Applying the Miley Cyrus Strategy

I originally wanted to write about the Digital NewFronts and the amazing growth they’ve had in the three short years it’s been around. But just like that….Miley Cyrus happened. She stole all my attention and now I have to talk about Miley Cyrus, Adult Swim and daring to be different.

Miley Cyrus headlined Adult Swim’s Upfront party last Thursday May 14 and completely stole the show. She mesmerized the audience with her vocal skills, her killer set-list (“My Neck, My Back” — need I say more?), her ability to smoke a J and still sound flawless, her costume choice, her gender politics, her non-profit endeavors, and of course, her uncanny knack at making corporate types feel so uncomfortable.

This was completely on-brand for Adult Swim’s irreverent style and sensibility, so I’m not recommending this for most. However, I am recommending the digital content players take a lesson from Adult Swim on how to stand out. Don’t just say you’re different and the future. Be different. Be the future.

The Digital NewFronts

The Digital NewFronts concluded May 7 with everyone from the New York Times to the more expected players like Maker Studios showcasing their commitment to original programming and unique advertising opportunities. The NewFronts, founded in 2012 by AOL, DigitasLBi, Google/YouTube, Hulu, Microsoft and Yahoo, has become the premiere event connecting mostly US brands and their agencies with digital-first content and creators. In their struggle to showcase they are as good as their legacy media counterparts – equivalent offerings of content, audience power and advertising solutions – we’ve lost their point of differentiation in these events. The digital players adopted all their old relics, the Manhattan locations, the slick stages and the same talent dog and pony show.

But why? Traditional media has already proven the upfront model is deteriorating. According to Variety estimates, the 2014/2015 primetime slots on broadcast garnered between $8.2 and $8.9B in advance advertising commitments down from $8.6B and $9.2B in 2013. Even cable commitments were down 6% from 2013.  Traditional players have been adjusting their approach leading with their data story to compete as dollars shift to their digital competitors. At this year’s Upfronts, data was the buzz word. NBC even hosted a drinking game where Andy Cohen took a swig of some unknown drink at every mention of the word data.

Playing to Win the Future

The digital players can never beat legacy TV at their own game, which relies on large cash investments and celebrities (who also rely on large cash investments). But digital players have proven, they’re willing to play where TV doesn’t. Catering to audiences not well-served by television, offering levels of data transparency TV can’t yet compete with and willing to try advertising solutions that don’t promise the scale and revenue TV prefers. Two great examples are Stylehaul and AwesomenessTV. At their Newfront, Stylehaul announced their partnership with Amazon, where they’ll be producing videos using their top talent to review products. Although not technically part of their NewFront, AwesomenessTV launched a NYC pop-up shop featuring merchandise inspired by their top talent to showcase their influence and buying power.

I would love to see how the digital players realize their unique approach to audience, advertising, content and talent in their NewFront experiences. Right now, the freshness and the originality is missing. Fashion networks could host their own fashion shows curated by their talent and leveraging their key advertisers. Fill the room with fans and allow them to purchase anything they see onstage at that moment. Gaming networks could host a live show where their top gamers all play a soon-to-be-released title together, create moments for audience participation and allow fans to advance purchase the title if they like what they see. Make the event content and show advertisers first-hand how the audience interacts and how this influence fuels their purchase decisions.  Break free of the stage, the talent appearances and the speeches and remix. Offer something TV could never replicate.