Facebook yesterday announced Facebook Media, a hub that, according to Director of Media Partnerships Nick Grudin, showcases ‘great examples and new trends illustrating how public figures, organizations and media are using Facebook to connect with their audiences.’
In the past year, Facebook has become the go-to platform for brands advertising on mobile. It has also made major strides to enter the social TV conversation – introducing APIs designed for producers to seamlessly integrate data into telecasts, leveraging Instagram during red carpet events, and creating new products such as the ‘Mentions Box.’
Among the seven categories on Facebook Media is ‘TV,’ which currently includes two success stories (‘Game of Thrones Hosts Season 4 Premiere Event’ and ‘Pepsi IPL Cricket Tournament Integrates Facebook with TV’), one post (‘The 2014 Emmy Awards: Stars Answer Fan Questions on the Red Carpet’), and one best practice (‘Integrate TV with Social Content’).
The ‘Game of Thrones’ activation, which consisted of a red carpet event for the show’s Season 4 premiere along with a live Q&A and a Facebook-exclusive trailer, resulted in an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Interactive Program.
Facebook is, at this point, at the receiving end of partnership requests from major brands, but Facebook Media will be particularly useful for small TV networks, brands, and agencies, looking to create ‘big’ programs on a smaller scale.