WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HULU & BRAND PARTNERSHIPS
Brand managers need to think outside the box when it comes to marketing and gaining brand awareness today, and one of the options that should strongly be considered based on consumer engagement potential is Product Placement in non-traditional television programming.
This blog series highlights original programming from SVOD providers, and in this specific blog, we provide a look at the top content options for brand partnerships and Product Placement on Hulu.
SVOD and Why Brands Should Care
One of the benefits of SVOD is that content can be viewed not only on computers and laptops, but also on Internet-connected game consoles, set-top boxes, smartphones, tablets, TVs, and other devices.
Millennials are highly favoring this ease of ability to watch, as well as those who have chosen to 'disconnect' from cable subscriptions.
Today, Streaming Video on Demand (SVOD) is considered by Hollywood to be on equal footing to that of Network television programming - and this award show season is honoring the high quality of more SVOD and cable programs than ever before.
Hulu
Hulu differs from Netflix or Amazon Prime in that it distributes new series on a week-by-week basis versus "binge-watching" with the entire series released at the same time. Hulu’s SVOD platform currently offers two subscription plans for viewers, their “No Commercial” and their “Limited Commercials” plan.
Content streamed on the platform includes HD TV series from ABC, the CW, Fox, and NBC the day after they air, via Internet-connected devices. Other networks include A&E, Big Ten Network, Bravo, E!, Fox Sports 2, FX, G4, Ion Television, NFL Network, Oxygen, RT America, Fox Sports 1, Esquire Network, SundanceTV, Syfy, USA Network, NBCSN, and online comedy sources such as Onion News Network. And the list of partners continues to expand. Hulu also offers content from Showtime at an additional subscription fee. CBS remains the only major network not offered on Hulu.
An interesting fact: The name Hulu comes from two Mandarin Chinese words, húlú (葫芦/葫蘆), "calabash; bottle gourd", and hùlù (互录/互錄), "interactive recording".
What Countries (And Who) Hulu Reaches
Currently, Hulu is viewable only in the US and its territories. As of April 2015, Hulu reportedly had 9 million subscribers - a 50% growth from 2014. Reportedly, more than 60 percent of Hulu subscribers no longer watch Hulu on their computers and instead watch on tablets, TVs, and phones. Hulu original series are being added left and right and we can definitely expect to see a lot more content from this streaming giant in the near future, which will add to the opportunities for SVOD product placement.
The Drama Series
- 11.22.63
- Starring James Franco, the series will premiere February 15, 11/22/63, and counts among its executive producers J.J. Abrams and Stephen King. 11.22.63 is the tale of a history teacher sent back in time to potentially thwart the assassination of John F. Kennedy. But as movies and TV have taught us time and again, when you mess with time, it will mess with you back.
- The Path
- Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul leads the cast in the new series The Path, which premieres March 30. The Path comes to Hulu from Universal Television and Jason Katims’ True Jack Productions and is the story of a cult and its members, from the fervent leader to those who question the faith.
- East Los High
- This teen drama revolves around the friendships, rivalries, and love triangles that go on within a group of Latino teens in East Los Angeles.
- Battleground
- This mockumentary series follows a group of campaign volunteers as they work to get a dark horse candidate elected to the Senate in the battleground state of Wisconsin.
COMING SOON...
- Chance
- Led by House’s Hugh Laurie this psychological thriller is based on the novel by Kem Nunn (Tapping the Source) about a forensic neuropsychiatrist who reluctantly gets sucked into a violent and dangerous world of mistaken identity, police corruption, and mental illness.
- Shut Eye
- Stars Jeffrey Donovan (Fargo, Sicario, Burn Notice) and takes a darkly comedic look at the underground world of Los Angeles storefront psychics and the organized crime syndicate that runs them.
The Comedy Series
- Casual
- This drama series starring Michaela Watkins (New Girl, Wanderlust) and Tommy Dewey (The Mindy Project) is a story of a freshly and unexpectedly divorced woman and her daughter trying to move on with life with the help of her brother who they move in with. Only in its first season, the series has already been nominated for a Best Series Golden Globe.
- The Mindy Project
- While not originally a Hulu series, this show was picked up by the streaming service after FOX canceled the wildly popular show after 3 seasons. The show centers around a young doctor played by Mindy Kaling (The Office) and her struggles with life, love, and sometimes just making it through the day.
- The Awesomes
- This animated series created by Seth Myers and Michael Shoemaker of SNL fame follows a group of second-string superheroes who have to step up to the plate when their starters walk away from their superhero team.
- Difficult People
- Nobody knows the world of a struggling New York comedian like two New York comedians. Created by Julie Klausner and produced by Amy Poehler, the story follows the lives of two friends, played by Klausner and Billy Eichner (Parks And Recreation) working to make it in the New York comedy scene.
- Deadbeat
- Tyler Labine plays Kevin Pacalioglu, a down-on-his-luck New Yorker who can see dead people. Opposite him is a phony medium trying to learn his tricks to become successful, played by Cat Deeley (So You Think You Can Dance).
- Quickdraw
- This old western comedy follows the adventures of Sheriff John Henry Hoyle (John Lehr) and his trepidatious deputy, Eli Brocias (Nick Brown) as they bring the emerging science of forensics to an 1875 Kansas town.
- Moone Boy
- Moone Boy is the tale of a boy and his imaginary friend. A semi-autobiographical story by Chris O'Dowd (Bridesmaids), the series follows Martin Moone as he navigates life in a large Irish family with the help of his grown-man imaginary friend played by O'Dowd himself.
- The Wrong Mans
- Two normal government workers, played by Matthew Baynton (Horrible Histories) and James Corden (Begin Again) have their lives rattled when they are mistaken for two players in a huge international conspiracy and are subsequently drawn into the mess.
- The Hotwives of Orlando
- This hilarious parody series draws on the quirks and ridiculousness of the Real Housewives franchises, including characters and situations inspired by the Bravo shows.
- The Hotwives of Las Vegas
- The second installment of the Hotwives Hulu series takes place in Las Vegas but keeps the same jokes and hilarity as the first season.
What Does All Of This Original Content Mean?
The amount of original content that is in the works at Hulu solidifies the streaming service as a major player in television. With the growth of SVOD content in popularity as well as quality, it is important to keep these shows in mind when considering your product placement program.
Are you interested in integrating product placement into your entertainment marketing mix, but simply don’t know where to start? There is so much more to product placement than you may think, and it is important to be educated about the key tactics to best fit your brand. Download our Product Placement 101 Infographic today to start learning more!
