I’m glad we made the shift. It’s beennothing but positive. JW Player hasexceeded expectations.
The Challenge
Ebony made an important shift in its editorial strategy in 2017: Videos would now be on 80% of its text articles and monetized to drive the greatest business impact. The company had automated its video production and wanted to perfect its video delivery as well. However a previous video partner had not integrated ads well or offered adequate support, often leaving Ebony to dig through Javascript and fend for itself. According to Anu Pillai, vice president of Digital Technology, Ebony needed a video partner “who could truly work with us.”
We looked for a video partner who could truly work with us.
The Solution
Ebony’s switch to JW Player required no training for its editorial staff. The company simply put editors in a room, presented the JW Dashboard, did a demo, and the team was able to transition with virtually no learning curve. “Even the least technical person could use the tools without frustration,” said Pillai.
Those tools included a JW8 HTML5 player with lightning-fast speed; powerful ad technology; JW Showcase (which created a turnkey video website); JW Recommendations (which surfaced related video content); and consultative service JW Demand. “A key component of us switching was knowing that we had JW Demand to depend on,” said Pillai.
The Result
8
to 10 Videos Uploaded Per Day
50
% Of all video plays driven by Recommendations
300
k Plays From Recommendations
One of the most visible results of Ebony’s partnership with JW Player was its standalone video page, video. ebony.com. Created by Showcase, the beautiful site has been widely popular with viewers—including Ebony’s COO, Mark Walker, who said it should be the homepage.
In addition, uploads have sped up, and the easy Dashboard has allowed editors to publish 8-10 videos a day, an improvement from their overage-conscious days with its previous video partner. Recommendations drove nearly half of all plays in 2017, and a smoother ad integration has made it possible to accept bigger ad campaigns, said Pillai. “I’m glad we made the shift,” she summed up. “It’s been nothing but positive. JW Player has exceeded expectations.”