Darnell Brisco

What do some of Hollywood’s top grossing films this year all have in common? They’ve turned to Roblox as a key channel for activating our engaged community of fans and potential movie-goers. Variety's Kaare Eriksen spoke with Nicole Wilson Schlegel from Universal Pictures, Roblox’s Todd Lichten and Nic Hill from Sawhorse Interactive to show just how much animation is thriving in 3D immersive environments. Universal’s Kung Fu Panda 4 Obby experience saw 17M visits in a matter of weeks and is a prime example of how studios are re-thinking movie marketing to turn the Roblox community into ticket buyers. Next up? Experience “Despicable Me 4” on a Roblox screen near you before the film hits theaters July 3! Shout out to our partners at Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Animation, and Illumination for bringing some of our favorite characters like Po and Gru to the platform and to our developer partners Sawhorse Interactive and Century Games. https://lnkd.in/gipvsfJh #immersivemarketing #metaverse #metaversemarketing #filmmarketing #boxoffice #kungfupanda #innovation

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✅🖥️ WSJ (4/25): “Interest is high in the league’s next round of packages, which kick in after the 2024-2025 season. Disney, which pays around $1.6B a year for TV rights, and Warner, which pays about $1.2B a year, are in discussions to pay substantial increases under a new pact while airing fewer games than they do now, say people familiar with the conversations. The robust pricing expected in the deals shows how valuable live sports are to traditional media companies at a time when cord-cutting is shrinking overall TV viewership. Many households maintain cable subscriptions because it is the only way to watch their favorite teams’ games. Under their current deals, Disney and Warner carry roughly 165 games combined. Games taken from those incumbents would help the NBA create a new package for a streaming player with nationally televised regular-season games and some playoff contests. The league also could draw on a catalog of locally aired games. Amazon’s Prime Video, which airs NFL games, has been aggressive in pursuing the streaming package and is viewed by league and media executives as the front-runner. YouTube is also in the mix, those executives say. The streaming package would give a tech giant the right to show games in markets around the world.” ⬇️🏀 #livesports #streamingtv #ctvadvertising https://lnkd.in/eYK3qmFY

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Can AI match this level of creative chaos? 🤔 Just stumbled upon Little Caesars' "Burn the Burns" campaign, and it's got me thinking... Could AI ever come up with something this wildly unconventional? Baking your own product over firewood carved with haters words? It's pure, unadulterated, out-of-the-box thinking. Sure, AI can analyze data and optimize campaigns, but can it capture the raw, visceral appeal of setting haters' words ablaze, then cooking pizza over them and having them eat it? This is the kind of reality TV-meets-social media madness that makes me love marketing. If you havne't seen it, you're welcome: https://bit.ly/3XHXy5R Little Caesars, you've earned my attention (and maybe even a pizza craving). And that Webby award? Well-deserved! 🍕🔥 #marketing #creativity #AI #LittleCaesars #WebbyAwards

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"The most important thing is direct connections, because in live, milliseconds matter." — FreeWheel GM Mark McKee sat down with Beet.TV at hashtag#CannesLions2024 to discuss our new programmatic suite geared toward live delivery. Watch the full interview: https://bit.ly/4cOnQrX Download FreeWheel's new report focused on the latest live TV trends in the streaming environment, and how to capture audiences in the moment: https://bit.ly/3y1pxCV #EffectvEmp

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Netflix has been storytelling through their incredible shows and films for years, and now they’re letting the fans be part of those worlds with their new Roblox experiences (!!) that launched this morning. Anchored by the streaming platform’s hub, Nextworld, fans can immerse themselves in new worlds filled with their favorite characters. They’ll be able to attend premieres, celebrate new releases and meet other fans in Nextworld or they can choose to portal to dedicated experiences for some of the most brand’s most popular IPs, including Stranger Things, One Piece and Rebel Moon.I’m thrilled for this immersive chapter in Netflix’s story. Thanks for letting us be part of it! Congrats to the Netflix (Mikey Zonenashvili, Megan Sayers Chapham, Megan Yoon, Lisa French, Guido Rama, Kristen Khoo, Kevin Simms), Buoy Studios ™, and Roblox teams (Todd Lichten, Jules Bouckaert, Farinaz 'Fairy' Zolnasr, Jessica Meehan, Alex Honda, Katie Jaros, Julien Schléret, Ivan Djayaputra, Nicole Petrosino) who have worked so hard to bring this to life! Visit Nextworld now: https://lnkd.in/g3gMva9n Read more in @Variety: https://lnkd.in/gsu2GNxX #metaverse #immersivemarketing #filmmarketing #tvmarketing #fandom #futureoffandom #marketing #entertainmentmarketing #filmandt

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Paramount, like the other legacy video companies, is doubling down on their programming. “We’ll be thoughtful with how we deploy capital, with our world-class content being the priority.” Content, you'll remember from the '90s, is ostensibly king. Personally, though, I've never believed that. I'm sort of a McLuhan-ian on the subject. If you know one phrase associated with Marshall McLuhan, it is this: the medium is the message. That inscrutable riddle essentially means that the impact of a new medium is the medium itself-- not the content. Content isn't king. Conduit is king. Channel is king. The medium is the message. And therein lies the rub. In the beginning, broadcast TV was a great business. But not because someone had the brilliant idea of putting Milton Berle in a dress. No, it was because broadcasters had spectrum space-- a finite commodity that, if you owned some, enabled you to put a big stick out in a field and basically print money. It wasn't content that was king. It was spectrum space. Now fast forward to the '70s, and the arrival of cable. A pipe bringing TV directly into the home. This didn't augur well. Except that must-carry and retransmission fees turned distribution into a profit center for broadcasters, not a cost. Suddenly they made money before selling a single ad. Life was good. But now, instead of using spectrum space or fiber to get your shows into my house, you have to use... bandwidth. And this is bad, because you pay for bandwidth.  Distribution has gone from profit center to cost center. And it gets worse. Because once the conduit is bandwidth, there's no scarcity. And now, you're competing with Apple and Amazon and Google. I was on a panel maybe 18 months ago with Julian Zilberbrand, then at Paramount. He lamented, "How do we compete with these companies? They're ten times our size." After, I said to him, "I'm never, ever going to cancel Prime. You wanna know why?" Free shipping. How does a company like Paramount compete with free shipping? As distribution has shifted from spectrum to fiber to bandwidth, the economics of TV have fundamentally changed. To retain cord-cutting viewers, programmers must migrate them to streaming. But every cord-cutting streamer is a less profitable viewer. Quality content is obviously important. But it's not a viable business model for broadcasters, because you pay for content, and the tech companies have way more money. I learned this lesson a while ago: if you’re competing on assets you have to write checks for, make sure you can write the biggest checks. America's traditional video companies were built on spectrum space. But that asset is gone. So now, they need to find a new way to establish sustainable, profitable differentiation. “Having the best shows” is not going to be a winning strategy. So what is? I’m not entirely sure. But it’s going to involve deconstructing some very big, beloved companies, and reassembling the pieces in new ways.

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Failure is a part of the game in advertising. Whether it stems from a partner's decisions or campaign outcomes, taking risks means sometimes falling short. I love this article's insight into how to approach and leverage failure. As a leader I have always tried to make room for failure—it's essential for our growth as creatives. #creativity #agencylife #leadership #creativedirector

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See below what happened in #BloombergTech in SF yesterday! Learn all about the latest in Tech, AI and even Space! Excited for #BloombergTech London that is coming up this October :) Get in touch! #techsummit #BloombergTechsummit #AI #tech

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Amazon is pushing in on Branded Entertainment. A lot of big companies are pushing in on Branded Entertainment right now. Nike The Coca-Cola Company LVMH and a score of others. One of the reasons I got into it, plus Original Film has been selling products in its movies forever. Dodge, Gucci, Motorcycles, T-Shirts, and more toys that you can possibly imagine. SEGA merchandise jumped in sales 10x from the first movie alone. 20% growth YOY after that… Crazy numbers. #film #TV #entertainment #brandedentertainment #business #financing #theboys #cruelintentions Original Film

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A week of explosive acquisitions, partnerships, and announcements 🤯 National Basketball Association (NBA) finalizes massive $76B rights deal. Live sports is the tipping point for convergent TV and streaming 🏀 Skydance merges with Paramount Global. Another sign that Silicon Valley tech and money are all in on media💰 Live Joe Rogan comedy special is coming to Netflix. Streamers are expanding live events beyond just sports to differentiate and capture more viewers 🎙️ Lowe's Companies, Inc. ONE platforms expands to in-store audio. There’s no digital channel that RMNs can’t touch 🎧 Well done John Storms RMNs get a boost with Criteo & Microsoft Advertising partnership. Using data and commerce media to unify a fragmented RMN space. BlueConic acquires Jebbit. CDPs manage 1PD and now are looking to also create it💡 Never a dull moment 🎢

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IFYKYK Part 4. The latest from the MAGNA 2024 US Ad Markets Summer Update. On a national basis, the Spectrum TV app is at the same tier as Amazon Prime Video and Hulu. Yes, I said national. Once again….This is how we harness chaos for brands and agencies. And it’s why we are far and away the #1 multiscreen video provider in our markets. Spectrum Reach #builtforwhatsnowandwhatsnext

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In a bold move reflective of broader market trends, Spotify has once again raised its prices for Premium subscribers in the U.S. This decision marks another significant development in the music streaming landscape, influencing not just consumer behavior but also the economic framework within which we operate. As leaders in this dynamic industry, we must consider how these price adjustments affect consumer loyalty and market competition. What strategies should music companies adopt to balance profitability with customer satisfaction? This ongoing evolution offers both challenges and opportunities, prompting us to think critically about our approaches. #MusicIndustry #StreamingServices #BusinessStrategy #Spotify

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✅🖥️ Variety (5/8): “The companies announced a new streaming bundle comprising Disney+, Hulu and Max will be available this summer in the U.S. There’s no pricing info or specific launch date at this point. Disney and WBD said the bundle will be available for purchase on any of the three streaming platforms’ websites and offered as both an ad-supported and ad-free plan. As streaming has fueled the steady erosion of the pay-TV industry, the moves by otherwise competing media companies to partner up on streaming bundles looks like an attempt to reconstitute cable TV. But both Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery have touted the benefits of bundles by boosting engagement and lowering churn (i.e., cancelation rates). The perk for consumers is typically a discounted price compared with paying for individual services separately.” ⬇️ #bundle #avod #svod #streamingtv #ctvadvertising #churn https://lnkd.in/e462pV7q

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I never take for granted the privilege of having a career I love. Coupled with the opportunity to collaborate in projects with talented filmmakers like Esteban Pedraza and Alexandra Qin, truly creates the perfect recipe for a thriving career. One of those projects was a public service announcement (PSA) campaign developed for the Crisis Line of the Sexual Assault Center in Tennessee, aimed at affirming that the Crisis Line is a safe and supportive space for all survivors. The PSA prominently featured individuals from the LGBTQ+ community and diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, ensuring that every survivor could see themselves represented. The campaign portrayed individuals discussing how past assaults continued to affect their daily lives and provided education on what to expect when calling the Crisis Line. This initiative was crafted in close collaboration with Crisis Line staff to gain a deep understanding of the call process, the data, the challenges in reaching diverse audiences, and the common misconceptions that deter people from seeking help. Culture Shift Team (CST) discovered that a fear-based narrative was less effective and that a tone of gentle encouragement and empowerment was essential. The campaign strategically depicted survivors in typical daily situations, showing the pervasive impact of sexual assault on their lives and illustrating how reaching out to the Crisis Line could bring relief from the persistent thoughts that haunted their day-to-day experiences. Ultimately, the PSA aimed to empower survivors, encouraging them to seek help and illustrating the positive outcomes of doing so through the experiences of the actors featured in the campaign. Our firm, Culture Shift Team, Inc., is a leading consultancy specializing in multicultural marketing and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), committed to driving equitable change through data-informed and culture-driven strategies. To learn more about our work, visit the link below. https://lnkd.in/gtGWy2Xa #cultureshiftteam #DEI #culture #inclusivemarketing #multiculturalmarketing

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Two weeks ago, I was up until 3 am discussing all things TTPD with some friends on a Discord server. From the first album drop to the full anthology two hours later, we spent hours analyzing the lyrics (and who the songs were about) and the evolution of Taylor Swift's brand from her country days to popstar status to a somewhat Indie chick with Folklore. Taylor's brand offers several lessons to brand marketers on how to stand out among the competition Here are 5 lessons that I think are relevant and timeless. #marketing #brandmarketing #customerengagement

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