hitting on all cylinders and this is a great time for content to be at the center of that conversation,” said Madati.
Madati’s focus at Twitter is getting partners interested in customized in-stream video sponsorships like the ones that lured Buzzfeed, which produces morning show “AM to DM” for the platform, and Fox Sports, which just signed on earlier this week for companion content to its coverage of the World Cup (Snapchat struck a similar arrangement). For smaller partners, there is also video streamed ads, a marketplace that lets any publisher on Twitter surround content with advertising.
While video takes up most of Madati’s time, there are other aspects of Twitter he brings to partners’ disposal, including Moments, DM voting and emoji executions. Even video itself comes in varied forms, from live long-form to on-demand clips.
While Twitter hasn’t released its fourth-quarter numbers yet, the company programmed 830 events in the third quarter across over 30 different partners.
Madati hopes for a 100-percent increase by this time next year. “I come in at a time when we are turning the corner and we have more inbound inquiries from content producers and media companies who are interested in extending their brand presence on the platform, their reach, and their engagement with consumers.”
Read more at Variety.