The Interactive Advertising Bureau, a trade organization for the digital advertising industry, announced on Monday that it would lead the second annual Digital Content Newfronts in April. The conference takes its cue from the television “upfronts†in May, when broadcast and cable networks show off their new offerings to advertisers.
The conference's founding partners include AOL, YouTube, Hulu, Microsoft, Yahoo and Digitas, a digital advertising agency that is part of the Publicis Groupe. All of the founding partners gave presentations last year, as did some organizations more accustomed to the traditional television upfronts - like MTV, Oxygen and Syfy - who were trying to secure digital advertising dollars.
Digitas has organized digital upfront type events since 2008, while making its own large presentation last spring under the newly branded event, Digital Content NewFronts.
But having Digitas in such a major role raised questions about the ability to expand the event, said Randall Rothenberg, the president and chief executive of the I.A.B.
“The impression that it was owned by a single agency looked like it would impede future growth,†he said. “They wanted the optics to be much more inclusive of the broader digital ecosystem.â€
Presenters participating next year must meet three criteria, Mr. Rothenberg said. They must create original digital video content that is distributed online, not just repurpose what runs on, say, television. Presenters must also have a video advertising sales force and must show strong demand for the company's content.
Mr. Rothenberg said his organization would charge a fee to participants that would then go toward research and the other I.A.B. projects.
The Digital Content NewFronts will be held April 29 through May 3 in New York City.
Tanzina Vega writes about advertising and digital media. Follow @tanzi navega on Twitter.
