Kedoo Entertainment has been steadily building a collection of non-scripted series on YouTube on the heels of its success in the kids\u2019 space. The decision \u201cwas driven by a combination of audience insights, platform opportunity, our expertise in digital content management and the shifting interest of professional talents from traditional to digital entertainment models,\u201d explains Batyr Aidarkhan, business development director.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe saw a clear appetite for authentic, real-life content\u2014non-scripted series from cultural travel to social documentaries or investigative pieces\u2014that fosters genuine, real-time connections between audiences and the people on screen,\u201d he continues. \u201cYouTube emerged as the ideal platform to meet this demand. It offers direct global reach, immediate audience feedback and the flexibility to adapt and evolve our format, tone and storytelling as production progresses.\u201d<\/p>\n
The results thus far have been encouraging:\u00a0Let\u2019s Go!<\/em>\/\u00a1Vamos!<\/em>, which Aidarkhan describes as an \u201cimmersive travel documentary with a gonzo journalism tone,\u201d has some 730 million views globally across five languages. \u201cGiven its daring elements, it attracts mostly young male audiences aged 18 to 35.\u201d<\/p>\n Diversifying the audiences it serves, Kedoo\u2019s\u00a0The Wonder Guys<\/em>\u00a0delivers \u201cstrong retention among older audiences in the U.S., U.K. and LatAm,\u201d while\u00a0Faraway<\/em>\u00a0\u201cspeaks to young female audiences aged 18 to 35,\u201d Aidarkhan says.<\/p>\n Kedoo uses a fully independent approach to funding these shows, starting with a six-pilot-episode model, Aidarkhan says. \u201cThis allows us to test the first episodes on YouTube, tweak the format based on analyses of performance metrics and audience feedback and retain full editorial freedom. As the series progresses, we secure revenues, which helps fund future episodes.\u201d<\/p>\n That being said, Kedoo does collaborate with organizations and brands that align with the content when the opportunity arises. Such is the case with\u00a0The Wonder Guys<\/em>, a travel documentary that sees Stas Natanzon venture into strange, mysterious and often dangerous places around the world. The show \u201cpartners with nonprofit charities to raise awareness for social issues, with the organizations connecting us to real-life experiences\u201d that can then be featured in the series, Aidarkhan says.<\/p>\n While YouTube has been an ideal platform for launching these series, \u201cmonetizing beyond the YouTube window is the next step for us,\u201d he notes. \u201cWe\u2019re exploring multiple distribution avenues\u2014TV broadcasters, especially public and factual channels in Europe, the U.S. and LatAm, but also SVOD platforms for extended editions, special episodes or first-window premieres, [as well as] AVOD and FAST services to expand our regional presence.\u201d<\/p>\n Through this foray into digital-first unscripted content, \u201cone of the most important lessons we have learned is that content quality is paramount across all platforms,\u201d Aidarkhan says. And authenticity is essential. \u201cViewers can easily spot forced storytelling, so we focus on real voices and real environments to create content that fosters a genuine connection, builds a strong community and cultivates loyal audiences.\u201d<\/p>\n This is imperative, as \u201caudience retention is key in the digital ecosystems,\u201d he stresses. \u201cYouTube, for example, demands a tighter narrative rhythm, especially in the opening of each episode, to keep viewers engaged. Analyzing performance data and audience behavior allows us to improve our content continually. This doesn\u2019t mean that digital-first strategy competes with broadcaster-led models. It simply caters to an audience with unique viewing behaviors.\u201d<\/p>\n Above all, though, he reiterates, \u201cthe subject matter and research behind each episode are crucial. We address topics that can appeal to a broader range of viewers, regardless of region, platform or device. The pace and style of our storytelling may be quicker, but the trend toward more immediate and accessible content is evident everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n And Kedoo plans to continue this strategy in the future. \u201cOur ultimate goal is to keep producing high-quality non-scripted series for our viewers while amplifying their reach across different platforms to make content more accessible to a wider audience.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Batyr Aidarkhan, business development director, discusses the company\u2019s move into developing digital-first non-scripted projects.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1412,"featured_media":22999,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[10963,10962],"class_list":["post-22997","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-top-stories","tag-batyr-aidarkhan","tag-kedoo-entertainment","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\n