What To Expect At The Blip NewFront [Interview]

From April 29th-May 3rd, 18 online video distributors will take the stage all over New York for Digital Content Newfronts, where they will attempt to pitch their upcoming content to advertisers and the media. Here at Tubefilter, we’ll be running through some of the presenters and taking our guesses as to what they will be showcasing. Today, Blip.

Blip has undergone some significant changes. In the 14 months since Kelly Day left her position as EVP/GM for Discovery Communications’ Digital Media and Commerce division to helm the fledgling online video sharing and distribution site, she’s overseen the company’s transition into video-sharing-and-distribution-site-and-new-media-studio, ended user-generated content uploads, implemented a velvet rope for quality control, and made an attempt to establish the seven-year-old New York City-based entity as the premiere destination to consume quality web series.

Along with Blip’s new upload policy and marketing language, Day made sure the online video site was part of the official lineup of the 2013 Digital Content NewFronts. I caught up with her to ask her why that was so important for Blip, what we can expect to see at the event, and what would constitute a win for for the company.

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Name: Blip

Date Of Newfronts Presentation: Wednesday, May 1st from 11:30AM – 1 PM EST

Highlights of Recent Offerings: The Gauntlet, League of Super Critics

What They Talked About At Last Year’s Newfronts: N/A. Blip wasn’t part of the 2012 NewFronts, but here’s why Day told us she made sure her company was a part of the presentations this time around.

Personally, I would’ve been part of the NewFronts last year, but I started just a few weeks before all the events. I think it’s a good opportunity, number one, to get your brand message, your slate, and talent in front of a large audience all at once. It’s an efficient way to reach that audience all at once.

Two, it’s important for us to be part of that conversation. As the NewFront starts to get more solidified, I think it’s important for us to be top of mind and relevant and in that conversation.

And three, it does seem like the agencies are thinking about allocating dollars now around this and maybe not necessarily to the Television upfront, where you have so much more scarcity, but I do think that buying decisions are starting to be made in the context of the NewFronts. As we grow the business it’s important for us to be there.

What They Will Talk About This Year: Here’s what you should expect to see at the Blip event, straight from the CEO.

We will certainly spend a little bit of time talking about the need to know facts about Blip’s strategy and reach, but the event is meant to showcase our original content investments and exclusive partnerships. Out of 90 minutes, we’ll dedicate 60 to 70 minutes of just showing people content.

We’ve announced a show with Rob Huebel and he’ll be emcee. We’ve also announced a show we’ll be doing with Michael Uslan, EP of the last two Dark Knight movies. We will be showing some previews of that. We’ve also got some of our bigger, more popular shows, like The Gauntlet and Hipsterhood.

We also do have pretty big partnership announcements that include original programming and a few key hires.

A Special Guest Who Could Show Up: Any of the Human Giant crew, but we’re hoping for a live-action Shutterbugs.

What Would Make The NewFronts A Win: Again, from Day.

Obviously we want to top of mind in terms of where brands are thinking about committing their dollars. Certainly for us that would be a nice commitment in Q3, Q4 and looking into Q1 of next year.

Also, brand perception. We definitely want people to remember blip when they think of high quality original programming. More and more we want to move away from the position that we’re just another YouTube. That’s definitely not what we are. We definitely want people to associate Blip with where they go to get high quality original web television.