My Work - Jonathan Hills - Digital content and product strategist

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YouTube

Product

Editorial Workflow

Digital Video

Content Strategy

Branded Content

Bravo Insider Product

Product

Bravo Insider

If you’re a true fan of something, you always want more.

It’s an itch that’s impossible to scratch. An appetite that never dulls.

And that was exactly the motivation behind the launch of Bravo Insider – the brand’s first every direct-to-consumer membership product.

I developed the idea behind Bravo Insider – a program that delivered exclusive perks and benefits to Bravo super-fans.

Created as an initial proof-of-concept, I led the product and content teams that bought this innovative new experience to market. It was the brand’s first ever DTC product launch, allowing fans to sign-up and receive exclusive content, access to events, and free merch and giveaways.

Bravo Insider drove hundreds-of-thousands of members, helping to accelerate the brand’s CRM and data-capture efforts. It also opened-up new sponsorship opportunities and gave Bravo fans the sense they were truly in-the-know.

Highlights

Led the strategy and execution of Bravo Insider
Oversaw content, product, and audience development for the program
Drove hundreds-of-thousands of sign-ups and opened-up new revenue opportunities

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After Shows Digital Video

Digital Video

After Shows

Fans of reality TV understand the drama doesn’t stop when an episode ends.

From Vanderpump Rules to The Real Housewives, it’s the ongoing buzz during the days and weeks after each episode that fuels conversation across social platforms and keeps fans engaged.

I led the team that developed and produced a slate of after shows around some of NBCU’s biggest franchises.

These 15 minute digital-exclusive shows featured talent discussing and reacting to each episode. And they were available on all platforms, including Peacock, YouTube, the TV Everywhere app, set-top box VOD, bravotv.com ,and social.

Each after show drove millions of streams, high-value sponsorships, and also generated new buzz and narratives that drove industry-wide press pick-up.

In addition, the topics discussed in the after shows were frequently integrated into future seasons of the parent show….resulting in a true 360 fan experience.

Highlights

Led team that developed and produced after shows around Bravo, NBC and Peacock IP
After shows were produced for key franchises including Vanderpump Rules, Traitors, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Below Deck
Drove millions of dollars in advertising revenue and millions of organic streams

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BravoCon Content Strategy

Content Strategy

BravoCon

The New York Times described it as “The Church of BravoCon”.

And honestly, that doesn’t even come close.

BravoCon was every Bravo fan’s dream. It was a playground of fandom – including events, panels, Bravolebrity meet-and-greets, and endless photo opportunities. Beginning in New York and then moving (and expanding) to Las Vegas, it was the ultimate manifestation of the brand.

While thousands of people made the trip and secured the tickets, what about those who couldn’t (or didn’t)?

I led the content and product team that worked to bring the BravoCon experience to people’s phones, laptops, and TV screens.

The centerpiece of the experience was a dedicated stage at the event which was used to capture exclusive video content. Featuring interviews with multiple Bravolebrities throughout the day, the content was streamed live to Peacock and social platforms, with highlights posted to bravotv.com and YouTube.

The team also covered the “Road to BravoCon” in the weeks leading up to the event, giving fans the lowdown on what to expect and helping to build anticipation.

And as the weekend unfolded, fans were given wall-to-wall BravoCon coverage including a live “as-it-happened” blog, exclusive interviews with talent, and round-the-clock coverage of all the stories and announcements that mattered.

The team also worked closely with a variety of brands to ensure full integration throughout our content – generating millions of dollars in advertising revenue.

Highlights

Digital content from the event powered the first ever Bravo livestream on Peacock
Generated millions of video streams and visitors across multiple platforms
Generated millions of dollars in advertising revenue through sponsorships and brand integrations
Established Bravo Digital as the ultimate source for all-things-Bravo

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Bravo and WWE on USA YouTube Channels YouTube

YouTube

Bravo and WWE on USA YouTube Channels

Developing a content strategy for YouTube is more than simply publishing whatever content you have available.

The YouTube platform has specific features, nuances, and requirements that demand a tailored approach.

As the YouTube strategy lead for the Cable/Entertainment group at NBCU, I oversaw the department’s flagship Bravo channel and launched a new WWE channel under the USA Network umbrella.

I comprehensively overhauled the YouTube content strategy by developing mash-ups, highlight clips, and originals based on search and other data driven insights.

The team also introduced a rigorous A/B testing framework to help optimize thumbnail and headline choices.

And most importantly, although YouTube is considered a marketing channel, we understood that promotional content wasn’t always the key to success….it was authentic, editorial content that got fans excited.

Highlights

Grew Bravo and WWE on USA channels to over 25 million monthly streams
Optimized channels for revenue, growing them into a multi-million dollar businesses
Installed A/B testing and data-driven insights framework to inform content creation and publishing

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Top Chef Last Chance Kitchen Branded Content

Branded Content

Top Chef Last Chance Kitchen

Please pack your knives and go.

If you’re a fan of cooking competitions, you’ll know this iconic line defines the pressure cooker atmosphere of Top Chef.

But when each episode of Top Chef ends, the drama continues across digital platforms.

Last Chance Kitchen has become an integral part of the Top Chef experience. Eliminated chefs compete in this digital-exclusive show – which lives on Peacock, YouTube, and bravotv.com – for the chance to get back into Top Chef.

It’s a true multi-platform experience where Top Chef and Last Chance Kitchen both work to feed each other.

Along with giving fans new ways to engage with Top Chef, Last Chance Kitchen was a hit with advertisers. Brands were woven throughout the series in a way that gave advertising partners high-impact visibility.

I led the team that produced Last Chance Kitchen and also collaborated with the Sales team that conceived and executed the brand integrations.

Highlights

Drove millions of streams across multiple platforms
Drove millions of dollars in revenue through brand integrations and partnerships
Nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Short Form Non Fiction or Reality Series in 2022

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NBC Insider Content Strategy, Product

Content Strategy, Product

NBC Insider

There are few brands more iconic than NBC.

The history, prestige, and impact that it’s had on pop culture over the years is simply unrivaled.

So how do you take a brand so special and reinvent it for the digital space?

NBC.com had traditionally been a platform focused exclusively on full episode streaming. Fans could catch-up on their favorite shows, but that was the extent of the content experience.

I developed an idea to re-invent NBC.com by launching NBC Insider – a content marketing platform that gave fans the opportunity to get always-on, real-time content around the shows and stars they loved.

I led the product and content teams to take the initiative from idea to execution. Combined with a rich SEO and social publishing strategy, the audience grew from zero to millions of MUVs in under 18 months – a true testament to how fans were craving more ways to engage with their favorite franchises and shows.

Highlights

Developed product and content strategy for NBC Insider
Built and led editorial team of writers, editors and producers
Led editorial SEO strategy
Expanded Insider content into new areas including the 2024 Paris Olympics, Dateline, and Universal Studios movie releases

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Bravo Daily Dish Content Strategy, Product

Content Strategy, Product

Bravo Daily Dish

When it comes to having a passionate audience, Bravo has most brands beat.

Fans can’t get enough content around their favorite Bravo shows and talent. It truly is a brand like no other.

This was the driving force behind an initiative I led to create a new content vertical on bravotv.com, as part of a shift from a TV-focused promotional site to an always-on, publishing platform.

I developed The Daily Dish to become the platform-of-record for all things Bravo. Featuring a daily stream of news, interviews, features, and episodic-focused content, The Dish was designed to give fans more of what they want, 365 days a year.

In addition, I built and led a team of writers, editors, video producers, and content strategists, and put in place the editorial workflows and processes to ensure the brand could seamlessly transition into a world of high-volume publishing.

The result? The organic audience to bravotv.com doubled in under 12 months, proving how fans simply couldn’t get enough of their favorite shows.

Highlights

Developed Daily Dish content, product, and audience strategy
Doubled monthly organic traffic in 12 months
Built and developed team of writers, editors, and content publishers
Oversaw SEO and social editorial publishing strategy
Worked with Sales team to package commercial opportunities around Daily Dish

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AI Content Development AI, Content Strategy, Editorial Workflow

AI, Content Strategy, Editorial Workflow

AI Content Development

AI – is it a threat, an opportunity, or just a buzzword?

It’s a question many of us are wrestling with as the landscape seems to change daily with new updates and capabilities.

I led an initiative to introduce AI into the content creation process for Bravo as a way to assist and support the roles of writers, editors, and video producers.

The first foray into this world was to introduce an AI-driven video clipping platform. This platform ingested long-form video and used AI to create multiple clips of the most compelling moments. In addition, it optimized each clip for specific social platforms by converting to a vertical aspect ration and adding captions.

The result? It allowed video editors to spend more time working on their core, long-form series rather than editing and exporting multiple clips for social. It also increased engagement with YouTube Shorts, allowing the team to increase its output without straining existing resources.

It was a true time-saver and was a great example of how AI can compliment the work a team is doing.

Highlights

Saved hundreds of hours each month in editing resources
Resulted in a huge increase in YouTube Shorts content to help grow this channel
Infused AI into the company culture in a clear, practical way via a solid use case

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Bravo Digital Transformation Product

Product

Bravo Digital Transformation

When a brand has a dedicated audience of die-hard fans, you need to give them a platform to indulge their passion all-day, every day.

That was the driving force behind the initiative I led to transform bravotv.com from a Full Episode streaming website, into an innovative content rich experience.

In order to achieve this, the site was completely re-imagined via a new design and UX, new technology platform, and a new set of products that showcased the content and were advertiser friendly.

By focusing on page speed, SEO, and dynamically-driven recommendation engines, traffic surged by over 60% in 18 months. In addition, metrics including visits-per-visitor and video-streams-per-visit saw double digit percentage growth.

And while the approach was highly data-driven, the platform reflected the heart-and-soul of the brand – resulting in the perfect combination of creative art and data-led science.

Highlights

Complete re-design, re-platform, and re-invention of the bravotv.com product
Introduction of A/B testing to allow product managers and editors to continually optimize UX and content
Launch of advertiser-friendly integrations within the core product to drive sponsorships
Built the ultimate “always-on” fan experience

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