People TV Looks for Web Viewers to Linger Longer

When it comes to Web videos, the conventional wisdom has been that shorter is better. In other words, viewers don’t have the patience to watch long clips. So in a bid to keep people on the site longer, People.com is taking a gamble with a new video channel that’ll play for at least six minutes. People TV, which launches July 10, will string together multiple videos on different celebrities, each lasting 30 to 45 seconds.People TV will replace a video channel that consists of conventional-length 2- to 3-minute videos. The site’s videos also will move to People.com’s home page, where they’ll get more prominence.The idea is that the frequent subject changes will keep viewers engaged for the duration of the videos. “What you have on any given day is six-to-eight video streams on the home page,” explained Mark Golin, editor of the Time Inc.-owned site. “So it keeps changing rapidly and it keeps your interest.”Golin’s goal is to get monthly streams up to eight to 10 million per month, more than double the 3 to 4 million monthly streams the site had been generating.The varied video format also is designed to create more inventory for marketers. Kraft, the launch advertiser, will run ads interspersed among the videos for several of its brands including Jello and Crystal Light.How does Golin know viewership won’t drop off after the second or third video? “We don’t,” he admitted. “We’re going to be very interested to find out.”

Performance Marketing

People TV Looks for Web Viewers to Linger Longer

Lucia Moses

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Lucia Moses