Bloomberg launching “Invitation Only” as part of broader video push

Bloomberg News is launching a new video show called “Invitation Only” as part of a broader push into video.

“Invitation Only,” which premieres Tuesday, will be hosted by luxury reporter Kim Bhasin and feature the most exclusive, swankiest stores. Bhasin will take viewers inside secret boutiques, personal shopping salons and more.

“We highlight who owns them, what they’re selling and who their customers are,” said Bhasin. “It’s about these unique experiences that retailers are using right now.”

Bhasin notes that most video shows about luxury are about food or travel, giving “Invitation Only” a niche.

Four episodes of the pilot season for the show will appear for the next four Tuesdays on Bloomberg’s YouTube channel, social media and Bloomberg.com. They will run between five minutes and six minutes.

Bloomberg’s digital video team has been producing more episodic videos this year. For example, it has a “Behind The Design” show that explores how products acquire their shape or logo, such as the Coca-Cola contour bottle and the Starbucks mermaid logo.

“Then This Happened” looks at topics such as how New York got its skyline and what happened when Sweden changed to driving on the other side of the road.

“We want consumers to come back every week,” said Katie Boyce, managing editor of digital at Bloomberg. “We’re looking at interesting stories and how to show them. We’re also looking at short form, things less than 10 minutes.”

Bloomberg’s YouTube channel has more than 1 million subscribers. Its videos also appear on Apple TV and Roku.

“‘Invitation Only’ is really exciting for us because we have some of the best retail reporting in the industry,” said Boyce. “I like this one a lot because it focuses on how shops are pivoting and focusing on the retail experience. It takes people behind the scenes.”