6 posts tagged “entertainment”

Death to television. Long live the internet.

Jul 29, 2007
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I'm always suprised by the polarity of debate, particularly when it relates to the role of television or the internet in the development of entertainment brands. People tend to divide into the "television is dying" or the "television is everything" camp depending upon their point of view.

The "new" media folks point towards the large amounts of time consumers spend online, growth in broadband penetration; explosion in online advertising, and brands that have broken out such as Pucca, Happy Tree Friends or Yo Gabba Gabba as proof that the internet is killing television's role in the creation of brands. "Traditional" media folks, be they broadcasters, tv producers or licensing agents, argue back that without television major retailers won't get behind a brand and without retail you ain't got licensing. Some "new" media folks then point to the "fact" that this is only true offline, although even there you're starting to see the rise of niche retailers; that e-tailers are growing in share; and that on-demand services are opening up a whole new category. So the debate goes on, each with their entrenched position.

If we consider this with a slightly less polar perspective we may spot what's actually going on and what the opportunity is for the industry.

Can brands build outside of television? Of course they can... and they have been for years. Many entertainment brands we now know well took off in "non-television" media such as publishing (e.g. Mr Men), comic strips (e.g. Superman) or trading cards (e.g. Pokemon) and have ultimately become true global brands at retail. Along the way, a lot has happened, particularly the development of television shows, feature films etc. to create that mass market support... but in all of the above cases, core foundations were built elsewhere. Why should online therefore be any different? Many brands will start life in this medium, some will transcend beyond it and a few will ultimately become big at retail.
Is television key in creating a mass-market consumer brand at retail? Of course it is... and it will continue to be for some time to come. The fact is that major highstreet chains and supermarkets dominate the retail industry and that, with limited shelf-space, they will continue to focus on mass-market product to deliver the highest return. No matter what the "new" media folks say, television is still the most bankable way to build mass market awareness for an entertainment brand and it's how retailers are used to determining whether to give up that very expensive shelf-space. Some people argue that television's exclusive role in developing mass market awareness is being eroded by online (and I would agree that it is, particularly through the likes of of Facebook, YouTube etc.) but the fact still remains that retailers' ultimate measurement of a brand's success are TV ratings. Until that changes significantly television is still key.
Is retail changing? Of course it is. No one can deny the fact that many consumers are tired of being serviced by the same set of retailers selling the same product, and that the industry is responding to this with niche chains and a wider range of product. It is also a fact that online is having a significant impact on retail, be that iTunes on music retail or Netflix on video rental, and that the "new" on demand services such as Zazzle are an interesting innovation. Does this mean retail is changing? Yes. Does it mean you don't need to be a mass market brand (and therefore require television) to make a reasonable return? Maybe. Does it mean offline retail is irrelevant? Absolutely not.

In my opionion, listening to the various arguements, this "new" medium definitely is a place where the next Superman, Mr Men or Pokemon can start from and yes, in success, in addition to online advertising, "new" retail offers potential return, but certainly for now, within the context of entertainment brand development, online should be thought of like publishing... a quick, cost effective and profitable medium to develop a brand, and as a valuable stage along the way of getting onto the shelves of traditional retail (and therefore television).

MIPTV 2007 - What about this year?

Mar 25, 2007
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Off to MIPTV week of the 16th. Usually very worthwhile when you weigh it all up.

Value - one or two conference sessions that shed real light, meetings that open new doors and introductions to interesting people
Fun - the catching up with friends, drinks late at night and spending time with colleagues over dinner
Pain - most conference sessions (especially those you haven't strategically placed yourself to duck out of), no space to breath, having to be polite 24/7

This year should be interesting as we've recently announced our launch of Digital Outlook Studios and online is generally playing an ever more important part in TV (as we all know). Will be interesting to see whether people get the impact of social media and search, rather than the more obvious YouTube noise. Have a couple of meetings lined up so lets see what comes of it all.

Will report on developments hopefully during (subject to how much time we have) and certainly after the conference.

If any Vox-peeps are going, would love to meet.

Kidscreen Summit - What's the question?

Jan 20, 2007
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Whenever I go to "traditional entertainment" industry conferences I wonder what the vibe will be this time.

Last year's Edinburgh TV Festival and Showcomotion went beyond the educational "what is new media" type sessions (just), started taking online seriously and made a reasonable attempt at discussing what the implications and challenges are for broadcasters and producers.

What will be the question at this year's Kidscreen Summit? It will be interesting to see as it's always a good indicator of where the industry is at. My current bet is that all the major players get the importance of "new media", see what's coming and have placed their hands firmly on the ship's wheel... but haven't quite figured out which way the compass is pointing and realised how difficult it is to turn a tanker.

Dino and I will report back mid Feb so stay tuned.

If you're planning to go, our session is on Thursday, so maybe see you there.

QotY answered? Great (and fun) predictions for 2007

Dec 29, 2006
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Rex Sorgatz's predictions for 2007 made me chuckle (and think) so I had to post.

Some of my favourites are...

9) Publishing. Your mom is charged with plagiarism. Her book skyrockets to the top of the best-seller list.

17) Second Life. Robots invade and kill everyone. Turns out "everyone" is 5 kids in Tallahassee.

18) Mobile. 2007: the year in mobile. If I keep saying it, eventually it will be true.

Enjoy the read and add.

Let go of your brand

Nov 29, 2006
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In this world of user generated content, how do I control my brand? You don't and you never did!!!

Brand owners are grappling with this subject in a world where consumers have the tools to make any brand their own and publish what they think and feel for the world to see (positive or negative). Some brand owners try and control (e.g. MGM suing James Bond fan sites) and others look to embrace (e.g. Xbox and their fan site programme). My bet is those that embrace win.

The point that many don't get is that they never controlled their brands anyway. People always talked, critiqued and often recommended. Now they do it in a more public (and measurable) way... that's all.

The basic principles therefore should be the same... listen, embrace, respond to your consumers, don't try to police them... you can't and if you try it will back-fire. Someone called this "brand sheperding" recently which I think is a really nice phrase. The more you do this the more the postives have "share of noise", the more consumers are making decisions on full information than rumours.

Measurement is also an interesting plus... comments are public but you can observe through tools such as Blogpulse or Google Trends. This means you can be a by-stander in pub conversations where previously you couldn't hear. You can respond if you care enough. Caring about your brand... now that's an interesting one. Who genuinely does? You should.

Problem is that many great marketing folks in larger corporations have become seperated from their audience, some out of choice (more comfortable sitting in an nice office than getting down and dirty), many pushed away by big agencies saying "leave it to us... don't worry". It's normal to be scared and not know what to do, even if you know you need to respond.

Anyway... would be interested in peoples comments on this area.