Commercialize TV expands Asia presence with Baidu, YouTube certification

In China, CTV will operate the C Fashion Network on Baidu’s video platform, v.baidu.com. The C Fashion Baidu network is made up of five channels, including:

Fashion Celebrity, which focuses on celebrity-inspired trends; Fashion Now, offering coverage of global catwalks and coverage filmed exclusively for Baidu; Fashion New Digital Fronts, featuring emerging digital talent from China and globally within the context of fashion; Fashion Originals, which is tailored to Chinese audiences; and Fashion Focus, which presents an in-depth look at the fashion world in longer form.

Outside China, C Fashion operates on YouTube. In a separate development, CTV has been certified by YouTube as an official multi-channel network. According to a statement from CTV, this development “has allowed Commercialize TV to attract top regional YouTube creator talent” to its network.

Those to have joined the network include MeejMuse from Korea, and BeautyQQ and AmoreBeautyJM from Hong Kong.

In the statement, CTV CEO Craig Galvin said his company’s goal was “to deliver excellent, compelling video to consumers, and we look to work with only the best content partners to help us continue to achieve this goal.

“The implications for brands to reach quality audiences at scale in a category where there is a significant advertiser demand creates a compelling competitive advantage.” Galvin added.

Laura Gordon, CTV’s Asia-Pacific head of sales, told Campaign Asia-Pacific that CTV’s core proposition was to find locally relevant creators with cross-market appeal. She said that the likes of MeejMuse and BeautyQQ have audiences from Korea to Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Macau, Australia and Singapore, which had positive implications for brands and advertisers with regard to content integration.

Gordon said that in China, CTV would serve to “switch TV dollars into online dollars” through pre-roll ads. But she said the “greater play” was in the field of branded content development. CTV is currently in talks with undisclosed prestige brands on the possibilities around sponsored content and brand integration into programming.

Gordon said CTV was set to roll out on other platforms in the region by the end of this year’s first quarter.

CTV produces more than 150 premium videos a week, according to the company. Other multi-channel networks to operate in China include Thoughtful Media, which is also present in Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.