Bloomberg becomes first publisher to build Snapchat footage into online video series
Bloomberg has revealed an online monthly video series 'Hello World' which has, in a first, incorporated footage shot through Snapchat.
The digital tech travel show aims to explore the way in which subcultures shape technology around the world.
Author and journalist Ashlee Vance hosts the show, and snaps from him and other members of the crew have been interwoven into the live shots from the field, with the aim of creating a “visceral sense of being along for the ride” for the audience, bringing in a new medium to "change the pace of the show", Ashlee Vance told The Drum.
To do this they incorporated "playful montages" into the show where the cast and crew got to flaunt their individual Snapchat "techniques", as well as using the Snapchat filters to deliver basic but useful information like the temperature at a place or the speed they were going while driving.
The "Hello World" team decided to focus on Snapchat over other video offerings like Twitter's Periscope or Facebook Live because it "really lent itself to what we want to do, which was inject short bursts of video that felt different into the show", said Vance. He did not rule out the use of other platforms, though, adding "It's possible that we'll do more with other mediums down the road".
What demographic is this helping you reach? Is this to appeal to a new generation of viewers?
"Hello World will appeal to a large demographic. It's a smart show about technology, as well as travel. It's certainly going to have its biggest audience on the web, where Bloomberg maintains a strong leadership position. We recorded an all-time high in UVs in December and we have an ambitious growth strategy to build on this momentum. It will also appeal to Bloomberg TV’s audience in more than 360 million households worldwide. I think the show will appeal to Snapchat fans and also, frankly, introduce Snapchat to a new audience" said Vance.
Keen to pull away from traditional tech shows that look almost exclusively at Google, Facebook, Apple and Silicon Valley, each episode of the show explores a different country and explores the ways in which the local culture and surroundings have shaped their approach to technology.
This varies from Spotify in Sweden to AI in New Zealand to the launch of Virgin Galactic with Richard Branson.
CA Technologies is the sponsor of the series. Each episode will also re-air on Bloomberg TV the Friday after it airs online.