Each week we collate ‘Five Things You Should Have Read This Week’ – a summation of the tastiest tech stories from the past seven days. From disruptive apps to valuable stats, it’s a weekly feast of what’s most exciting and interesting in the tech world. It’s too good to keep just to ourselves, so for your reading and learning enjoyment we bring it to you here each week…
After weeks of speculation, Facebook finally reveals details on its long form video push, while YouTube announces plans to cut back on its 30-second unskippable ad format by 2018. Apple finds itself in a state of ‘content confusion’ following its ‘Planet of the Apps’ series preview, and in other ‘series’ news, Discovery and Snapchat reveal ‘Shark Week’ as part of a content deal venture. But not all is exciting in Snapchat’s world, as its current IPO raises concerns on the platform’s future.
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Facebook Reveals Long Form Video Push, Including Apps For Connected TVs
After weeks of speculation, Facebook has finally revealed details about its long form video push. The company is planning on releasing apps for platforms like Apple TV that will allow users to watch videos recommended to them or saved from their feed. It ties into the company’s push to have publishers make longer form videos and its efforts to prioritise them in the news feed.
WHY SHOULD I CARE?
Beyond it revealing Facebook’s true status as a media opportunity, it shows the company plans on taking on YouTube more aggressively. By having TV apps across platforms, it will also create new ad opportunity on Facebook, especially interesting as audiences here are more lean back than on mobile.
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Facebook aren’t giving up on mobile video – they announced improvements in vertical video and sound on for videos in feed when a person’s phone audio is on and they aren’t listening to music – but this is a big push into a more traditional realm for the social giant. Expect it to coincide with the launch of some series from the company’s original content division in the months ahead.
More: Recode, Facebook
YouTube Cuts Back On Unskippable Ads, Ditches :30 Second Format
Google has announced they will be phasing out the :30 second unskippable ad format on YouTube by 2018, according to Campaign. Unskippable ad formats will still be made available, but only in lengths less than :30 seconds. Google says this is to improve the on platform experience for users, who don’t like being made to wait through a lengthy ad to watch content.
WHY SHOULD I CARE?
Between the decline in viewership of ad supported TV and now changes to formats available on YouTube, traditional means of interrupting media with advertising are somewhat under threat. Consumers brought up on digital platforms just don’t have the patience to wait through lengthy ads ahead of their content, and so platforms like YouTube are making changes so they don’t lose viewers.
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
While short form interruptive formats will continue to exist, it is increasingly important for us to consider why people would want to watch the content we’re making. Choice is often the only reason people will need to keep watching, as the days of a captive audience waiting for their program to come back on begin to disappear.
More: Campaign
Apple “Content Confusion” As Company Fails In Potential Acquisition Deals, Is Slammed For Planet Of The Apps
Apple is in a state of “content confusion,” evidenced by a fizzled out deal to acquire Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment, according to the Financial Times. The reveal of the failed deal comes at the same time Apple is being hammered in the tech press for a preview of its Planet of the Apps reality series.
WHY SHOULD I CARE?
Apple, along with Facebook, is one of the big names set to enter original content in 2017. The brand is launching its spinoff of the Carpool Karaoke series made famous by James Corden, as well as a reality series called Planet of the Apps, which shows app makers battling for investment in front of a panel of celebrity judges. The trailer for that series has been roundly critiqued by the press, and it seems set to tank at launch.
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Even if a deal with Howard’s Imagine Entertainment has stalled, it’s likely Apple is not done looking for potential acquisitions. The company needs a foothold in content creation, and securing a team with a high taste level capable of producing hits will be key if they are to attract more subscribers to their Apple Music platform, meant to host this content.
More: Daring Fireball, The Financial Times, Business Insider
Discovery And Snapchat Announce Exclusive On Platform Content Deal Including Famed Shark Week Series
Discovery Communications and Snapchat have signed a deal for the content creator to make short from series for the platform, according to Variety. The deal will see Discovery bring programming like Shark Week to the Snapchat and promote this programming as an advertising venue for its clients. It’s the fifth deal of its kind for Snapchat, who recently announced similar partnerships with the BBC, New York Times, A+E, and Time.
WHY SHOULD I CARE?
Snapchat has has a rough run in to its IPO, with some reports suggesting daily usage is sharply down in the wake of Instagram introducing Stories. But these deals show Snapchat doesn’t just envisage itself as a communications platform, but also a media platform where its very particular audience will be treated to content custom created for them.
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
There are no guarantees Snapchat doesn’t go the way of Twitter, unable to scale as other platforms develop similar features worldwide. But they are taking steps to preserve interest from their core demographic, providing programming designed for them, in an effort to increase time spent on platform. While the IPO is worth watching, it will be interesting to see how this content is viewed by the platform’s users and whether it increasingly becomes a destination for consumption.
More: Variety , AdWeek
Snapchat’s IPO Documentation Reveals Why You Should Be Worried About The Platform’s Future
Snapchat’s initial public offering reveals the company is technically in worse shape than Twitter at IPO, and is claiming what will make it successful is its ability to out innovate the competition, according to Ben Thompson. Thompson details how the company is not interested in building “a sustainable competitive advantage” or “moat” around its product, rather, it is entirely reliant on its ability to bring new and interesting products to consumers faster and better than the competition.
WHY SHOULD I CARE?
In a Facebook dominated social world, Snapchat is choosing to be the Apple to its Microsoft. The challenge here is that Apple nearly collapsed the first time around, overly reliant on its ability to create a better product in an environment where leveraging an existing user base made Microsoft way more successful. Speigel’s Snapchat is choosing the same path, confident it knows users better than anyone else does, just as Jobs often claimed at Apple.
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Snapchat intention is to capture the top end of the advertising market in mobile, especially among its key 18 – 24 years old demographic. It’s not worried about scale, like Facebook, and instead believes it can own this top bracket and deliver a better experience for them that keeps them coming back for more. Whether or not that’s possible is entirely up for debate, but it does seem a challenging assignment when your lock-in is under threat from rivals like Instagram already.
More: Stratechery