Paramount is officially pulling out of 2023’s upfront week.
On Tuesday, ad sales chief John Halley sent an internal memo announcing the company would be abandoning its usual presence at Carnegie Hall during May’s upfront week, instead opting for a series of “high-impact, intimate gatherings in April for each of our major agency partners and their clients.
“Our targeted approach is intended to encourage conversation with our most trusted partners — to hear directly from the agencies and advertisers we serve and who form the bedrock of our business,” Halley wrote, adding, “We also have a fantastic story to tell about the power of our popular portfolio and enhanced offerings, and the earlier timing will increase share of voice, in a more fitting setting for deeper engagement.”
Paramount, and before it CBS, had been an upfront week mainstay at the iconic New York venue for decades. While the company shifted to virtual upfront presentations in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic, it returned to Carnegie Hall in May for upfront week.
The announcement is one of Halley’s first big moves after taking over for longtime ad sales chief Jo Ann Ross in September.
During 2022 upfront week presentations, two presenters vacated their longtime homes in favor of new venues, with Fox vacating New York’s Beacon Theatre for the Skylight on Vesey and Disney opting for more space at New York City’s Basketball City. However, they didn’t vacate upfront week altogether, as Paramount will be doing.
Last May, in what turned out to be her final upfront as ad sales chief, Ross turned the presentation into a live version of 60 Minutes, looking to present the company’s offerings, give marketers a show and get them on their way in a reasonable amount of time.
Talking to Adweek about returning to Carnegie Hall after the Covid-19 pandemic had canceled in person presentations for two years, Ross called it a “no-brainer.”
“Because of our long-standing relationship with Carnegie Hall as CBS being there every year, it was absolutely a no-brainer to be back on that stage with the new company. And again, to mark our territory, stick the flag in the ground,” Ross said. “We are Paramount, and we are at Carnegie Hall. So for me, it was basically, of course, we’re going to be there.”
When transitioning to an advisory role, Ross gave Halley a vote of confidence, sending an internal memo to staff saying it was “time for change” and that Halley is “ready to take this team to new heights.”
Though Paramount is dropping out of the upfront in favor of smaller events, other media companies are already setting their upfront week event presentation plans.
Last week, Linda Yaccarino, chairman, NBCUniversal, advertising and partnerships, revealed several major 2023 event dates for the company, including announcing NBCU would return to Radio City Music Hall on May 15 for its upfront week presentation.
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