“I truly believe the audience is the boss,” Refinery29’s Chief Content Officer, Amy Emmerich, says in this interview with Beet.TV at the recently completed Digital Content NewFronts 2018.
Refinery29’s audience makes itself known through “the way they talk to us every single day” through comments, shares, engagements and “direct interactions” via its Mad Chatter feedback platform plus live events, Emmerich adds. Those insights are mixed with “the love and care and attention of people who work within the building who are also women of all kinds. And then we put them together to decide where can we use all of this power and make sure that we’re covering the things that we know matter to them.”
Topics like representation, sex and money “are the categories that they’re trying to own in the future that people are still quite ignoring them on.”
Refinery29’s editorial team leads with stories and series as opposed to platforms in considering how best to engage with its audiences. “It’s not where it is, it’s what it is,” says Emmerich.
At its NewFronts presentation, Refinery29 announced the upcoming launch of “Beauty and the Beats,” which executive creative director and Refinery29 co-founder Piera Gelardi described as a “mobile, virtual reality DJ battle. It will be like a dance party that can go anywhere,” as MediaPost reports.
In all, Refinery29 announced 10 new and six returning digital video series, some in partnership with companies and brands.
Emmerich describes the new series as “a bit more investigative. Really taking our editorial team and putting them in front of the lens and trying to dive into the topics that they cover.”
A new series titled Shady investigates the business of counterfeit cosmetics, while Pride is a six-part documentary series featuring producer Christine Vachon that addresses LGBTQ issues “through a historical lens but also layering pop culture,” says Emmerich.
This video is part of Beet.TV’s coverage of the Digital Content NewFronts 2018. The series a co-presentation of Beet.TV and the IAB. Please see additional videos from the series on this page.
]]>“They’re the boss of me,” Chief Content Officer Amy Emmerich says of the company’s audience, which Refinery29 says represents a global footprint of over 500 million across all platforms.
About 12 years ago, Refinery29 flipped the traditional publisher-reader business model to give the latter a far bigger role.
“I think there’s something about the way that old business works is that you need to own everything for yourself,” Emmerich says in this interview with Bee.TV. “I think we have done is shown the audience that they already have the power. We are here to serve it.”
Refinery29 does that by creating lifestyle stories, original video programming and social, shareable content across all platforms. “There’s about 13 channels that we create content for,” she says. “I think we’re at about 3,500 pieces a month.”
Emmerich joined the company about 18 months ago, with stints at Scripps Networks Interactive, VICE Media and Travel Channel under her belt. By that time, “The bond was already built” between the publisher and its audiences. “This isn’t something that happened overnight,” she adds.
Asked for her thoughts on conversations at the ongoing Digital Content NewFronts, Emmerich touches on brand partners and trust at a time when one is fervently seeking the other. For advertisers, it’s about how you message and what you’re messaging.
“What I was hoping that would come out today is that some of those messages have to change,” Emmerich says. “Audiences trust us and we want our brand partners to trust us that we can help. Because it only serves all of us.”
Doubling back on the word “trust,” she says “I think right now that’s a pretty important word that people are looking for.”
This video is part of Beet.TV’s coverage of the IAB’s Digital Content NewFronts 2017. The series is sponsored by the IAB. For more videos from the #NewFronts, please visit this page.
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