GSA 10/22

Asset Management and Creative File Workflows

• Digital Asset Library Migration and Link Invalidation:

  • Access issues with the centralized creative library stem from a transition away from a previous partner vendor; operations historically involved two partners, but one relationship has concluded.

  • Creative asset links are distributed on an ongoing basis rather than hosted in a permanent open library.

  • While legacy title links do not systematically expire, the underlying asset folders frequently appear empty over time.

  • The protocol for missing files or emptied folders is to flag the specific title to the operations team with the note that folders are empty, triggering an immediate re-upload request to the creative team.

• Creative File Formats: Layered Photoshop (PSD) vs. Figma:

  • Under the established "design by our client" workflow (instituted during Jesse's tenure), creative assets are assembled directly by the internal design team without submitting iterative mockup rounds for client approval, accelerating turnaround times.

  • Delivering Figma files disrupts this workflow because they supply flattened image assets ($\text{JPEGs}$) rather than layered assets, preventing designers from manipulating individual specifications and layers.

  • Layered Photoshop files ($\text{PSDs}$) are a non-negotiable prerequisite for deliveries to Amazon, allowing internal designers to manipulate visual elements directly and maintain rapid production speeds.

  • While a temporary workaround was utilized to process Dexter using Figma exports, all future deliveries from creative teams and external vendors must strictly adhere to the layered $\text{PSD}$ standard.

Daypart Performance Analysis for Avatar: Seven Havens

• Reporting Objectives and Performance Buckets:

  • Leadership requires a performance breakdown of Avatar Seven Havens (Avatar Aang) segmented strictly by time of day (dayparting).

  • Performance metrics must be aggregated into three distinct daily time windows:

  • Morning Zone: $6:00\,\text{AM}$ to $12:00\,\text{PM}$ (noon).

  • Afternoon Zone: $12:00\,\text{PM}$ to $6:00\,\text{PM}$.

  • Prime Time / Evening Zone: $6:00\,\text{PM}$ to end of day ($11:59\,\text{PM}$ / close of broadcast).

• Target Audience Demographics and Strategic Intent:

  • Internal leadership is divided regarding title classification: some stakeholders categorize Avatar Aang strictly as children's content, while others view it as adult-appealing animation akin to general-audience anime.

  • Media takeovers are not targeted to isolated audience segments; they are deployed broadly to general audiences. Dayparting functions as an operational proxy for audience availability, under the assumption that morning screens are predominantly occupied by children while working adults are away.

  • Prior test takeovers arranged with Ceci's team utilized split programming, running Avatar Aang during morning hours and transitioning to mature programming (Tulsa King, Mobland) during evening hours.

  • If morning daypart data demonstrates superior conversion and engagement for Avatar, the strategy will expand into morning family-friendly programming blocks featuring properties such as SpongeBob and Paw Patrol.

• Analytical Deliverables and Timelines:

  • A downstream viewer analysis will be conducted by Fernando to evaluate subsequent channel engagement (determining what content users consume immediately after converting from specific creatives). Because Fernando's tracking analysis requires an extended timeline, an immediate operational report is required.

  • Sunny has extracted hourly granular data and will organize the figures into the three specified daypart buckets for the completed takeover campaigns to provide an immediate conversion comparison.

Promotional Campaigns and Title Rotation Schedule

• Late November Title Deployments:

  • November 23: Run Tulsa King and Avatar Aang concurrently, scheduled with an even delivery split rather than a morning/evening daypart division.

  • November 25: Run Tulsa King and Avatar Aang with an even delivery split.

  • November 26: Scheduled deployment for Tulsa King and Marshalls. This run represents a final performance trial for Marshalls; if conversion thresholds are not achieved, the title will be permanently rotated out of the media schedule.

Prime Video Direct Advertising (PVDA) and Fire TV Inventory Management

• December Placement Constraints on Prime Video (PVDA):

  • Inventory access for December is heavily restricted across European operations; the UK market secured only three total dates (two Mondays and one Tuesday).

  • In Germany, three high-performing Monday dates are currently reserved: December 7, December 14, and December 21. Mondays represent the strongest remaining non-weekend streaming days.

  • Tuesday inventory remains bookable but unreserved while teams escalate for weekend share-of-voice ($\text{SOV}$) access.

  • A global leadership escalation is underway to release weekend $\text{SOV}$ inventory. All December weekends are currently marked as "no-sell" across all markets, driven in part by contractual exclusivity and sponsorships surrounding a priority tentpole title launching concurrently with Frisco King.

  • Operations will monitor inventory releases on key Thursdays, targeting December 18 in particular.

• Annual Budgeting and Spending Implications:

  • December is historically an intensive budget expenditure month. Current spending patterns represent an operational anomaly because capital was pulled forward into late August, September, and October to support a concentrated content slate.

  • If total weekend inventory lockouts become permanent policy for fourth-quarter periods, annual planning must fundamentally pivot. Historical November incremental budget injections will no longer be absorbable in December, necessitating earlier budget exhaustions in Q3 and early Q4.

  • The PVDA product will undergo a complete structural overhaul beginning in Q2 of the coming year, which will overhaul ad placements and $\text{SOV}$ availability across platforms.

• Media Plan Integration:

  • The three reserved December PVDA Monday dates ($7$, $14$, and $21$) and three unsigned Fire TV $\text{SOV}$ units shipped by Sunny will be consolidated into a single unified Insertion Order ($\text{IO}$).

  • Next week's status agenda will review rotational ad line health to decide whether to retain all Fire TV takeovers or release select takeovers back to inventory.

Operational Updates, Promotions, and Administrative Actions

• November Promotional Window and Additional SOV Acquisition:

  • The official promotional campaign dates are scheduled from November 19 through November 30.

  • Three newly opened $\text{SOV}$ slots on PVDA were surfaced for November 19, November 21, and November 22.

  • The confirmed strategy secures November 19 and November 22, reallocating or releasing existing low-priority November dates where necessary to accommodate them.

• Account Access and Administrative Clearances:

  • Escalations sent to Patrick regarding lost account access remain open. A parallel technical configuration tested successfully on another account by Kai will be replicated to restore user permissions within 24 hours.

  • The $30{,}000$ media plan confirmation for Dexter has been approved on all sides, with formal $\text{IO}$ documentation confirmed.

  • Production updates for Frisco King remain delayed due to critical personnel absences; status requests will be re-submitted upon team return.

  • A high-level alignment presentation was delivered to Michael (the newly appointed VP in Germany), outlining Above-The-Line ($\text{ATL}$) acquisition workflows and the integration with Champions League broadcasts.

  • Operational coverage: Nikesh is Out of Office ($\text{OOO}$) next week, with Ceci providing full operational coverage.

Organizational Restructuring and Strategic Outlook

• Phased Corporate Realignment:

  • Internal corporate restructuring plans are finalized but remain under communication embargo. Knowledge is restricted to key operational leadership, with legal, creative, and standard internal departments not yet briefed.

  • Official internal notices are scheduled for release ahead of November, followed by an operational transition period. Daily client-facing workflows and external partnerships will remain unaffected.

  • A broader strategic decision determining whether operations remain standalone or integrate with Warner Brothers is slated for announcement by the end of the calendar year.

Ad Clearance and ClearCast Compliance Procedures

• ClearCast Clock Number Acceleration:

  • Fast-tracking video creative through ClearCast in the UK requires a confirmed clearance number (clock number), a process typically taking between $1$ and $2+$ business days.

  • While internal corporate approvals from Paloma Beer flagged explosions in the creative assets as requiring specialized internal review, the assets mirror past executions approved under strict Amazon Prime Video content guidelines.

  • To avoid air-date delays caused by clearance backlogs, the creative was declared as approved to the UK operations team to force immediate clock number generation via ClearCast.