Last week, Vevo celebrated five years of operation in the APAC region with a self-professed upfront/party hybrid that served as a bold showcase of its ability to deliver scale, premium content, and cultural relevance in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.
During the presentation, Vevo showcased the significant scale its network offers advertisers in a fragmented media landscape, with a monthly reach of 11.7M Australians – a larger audience than the entire ad-supported BVOD market. Vevo’s reach is also significantly greater than that of the major SVOD platforms’ ad-supported tiers.
On YouTube specifically, Vevo revealed that while its library (of nearly one million music videos) makes up less than 1% of the content on the platform, it reaches 57% of YouTube viewers every month. Moreover, Vevo delivered advertisers 5-12% incremental reach when bought in combination with YouTube.
Additionally, Vevo shared that all programmatic spend with Vevo beginning in January 2025 would contribute to Google VIP commitments, adding value for agencies and advertisers looking to maximise their total YouTube investment.
Following the event, B&T sat down with a few media planners and buyers to understand the impact the substantial reach of Vevo and the upcoming changes it would make to their 2025 plans.
Harnessing Music Culture for Premium Reach
Vevo’s message was clear: music is more than entertainment; it’s a cultural touchpoint. With a monthly reach of 11.7 million Australians, Vevo has positioned itself as the “primetime of YouTube,” surpassing the ad-supported BVOD market and major SVOD platforms.
According to Punesh Han, group director of planning at EssenceMediacom, Vevo’s ability to merge music culture with attention-based metrics is game-changing. “Vevo brought a captivating perspective to their upfronts, showcasing the power of music culture in achieving premium audiences at scale. Their impressive content library promotes an appointment-to-view style of consumption that is both uplifting and iconic”.
“Their impressive content library, featuring top artists like The Weeknd and Taylor Swift, promotes an appointment-to-view style of consumption that is both uplifting and iconic. The undeniable power of music was highlighted, with Vevo delivering 40 per cent more active attention, a claim substantiated by research from Amplified Intelligence,” said Han.
Tackling Fragmentation with Unified Solutions
Fragmentation across digital platforms is a growing challenge for advertisers. Vevo’s response—enhancing reach velocity through its distribution partners—resonated strongly with planners. By creating a “one-stop shop” for guaranteed audience reach, Vevo offers a streamlined solution for agencies.
“Fragmentation was a hot topic of the night. Vevo introduced their take in driving reach velocity by managing yield through their distribution partners, creating a one-stop shop for guaranteed audience reach—a significant advantage for agencies and clients alike,” said Han.
Cultural Relevance as a Competitive Edge
For Gilbert Lee, planning director at PHD, Vevo’s cultural positioning is a significant drawcard. He applauded Vevo’s ability to combine scale with premium content while reinforcing its relevance in the video ecosystem.
“Vevo reinforced its position in the market, emphasising its ability to generate reach, appear across premium content, and access the heart of cultural relevance as the music video network. As the industry shifts toward unified screen strategies, the opportunities showcased by Vevo will enhance planning and implementation excellence.”
The announcement of Vevo’s partnership with the Video Futures Collective, aimed at increasing transparency and creating a holistic video strategy, further solidified this appeal for Lee.
“Vevo’s partnership in the Video Futures Collective drives anticipation (pending Adgile results), as the industry looks to build greater transparency and a holistic approach toward the video ecosystem. As the industry shifts toward unified screen strategies, the opportunities showcased by Vevo, combined with the unique scale of video platforms will enhance planning and implementation excellence,” Lee said.
Music as the Gateway to Audiences
Vevo’s commitment to music as a cultural vehicle struck a chord with Kate O’Loughlin, associate strategy director at Initiative.
“Music is the highway to culture, and Vevo has proved it is the vehicle to get brands there. As they highlighted at the Vevo upfronts, with an increasingly fragmented digital video network it is only Vevo who has custodianship over the core Aussie customer passion of music. This year we’ve seen the power of music – from Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Charlie XCX and Chappell Roan – and Vevo has been at the centre of it all. For brands looking to become truly relevant with audiences of all ages, it should be a no-brainer for Vevo to be on the plan,” she explained.
As the digital video landscape evolves, Vevo’s focus on premium, attention-grabbing content positions it as a useful partner for advertisers seeking to connect with younger audiences.
