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Mobile Monday: CNN’s Great Big Story & 50 States of Sneakers

Posted Jul 10, 2017

In this edition of Mobile Monday, we are examining what the latest developments at CNN’s video startup mean for publishing trends as well as how Adidas is leveraging product customization with a singular message to support a cause.

CNN Doubles Down on Modern Storytelling
A couple years ago, CNN unveiled its short-form video startup Great Big Story, which Fast Company described as CNN’s response to Vice and Buzzfeed. The startup aims to captivate millennials with catchy video content.

Less than two years later, CNN is doubling down on this strategy, and is investing $40 Million into the studio in order to develop a 24-hour streaming network. The “always-on” network is expected to launch in the summer of 2018 and will tout a mixture of  long-form, unscripted, and otherwise acquired content. Distribution for the channel will include over-the-top services, skinny bundles, and other digital delivery platforms.

Meanwhile, Vice recently raised $450 million, and BuzzFeed is into its second round of funding from NBCUniversal. With all three content powerhouses investing heavily in video content designed for modern user experiences (ie: digital & mobile), we can only hope that even more traditional publishers will follow suit.

50 States of Sneakers
The merits of ad localization and customization for increasingly granular audience segments go without saying. After all, people like — and expect — custom tailored content and experiences. Of course, the ability to customize an ad for something is limited to the number of angles that the product can be (hopefully honestly) portrayed.

However, let’s flip the concept for a minute. What if the message is universal — while still following many mobile video advertising best practices in its announcement video — but the product itself as customized,? What if it benefited a cause more aspirational than personal preferences?

Enter the new Adidas and Refinery29 partnership to develop unique sneakers for each state in the US. Each unique shoe will be auctioned off for charity to support the Women Win organization.

About AdColony Mobile Mondays
Mobile Monday examines the latest news, trends, and developments in mobile apps, tech, and advertising. Do you have a story to share for the next Mobile Monday? Tweet it to . For the latest AdColony mobile news and updates, follow  on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or connect on Linkedin.

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