History may just be the most popular subject for 7-11 year olds this fall. A+E’s History brand– which works hard to infuse the subject with entertainment value to go along with informational substance —has just introduced two new apps targeted at kids: Empire Run and Frontier Heroes.
While there are many apps on the market that fall into the historical genre, Evan Silverman, SVP of Digital at A+E Networks said that the company “felt that there was an opportunity in the marketplace for historically-inspired apps that are fun for kids.” In analyzing the segment, Silverman says they found many of the apps lacked production value and “skewed to dry.” And History, which produces such popular programs as Vikings, Pawn Stars, and Ice Road Truckers, does not do dry.
In addition to seeing a market opportunity for fun historical apps, the cable network is “always looking for new ways to explore audiences and develop new brands within the larger History umbrella,” says Silverman. While the 7-11 year old set may not be its prime expansion demographic, the move will reinforce the brand among parents of young children who are likely to be happier approving the $2.99 app price tag given the reputation of the History brand. This certainly represents a growth opportunity, given that the network’s viewer profile is dominated by 55+ (42%) followed by the 25-54 age bracket (36%).
“We really focused on creating apps that parents would trust,” says Silverman.” The apps are part of a new “Planet H” brand, which will join H2 under the History umbrella. “We made a very conscious decision to charge up front and not include ads or in-app purchases. We also worked hard to create apps that parents would consider high quality and premium, and maybe even enjoy playing themselves.”
History developed its new Empire Run and Frontier Heroes apps in partnership with RED Games, a division of RED Interactive Agency. A&E Networks and RED Games teamed up previously to produce the popular Battle of the Beards game for A+E’s Duck Dynasty.
The choice to approach this audience through games also made sense given the low-cost to test the market (relative to developing a pilot or digital series). Silverman also points out that “with apps, you get a very fast read on whether something resonates with an audience: Do they like these characters, enjoy these particular historical eras?” This year, History plans to introduce one more game under the Planet H brand which Silverman will only say is an “exploration game.” However, if the games gain traction, we can expect much more.
“We don’t want this to be a one or two-off. We are making a commitment to launching a series of apps.” Silverman says that his team looked closely at the Toca Boca studio when formulating their plan for approaching this new audience mobile-first. Like Toca Boca, if they find an audience that embraces the fun in History, the Planet H brand will expand into other channels and content types including the possibility of merchandise sales and original digital programming.
“The History brand has really broadened over the years and now we speak to so many different audiences.” Silverman credits now-A+E CEO Nancy Dubuc with “genius, when she was running History, at viewing history through a contemporary lens instead of always looking backwards.” Planet H, he says, is just another step in that evolution.
It is important to note that the larger trend numbers don’t tell the whole story. While eMarketer finds double-digit gains across virtually all industries since 2009, they say that more important data is among the “subtrends within individual industries.” In particular, evolving mobile behavior is impacting spending trends. To reflect this significant industry condition, this year eMarketer includes its first estimates of mobile v. desktop spending on an industry-by-industry basis.
Somewhat stronger in the branding area is the US healthcare and pharmaceutical industry, which will spend $1.41 billion on paid digital media in 2014, including $373 million on mobile ad formats. This segment will invest 44% of its digital spend in branding-focused campaigns. An interesting growth segment among pharma and healthcare is the use of digital media to target small, specific audiences for expensive specialty drugs that treat less-common ailments.
The app starts off by letting users set one of six goals: 1) lose weight 2) eat healthier 3) be more active 4) control blood sugar 5) sleep better 6) feel better. Once goals are selected, Healthy Target recommends three habits that can help users reach them.
The 2014 FIFA World Cup is well under way and it is proving to be the most digital and social event in the history of Univision Deportes. The first six days of the 2014 FIFA World Cup have been the most visited days for Univision Digital of all time. Moreover, the live stream of the Mexico vs. Brazil game on June 17 received 3.63 million views, making it Univision’s most watched live stream ever.
A “huge step in ESPN’s digital strategy is personalization,” according to Stiegman. “Increasingly, we see the drive toward personalization. In more than a third of our visits, fans spend time in clubhouses and take a team-specific approach. They want the higher level stuff, but also want to follow their teams in depth.” To that end, the ESPN FC app starts with IP-based geolocation, and then prompts users to set which edition they want. Options include regional or specific team-centric coverage as well as language options that include Spanish and Portuguese. All matches will be available online in Portuguese via
The emphasis on social can be seen everywhere in the app but the social strategy is not solely focused on external channels such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest. They’ve included their own Pinterest-like virtual bookmarking tool which allows users to cut and paste photos and videos to populate their own public or private social stream, which Devito calls “our own Condé Nast Traveler inspiration board. ”Social integration was a key element of The Gold List app, says Devito, “because it creates a two-way platform. We’re not just pushing out information; we want to hear from our users too.”
Q: What do you see as the biggest opportunity in developing multiscreen experiences? 
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The site uses shorter, snappier headlines and features a “tap-to-load” button for navigation to the next suggested story. Glamour’s beauty readers, says Hofman, have a willingness to try new things and their research showed that “the number of products they buy is through the roof.” Thus, the essential inclusion of a “tap-to- buy” button, which may redirect to third party sites or to