New York - Sean “Diddy” Combs is no stranger to speaking in front of crowds, though up until Tuesday night, that was limited to business meetings and concerts.
Revolt, the upstart music network founded by Combs, took the upfront stage for the first time at Marquee and immediately took aim at a couple of terms that been a staple of these presentations.
At the top of that list was the word “millennials,” which marketers and networks have used to describe the audience of 18-34 year olds. Combs argued that those same viewers don’t relate to that word.
"That Millennial sh-t is whack,” said Combs, "No one likes to be called that." He promised to come up with a new name for what he simply described as “young people.”
Touting the multiplatform nature of Revolt, Combs also coined a new upfront term, labeling Tuesday night as the first-ever “Omni-Front,” because the network is “everywhere.”
Being just six months old, Revolt seized the opportunity to do more than simply detail their new programming initiatives, instead spending much of their presentation pitching their mission statement. The network trotted out numerous execs including CEO Keith Clinckscales; president and cofounder Andy Schuon; vice chairman Andre Harrell; Val Boreland, executive VP of programming and strategy; and Jake Katz, VP of audience insights and strategy.
Sibley and DJ Damage, the hosts for Revolt’s flagship program Revolt Live, served as the cohosts for the evening; also in attendance were Charlamagne Tha God, Angela Yee and DJ Envy from Revolt’s morning show TheBreakfast Club; Music & Culture Editor and Host Amrit Singh was there as well.
Part of Revolt’s pitch included Combs comparing it to brands like Apple and Google. Combs said that advertisers who signed on with Revolt now would be like those who linked up with those two major brands when they were startups.
Combs also rehashed his comparison of Revolt to CNN and ESPN, explaining he wants Revolt to hold the same position in music as those two do for news and sports. "This isn't a public company so no one is going to jail," Combs joked after revealing he was giving “inside information.”
The only new announcement Tuesday night was the launch of the Revolt app.
Following the presentation, Revolt did what it sets it out to do best: throw a party. Childish Gambino, the stage name for Community’s Donald Glover, performed.
