Roku Brand Studio Gets its First In-Person Test With Tribeca X

Merely having access to tens of thousands of hours of streaming video content isn't enough for either competitive differentiation or consumer satisfaction, Roku has concluded. So, the over-the-top TV platform provider is looking to draw a clearer connection in viewers' minds that it is a primary source of premium content. One way the company is doing that is through its participation as the presenting sponsor for Tribeca X, which honors brands and creators as part of the Tribeca Film Festival. It's a bright spotlight for Roku, given the other brands involved. Billed as the entertainment industry’s first post-pandemic, in-person gathering Tribeca X kicked off last Friday. Roku CEO Anthony Wood was on the marquee along with Walmart CEO Doug McMillon and Procter & Gamble Chief Brand Officer Marc Pritchard. As Adweek reported, Roku more than doubled its monetized video ad impressions year-over-year in Q1. Roku also increased streaming hours by 1.4 billion over the last quarter to reach 18.3 billion hours streamed, a 49% year-over-year increase. Roku climbed past 53 million accounts, adding 2.4 million in the quarter to hit 53.6 million. To keep up with that demand, the company expects to release an additional 45 Roku Originals this year to complement The Roku Channel’s library of more than 40,000 free movies and television programs and more than 190 live linear channels already offered to viewers. We spoke to Chris Bruss, head of Roku Brand Studio, about its Tribeca X participation and what it means for the company's brand identity. Adweek: What led the company to launch its own brand studio? Chris Bruss: We launched Roku Brand Studio to help marketers go beyond the 30-second TV spot and reach streamers who spend most of their time in ad-free, subscription-only environments. Roku Brand Studio helps amplify big moments in the marketing calendar, through the creation of advertiser-driven, short or mid-form branded content programs, interactive video ads and other brand experiences that are additive to the user—and all on the largest screen in the home. For example, TurboTax was the official sponsor of The Roku Channel’s March College Hoops Editorial Hub. This included interactive ad units, a pre-show, a pause-break featuring a customized Snapchat augmented reality lens experience, search zone, and a spotlight ad on our homescreen. We also worked with The Players’ Tribune to produce exclusive content for the hub, featuring prominent former players such as Grant Hill and Christian Laettner. The AR lens experience let streamers scan to shoot basketballs on their TV screens with TurboTax branding throughout. How does presenting Tribeca X with the Tribeca Film Festival reflect Roku’s current brand marketing strategy? Roku pioneered streaming to the TV. We connect users to the streaming content they love, enable content publishers to build and monetize large audiences and provide advertisers with unique capabilities to engage consumers. We see the shift of TV and film to streaming. This shift relies on the sort of premium storytelling and brilliant filmmaking highlighted at the Tribeca Festival. What’s the value of sponsoring Tribeca Film Festival? Is this a way of highlighting Roku’s push for more original content? Tribeca X marks the first moment since the pandemic when industry leaders in marketing and entertainment will reconnect in-person and aid in the efforts to revitalize the city’s economy, navigate technological transformation and thoughtfully rebuild the industry with renewed purpose. We’re thrilled to convene the industry at this critical moment when the shift to TV streaming can amplify creators’ voices and help brands speak with purpose and creativity. We recently premiered Roku Recommends, a weekly content discovery series hosted by Maria Menounos and Andrew “Hawk” Hawkins, pointing our users towards the newest content available, as well as highlighting hidden gems across the thousands of channels available on the Roku platform. And in July we’ll be premiering a celebrity-hosted talk show, created in collaboration with Maker’s Mark. While our sponsorship of Tribeca X is focused more on Roku Brand Studio, we’re also very excited about Roku Originals, which premiered in May on National Streaming Day. Roku Originals have already been a huge hit on The Roku Channel, with Die Hart already being renewed for a second season. Streaming services, from platforms to content producers, were particularly valued by consumers as we were all under various stages of lockdowns and social distancing. How is Roku positioning itself for this transitional period as we’re all poised to spend less time on our couches? We believe the TV landscape has changed permanently for marketers and consumers and it’s not going back. As a marketer, if you're trying to use TV as a way to reach folks, traditional TV no longer cuts it. Traditional TV ratings have declined 39% over the past four years, and the median age for the major broadcast networks has inched past 60 years old. This is why marketers are now buying TV like they watch TV. The mission of Roku Brand Studio is to connect marketers with streamers in a more meaningful way. Why Brands Are Streamlining Their Approach to Streaming