NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In advance of its celebration of “Culture Unbound” at an experiential advertiser Upfront showcase on May 14 and 15 in New York, Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) unveiled a robust slate of new initiatives to serve its marketing partners.
“We are transforming UCI for the future, and our unwavering commitment to the Hispanic community is our number one priority,” said Randy Falco, President and Chief Executive Officer of UCI. “With an incredibly diverse portfolio and a deep consumer connection based in trust and authenticity, we remain the No. 1 destination to reach U.S. Hispanics with scale. The rollout of these meaningful new advertiser services ensures UCI is well positioned for dynamic growth in 2018.”
At a press briefing in New York on May 4, Tonia O’Connor, UCI’s Chief Revenue Officer, spoke to how the Company’s modern consultative approach – built on the intersection of distribution, data and advertising – helps marketers leverage UCI’s exceptional relationship with a highly coveted consumer demographic.
“We’re number one with Hispanics. Period,” said O’Connor, noting the power of UCI’s multibillion dollar portfolio and the Company’s unfettered ability to employ its cultural capital as the undisputed leader in the category. “UCI’s credibility and reach can help brands make meaningful connections with the nearly 60 million Hispanics driving the culture and economy of this country. We have built a trust with our audience over the past half-century that is unmatched in the marketplace.”
In addition to emphasizing the unequalled ability to reach Hispanics with a broad portfolio that includes the No. 1 broadcast network, cable network and sports network for Spanish-language viewers, UCI announced 20 digital content initiatives that will enhance the Company’s existing relationship with consumers and provide meaningful entry points for marketers in the year ahead. From a creative perspective, these partnerships, with brands including ACE Media – the content and production arm of the NFL Players Association, Facebook Watch, Oath, POPSUGAR, Snapchat, TED, and The Players’ Tribune, underscore UCI’s ability to customize content for a variety of platforms and go beyond the one-size-fits-all content model.
The Company also unveiled Aperture by Univision Communications, a suite of data-driven advertising tools, as well as plans to invest heavily in content development with the launch of UCI Studios, a new enterprise-wide content studio that will leverage the power of Fokal, a best-in-class analytics firm. By providing clients with significant insights about the country’s fastest growing demographic and leveraging its ability to tell stories that matter to its audience, UCI offers marketers a one-stop resource to engage and empower the Hispanic community with compelling content. O’Connor also shared details about a new direct-to-consumer SVOD service that will feature content from leading content creators, including BBC, Comarex, RCN, RTVE, Televisa, Viacom, and others.
UCI’S Expertise with Hispanic Millennials Drives Partnerships with Best-in-Class Brands, including Facebook Watch, NFL Players Association, Oath, POPSUGAR, Snapchat, TED, and The Players’ Tribune
UCI announced several new and renewed strategic content partnerships with leading platforms and brands, among them Facebook Watch, POPSUGAR, Oath – including distribution across its house of brands and Video Activation Network, ACE Media – the content and production arm of the NFL Players Association, Snapchat, TED, and The Players’ Tribune on digital-first short form series. The content will live on multiple platforms across UCI and partner properties.
O’Connor added, “These partnerships with leading-edge brands speak to the fact that UCI reaches 85% of U.S. Hispanic millennials – a highly coveted, growing audience that is deeply passionate about authenticity and particularly receptive to messages in culture that connect to their interests and passions. We reach our consumers wherever they are and deliver buzz-worthy new content franchises that allow our brand partners to break through.”
New digital-first partnerships include:
- Snapchat - As part of this new deal with Snap Inc, UCI will develop and produce original shows for Snapchat’s Discover platform. The show formats will reflect Snap’s signature vertical video style, run about 3-5 minutes and be optimized for mobile consumption.
- Facebook Watch – Three recently renewed original series by UCN creators for Facebook Watch, including “Las Kardachas,” “Mexican Survival Guide,” and “Montoya’z Hollywood Break In.”
- POPSUGAR – Hispanic-targeted projects focusing on female empowerment, style and wellness.
UCI Forms Aperture by Univision Communications; New Unit Houses Enhanced and Existing Data-Driven Planning Tools
As part of its continued commitment to find new opportunities and uncover insights for marketers that shine a light on the Hispanic consumer, UCI announced a new brand for its data-driven marketing services: Aperture by Univision Communications. The suite of capabilities unified under this new moniker are:
- Precision Targeting - Helps clients tailor their campaigns with targeted ads based on household profiles and serve ads to specific households based on desired attributes.
- Campaign Builder - A self-serve platform with programmatic buying and audience-targeting capabilities.
- Campaign Impact – Evaluates the performance and effectiveness of clients’ campaigns. It can measure brand impact, action impact and sales impact on a national or local level.
“We have always been serious about the business of data and audience insights,” O’Connor said. “We see this newly launched unit as the next generation of our existing resources—an efficient and effective way for clients to gain much needed access to the Hispanic audience and build out impactful campaigns with reach and scale.”
Also available via Aperture is Fokal, a best-in-class analytics firm that uses its unified insights platform to enable businesses to run end-to-end analytics that drive results across all their data. This 360 approach allows UCI to build a complete view of the consumer across platforms, understanding marketing, content and advertising behaviors across hundreds of consumer touch points. UCI is an original investor and exclusive media partner to Fokal.
O’Connor added, “With Fokal, we can understand how brands best connect with addressable audience profiles; create the content that best resonates with that target audience; understand why creative performs the way it does; optimize and automate campaigns and messaging in real-time; and provide best-in-class reporting and analytics for any marketing campaign.”
UCI STUDIOS Leverages Storytelling Muscle of UCI Portfolio and Fokal’s Best-in-Class Analytics to Enhance Addressability Capabilities for Marketing Partners
UCI also announced the launch of UCI Studios, a new enterprise-wide, branded content studio bringing Onion Labs, Studio@Gizmodo and UCI’s creative arm under one umbrella for the very first time. This new venture will provide marketers with an innovative, one-stop resource to create relevant and relatable content along with access to the depth and breadth of the UCI portfolio.
“We recognize the value of a highly consultative approach, and UCI Studios will allow us to tap into the best storytellers in both English and Spanish to deliver true engagement for our marketing partners with the best in-culture branded content for our hyper-passionate audience,” said O’Connor. The move comes on the heels of bringing Liz Blacker, SVP of Branded Content Revenue, on board to spearhead branded content and build further capabilities that allow UCI to expand the growth areas of the business, particularly video and experiential.
Univision NOW Partners with BBC Studios, Comarex, RCN, RTVE, Televisa, Viacom, and Others for New Streaming SVOD Service
UCI has partnered with other leading content providers, including BBC Studios, Comarex, RCN, RTVE, Televisa, and Viacom, for a new video subscription service, which will be part of UCI’s expansive on-demand and live streaming service, Univision NOW.
“Think of it as the epicenter of Spanish-language entertainment – anchored and curated by Univision and bringing together the best titles from around the globe by other leading media companies and content creators,” said O’Connor about the new SVOD service.
The platform will be comprised of four new verticals that will give fans access to the best collection of content from around the globe, including binge-able dramas, non-scripted programs, children’s programming and international telenovelas. Titles featured will include and are not limited to: BBC Studios’ powerful drama about a troubled Catholic priest “Broken,” children’s animated series about friendship “Sarah & Duck” and the filmic documentary “Love & Hate Crime;” RTVE’s historical drama “Isabel S1-3” and modern drama “Traición;” and Viacom’s children series “Fairly Odd Parents” and “Yo Soy Franky,” as well as the reality series “Acapulco Shore.”
Viacom’s Sheri Weidner, SVP Partnerships, Distribution and Business Development, added, “We look forward to working collaboratively with Univision as they launch their service and deliver programming that represents the breadth of Spanish-language hits across our global properties, from top kids’ shows to groundbreaking reality formats that are enjoyed throughout the Spanish-speaking world.”
Visit corporate.univision.com for more information on UCI, and follow @UCIPRTeam on Twitter and Instagram.
About Univision Communications Inc.
Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) is the leading media company serving Hispanic America. The Company, a chief content creator in the U.S., includes Univision Network, one of the top networks in the U.S. regardless of language and the most-watched Spanish-language broadcast television network in the country, available in approximately 88% of U.S. Hispanic television households; UniMás, a leading Spanish-language broadcast television network available in approximately 82% of U.S. Hispanic television households; Univision Cable Networks, including Galavisión, the most-watched U.S. Spanish-language entertainment cable network, as well as UDN (Univision Deportes Network), the most-watched U.S. Spanish-language sports cable network, Univision tlnovelas, a 24-hour Spanish-language cable network dedicated to telenovelas, ForoTV, a 24-hour Spanish-language cable network dedicated to international news, and an additional suite of cable offerings - De Película, De Película Clásico, Bandamax, Ritmoson and Telehit; an investment in El Rey Network, a general entertainment English-language cable network; Univision Local Media, which owns and/or operates 63 television stations and 58 radio stations in major U.S. Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico; Univision Now, a direct-to-consumer, on demand and live streaming subscription service; Univision.com, the most-visited Spanish-language website among U.S. Hispanics; and Uforia, a music application featuring multimedia music content. The Company also includes assets that serve young, diverse audiences. This includes news and lifestyle English-language cable network FUSION TV and a collection of leading digital brands that span a range of categories: technology (Gizmodo), sports (Deadspin), lifestyle (Lifehacker), modern women’s interests (Jezebel), news and politics (Splinter), African American news and culture (The Root), gaming (Kotaku), Environment (Earther), and car culture (Jalopnik). Additionally, UCI has ownership in comedy and news satire brands The Onion, Clickhole, The A.V. Club and The Takeout. Headquartered in New York City, UCI has content creation facilities and sales offices in major cities throughout the United States. For more information, please visit corporate.univision.com.
