Discovery ‘reimagines’ Seeker a year after launch to engage curious millennials

The new Seeker will combine previously independent sources of those core content areas from three popular YouTube channels - Seeker Stories, DNews, and TestTube News - along with DiscoveryNews.com and the TestTube network.

Seeker.com combines a steady mix of articles and videos, delivering more than 250 of the latter per month. Keeping up with a must in the competitive online publishing space, Seeker will also engage audiences with platform-specific content across YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat.

Some of the content included in last week’s launch includes “Taking a Tiny Home on the Road with Snowboarder Mike Basich,” “I Left My Law Career to Be a LEGO Artist,” and “The Woman Who Reinvented School to Combat Poverty.”

With industry-leading initiatives like Discovery VR and bold expansion moves like the acquisition of Eurosport, Discovery is steadily increasing its reach; Seeker is another example of this, but the proposition of getting through to millennials in meaningful ways – especially with so many established and emerging players – is daunting.

For more on how Discovery intends to build its Seeker brand, we spoke with Suzanne Kolb, EVP & GM, Discovery Digital Networks:

Found Remote: Seeker launched just over a year ago. Why was it already time for a reset?

Suzanne Kolb: We see this as a reimagining of what we can do with our many successful YouTube channels, including Seeker Stories, DNews and TestTube News. We’ve had great success with each of these channels but felt to thrive in a broader digital world we should align our efforts and create a brand built on our three verticals: science, world and exploration. Seeker now is the home to successful content that speaks to those topics that previously lived independently, such as DiscoveryNews.com and our TestTube network (now called Seeker Daily).

FR: With projects like Discovery VR and Seeker, how is Discovery trying to expand beyond being "just" a linear TV network?

Kolb: Discovery Communications has long embraced innovation and new opportunities to grow our business. At the heart of it all, we are great storytellers and technology – whether new video and social platforms or virtual reality – has allowed us to continue to do that with our current audiences and new ones.

FR: Online publishing is a crowded space. Do you expect people to come to Seeker.com as a destination or do you think people will mainly make their way to the site via other channels?

Kolb: As the Seeker brand grows, we expect more and more people will turn to Seeker.com as a primary source of informative and intriguing short-form content. That being said, we will continue to reach our audience when and where they want to engage on platforms that exist today and those that will come in the future. Regardless of the platform, we know our audience is mobile – with around 70% of traffic to our site from mobile devices.

FR: What are some of the tactics you're using - whether traditional advertising or social marketing - to build awareness for Seeker?

Kolb: Seeker is fortunate to be a part of the larger Discovery Communications family, and we always start by looking across our portfolio for smart ways to support our initiatives – linear or digital. Our sister networks in the U.S. will be airing a new Seeker campaign, in addition to great cross-promotion from Discovery’s mighty social footprint. At the same time, we will benefit from a host of collaborations and partnerships that are uniquely suited to amplify our efforts. On top of this, we will be adding paid layers of promotion to help our brand and content reach wider relevant audiences.

FR: The core areas of focus for the site are science, world and exploration. How did you determine that there is an appetite from millennials for this type of content?

Kolb: One of the best things about programming in digital is our access to real-time information about our audience. Our areas of focus and programming mix are built on insights from more than four years creating content and engaging millennials online and, based on our expertise in non-fiction content and the opportunity to own the space, we think we have a winning combination.