Buzzfeed isn’t shy about publicizing the fact that it wants to help advertisers tell their stories.
At the digital media company’s NewFronts presentation Monday, Buzzfeed president Greg Coleman explained that the company is giving advertisers access to its insights, which include multiplatform research and “learning tools.”
Essentially, advertisers now have the opportunity to “create, sponsor or integrate with Buzzfeed.”
“You’re more than an advertiser, you’re a partner,” Coleman said. “A lot of partnerships in the media world are ‘give me your money, we’ll go out to dinner, we’re partners.'” He explained that at Buzzfeed, advertisers truly are partners, noting that three out of Buzzfeed’s top 15 videos on YouTube are branded videos.
The company, which held its presentation at Skylight at Moynihan Station in New York, showcased its new series “Broke,” and said it was looking for sponsors for the first season. It also showed a sizzle reel from “The Try Guys,” a humorous show that follows a “squad” of Buzzfeed guys on adventures where they try new things, such as getting a style makeover or a bikini wax. Coleman noted that the company would tap into its partnership with NBC Universal by making use of its content studio and talent for videos. In August, NBC invested $200 million in Buzzfeed.
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Coleman gave the audience insight into the power of Buzzfeed’s viral videos with food channel Tasty. As an experiment, Tasty uploaded a video at 9 a.m. Monday morning and by 1:30 p.m. it already had about 8.3 million views, he said.
Buzzfeed founder and chief executive officer Jonah Peretti explained that his company has found digital success; i.e., a lot of clicks, by “figuring out how to connect with audiences.”
Traditional media or “industrial print media,” as he called it, hasn’t had as much success as other industries such as music or improv in connecting with younger audiences, who are on different platforms.
“We’re taking content and pushing it out where people are,” he said, explaining that Buzzfeed’s mission is to “learn” and adapt to emerging products.
The company looks to test out Facebook Live and original content for advertising partners as part of its marketing push this year.