Multimedia storytelling

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Multimedia storytelling When is it worth it and
how do you knowif your site does it effectively?
When its a sustainable growing business
Ashley Wells, Creative Director
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About msnbc.com
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Ranking in total audience for news sites in June
by Nielsen NetRating. 37.6 million unique users
(we count 95 million)
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Ranking in news video audience in May by Nielsen
Video Census. 8 million unique users, 113 million
streams
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Sites operated by MSNBC Digital Networks
msnbc.com, NBCSports.com, TodayShow.com
Newsvine.com
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About msnbc.com
President, Microsoft / NBC Board
GA 8
Sales 20
Marketing biz dev 10
Editorial 110
Technology 80
Distribution community 5
Multimedia (photo) 10
Creative 20
Coproduction video 25
Sections 25
News 25
Concepts 4
Interactive Producers 6
Site UI 4
Graphics 5
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Types of original multimedia
Scalability
HIGH
LOW
Slideshows
Audio-driven slide shows
Simpleinteractives
Originalvideo
Custominteractives
Mapmash-ups
5
Types of original multimedia
Approximate proportions on msnbc.com
Slideshows
Audio-driven slide shows
Simpleinteractives
Originalvideo
Custominteractives
Mapmash-ups
6
Slide shows

• Highly templated
• Simple production tools
• Short production time
• Doesnt require new staff skill sets
• Easy to leverage offline assets
• Return easy to measure
• Adequate ad model

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Slide shows
300,000 260,000 220,000 180,000 140,000 100
,000 60,000
Page views needed to cover costs
Daily news slide showCost (60 3 hrs.)
180CPM 2
Week in PicturesCost (65 12 hrs.)
240CPM 5
Animal Tracks slide showCost (60 4 hrs.)
120CPM 15
Page views to break even (((cost per hour
hours to produce) other costs) / CPM) 1,000
8
Slide shows
300,000 260,000 220,000 180,000 140,000 100
,000 60,000
Page views needed to cover costs
Daily news slide showCost (60 3 hrs.)
180CPM 2
Week in PicturesCost (65 12 hrs.)
240CPM 5
Animal Tracks slide showCost (60 4 hrs.)
120CPM 15
Page views to break even (((cost per hour
hours to produce) other costs) / CPM) 1,000
9
Audio-driven slide shows

• Highly templated
• Simple production tools
• Builds on existing staff skill sets
• Leverages offline assets well
• Moderate to short production time
• Return can be difficult to measure
• Inadequate ad model

10
Audio-driven slide shows
300,000 260,000 220,000 180,000 140,000 100
,000 60,000
Page views needed to cover costs
Daily news sequenceCost 60 3 hrs.CPM 2
Sequences from fieldCost (70 24 hrs.)
500CPM 10
Scars from Iraq projectCost (70 18 hrs.)
500CPM 4
Page views to break even (((cost per hour
hours to produce) other costs) / CPM) 1,000
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Audio-driven slide shows
300,000 260,000 220,000 180,000 140,000 100
,000 60,000
Page views needed to cover costs
Daily news sequenceCost 60 3 hrs.CPM 2
Sequences from fieldCost (70 24 hrs.)
500CPM 10
Scars from Iraq projectCost (70 18 hrs.)
500CPM 4
Page views to break even (((cost per hour
hours to produce) other costs) / CPM) 1,000
12
Simple interactives

• Builds on existing staff skill sets
• Leverages offline assets well
• May be highly templated
• May use simple production tools
• Moderate to low production time
• Return getting easier to measure
• Inadequate ad model

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Simple interactives
1,400,000 1,200,000 1,000,000 800,000 600,00
0 400,000 200,000
Page views needed to cover costs
Original timelineCost 60 48 hrs.CPM 2
Re-use of timelineCost 60 4 hrs. CPM 2
Re-use of character galleryCost 60 4
hrs.CPM 10
Page views to break even (((cost per hour
hours to produce) other costs) / CPM) 1,000
14
Simple interactives
1,400,000 1,200,000 1,000,000 800,000 600,00
0 400,000 200,000
Page views needed to cover costs
Original timelineCost 60 48 hrs.CPM 2
Re-use of timelineCost 60 4 hrs. CPM 2
Re-use of character galleryCost 60 4
hrs.CPM 10
Page views to break even (((cost per hour
hours to produce) other costs) / CPM) 1,000
15
Map mash-ups

• May build on existing staff skills
• May be highly templated
• Partly uses simple tools
• May leverages offline assets
• Moderate to low production time
• Return can be difficult to measure
• Inadequate ad model

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Map mash-ups
175,000 150,000 125,000 100,000 75,000 50,0
00 25,000
Page views needed to cover costs
Map with fixed pointsCost 60 2 hrs.CPM 2
Map with dynamic dataCost 70 6 hrs.CPM 15
Page views to break even (((cost per hour
hours to produce) other costs) / CPM) 1,000
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Map mash-ups
175,000 150,000 125,000 100,000 75,000 50,0
00 25,000
Page views needed to cover costs
Map with fixed pointsCost 60 2 hrs.CPM 2
Map with dynamic dataCost 70 6 hrs.CPM 15
Page views to break even (((cost per hour
hours to produce) other costs) / CPM) 1,000
18
Original video

• Highly templated
• Return usually easy to measure
• Maturing ad model
• Moderate to long production time
• Difficult to leverage offline assets
• Often requires new staff skill sets
• Sophisticated production tools

19
Original video
175,000 150,000 125,000 100,000 75,000 50,0
00 25,000
Page views needed to cover costs
In-studio clipCost 65 3 hrs.CPM 20
Field-produced clipCost (65 16 hrs.)
500CPM 25
Field-produced featureCost (65 80 hrs.)
1200CPM 40
Page views to break even (((cost per hour
hours to produce) other costs) / CPM) 1,000
20
Original video
175,000 150,000 125,000 100,000 75,000 50,0
00 25,000
Page views needed to cover costs
In-studio clipCost 65 3 hrs.CPM 20
Field-produced clipCost (65 16 hrs.)
500CPM 25
Field-produced featureCost (65 80 hrs.)
1200CPM 40
Page views to break even (((cost per hour
hours to produce) other costs) / CPM) 1,000
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Custom interactives

• May leverage offline assets
• Often requires new staff skill sets
• Usually long production time
• Difficult to use templates
• Sophisticated production tools
• Return can be difficult to measure
• Inadequate ad model

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Custom interactives
4,000,000 3,500,000 3,000,000 2,500,000 2,00
0,000 1,500,000 1,000,000
Page views needed to cover costs
Large scale project 1Cost 65 120 hrs.CPM 2
Large scale project 2Cost (65 150 hrs.)
250CPM 12
Page views to break even (((cost per hour
hours to produce) other costs) / CPM) 1,000
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Custom interactives
4,000,000 3,500,000 3,000,000 2,500,000 2,00
0,000 1,500,000 1,000,000
Page views needed to cover costs
Large scale project 1Cost 65 120 hrs.CPM 2
Large scale project 2Cost (65 150 hrs.)
250CPM 12
Page views to break even (((cost per hour
hours to produce) other costs) / CPM) 1,000
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Comparing multimedia
1,050,000 900,000 750,000 600,000 450,000 3
00,000 150,000
Page views needed to cover costs
Slideshow
Audioslide show
Simple interactive
Mapmash-up
Originalvideo
Custominteractive
Textstory
Approximate return on investment using similar
scope projects with normalized CPMs
25
Comparing multimedia
1,050,000 900,000 750,000 600,000 450,000 3
00,000 150,000
Page views needed to cover costs
EditorialBoost page views
SalesBoost CPMs
GAReduce costs
Slideshow
Audioslide show
Simple interactive
Mapmash-up
Originalvideo
Custominteractive
Textstory
Approximate return on investment using similar
scope projects with normalized CPMs
26
Comparing multimedia
1,050,000 900,000 750,000 600,000 450,000 3
00,000 150,000
Page views needed to cover costs
Slideshow
Audioslide show
Simple interactive
Mapmash-up
Originalvideo
Custominteractive
Textstory
Approximate return on investment using similar
scope projects with normalized CPMs