How Yahoo and Sundance are engaging film fans

But the Sundance hub isn't just for consumers. Yahoo has signed Bertolli to partner with advertising. Bertolli will integrate their brand messaging within the content created for the annual event.

"There is a cool factor - especially to the Sundance Film Festival," said Sean Phillips, Head of Yahoo! Movies and Kids. "No one has capitalized on Sundance, to date, the way Yahoo has. As video gets easier and better to see online there are more opportunities for viewers. You hear about the overall winners, audience favorites, but especially from short-form, you see a lot of great beginnings and a lot of innovation. Viewers like to see this different kind of content."

Different and original is key to online viewing, finds Yahoo. And if numbers from their omg! property are an indication, original is something other producers and advertisers need to look for. Yahoo's omg! NOW site is the number one original video program online; they host 6 million unique visitors per month (October 2011, comScore); the program offers viewers daily Hollywood news.

But Yahoo has Sundance advertising and sponsorship all sewn up? For this year, anyhow. But advertisers can take information away from the way Yahoo is growing its base of viewers. First and foremost by taking note of the types of content viewers are engaging with - the biggest 'gets' are in the form of polls.

"Polls online are like candy and potato chips," said Phillips. "It's an easy way to share your opinion. Yahoo, in all the different categories, does a good job of creating polls and getting users involved in sharing their opinion. The way we're doing the shorts this year has heightened the engagement because the user not only wants to contribute and share their opinion but their opinion matters - their opinion determines the overall winner of that award."

Phillips also advises content producers and advertisers not to forget the social aspect when it comes to content. Adding buttons so content can be shared is important - and it works. A growing number of people want to share this kind of content with their social networks and that brings in more viewers.

Tags: content trends, Sundance content, Sundance Film Festival, video content, Yahoo