Google Creator Playbook Version 4 - Manual (Page 22)

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Why does Discovery Channel have Shark Week every
year? Why are scary movies released around
Halloween? Why do talk shows have relationship
experts on just before Valentine’s Day? The answer:
tent-pole programming.
Tent-pole events are the cultural milestones that
organize our viewing habits throughout the year:
major holidays, big sporting events, movie releases
and more. Any channel can participate in tent-pole
events; they’re a great way to tap into the larger
cultural conversation – and the promotional and
audience development opportunities don’t
hurt, either!
Tent-pole Programming
Pre-Buzz The Event Post-Buzz
Movies, Holidays, Culture & Sports
Getting Started
• Identify tent-pole events that are relevant to
your audience.
• Develop a programming calendar covering all
the videos you are going to create or curate for
the event.
• Create original videos for the tent-pole using
appropriate thumbnails and metadata to capitalize
on search trends.
• Repackage old videos in new ways.
• Use playlists to organize your videos or curate other
content relevant to the event.
Get Ahead of the Buzz
• Use the “Explore” tool at Google.com/trends to
gauge how much early and sustained interest there
is around an event.
• Release tent-pole related videos several days before
an event. The “pre-buzz” leading up to an event is
just as important as (or more important than) the
actual event.
• Reach out to blogs early with your tent-pole related
content.
Titles and tags can help rebrand a video
for tent-pole events. When possible, make use of
your archives.