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NCM is seeking an advertiser to commit to a year-long deal. The
package will include the brand being integrated into the series, as
well as promoted tweets with installments of the series attached
to.
NCM Media Networks's president of sales and marketing, Cliff
Marks, declined on the commitment he's seeking -- part of which
would go to Twitter for spend on promoted tweets -- but said it's
sizable.
"It's a big audience and it's big reach, and we'd like to find a
partner who wants to literally own this and be associated with it
day in and day out," he said.
This is a new flavor and the 61st partner for Twitter's Amplify
program, which has mainly rolled out via partnerships with major
TV networks and sports leagues like
the NFL and the NBA. One of the main use cases for it has been
sports highlights that are broadcast via promoted tweets that
contain the sponsor's branding or pre-roll.
Twitter has been intent on broadening the program's scope beyond
TV by partnering with traditional publishers like Conde Nast, New
York magazine, and the New York Times. In the case of the Times, a
one-minute "Times Minute" video summary of top stories of the day
was used. Via Amplify, Microsoft sponsored the content last
November and December, which meant the tweets were still sent from
the Times's account though Microsoft paid for the distribution, and
the video clips contained some Microsoft branding.
"We're definitely open to other outside-the-box applications of
Amplify," said Glenn Brown, senior director of Twitter Amplify. "We
think there's a natural fit for Amplify in events -- if you think
about the event itself being the first screen and Twitter being the
second screen."
The actual content for the NCM Media Networks deal won't be
finalized until a sponsor is brought on. But the current notion is
to produce a weekly segment and to pull Twitter data to report on
the movies and actors that people are talking about and what
celebrities are saying on Twitter. Interactive quizzes where users
are urged to vote using Twitter hashtags (for #teamjacob or
#teamedward, for example), are another possibility, as is
incorporating user Vines that relate to movies.
"It will feel like Entertainment Tonight or Access Hollywood,"
Mr. Marks said.