Experience Matters

The Revolution Will Be Digitized

I am currently addicted to anything having to do with the American Revolution.  One of my favorite Jefferson quotes is “Every generation needs a new revolution.”  Our generation is in the midst of a digital revolution and so I was intrigued when I read late last week that two of the biggest talent agencies in Hollywood agreed to a merger.  Endeavor Talent Agency and William Morris will combine forces and create what could be a formidable competitor to CAA.   It also creates a great opportunity for brands to help shape the future of digital distribution.

Hollywood continues to look for the model that puts content in front of the right audience at the right time.  Many studios have launched mini-digital studios within their walls only to see them fail.  Nikki Finke at Deadline Hollywood Daily has a good summary of that scenario here, specifically around United Talent Agency’s 60Frames. 

Meanwhile, brands look for new ways to put their message in front of consumers at a time when they are willing to engage.  Where is the commonality?  The audience Hollywood wants and the consumer that brands crave are the same group.  They are the rebels in the rebellion. 

In order to get content in front of the rebels (I sound like Princess Leia, don’t I?), both Hollywood and brand marketers should recognize just how it is consumed.  We try and look at all content being consumed in one of three ways:

Searchable:  self-directed with instant gratification (think Google returns)

Syndicated:  engagement driven and scalable (think entertainment networks like Hulu)

Social:  taps the power of community and influence (think Facebook)

So if all experiences fall in one of these buckets, how you get the content into those buckets becomes the biggest challenge.  That brings us back to Endeavor/WMA and the opportunity for brands.

Over the last year I have maintained a dialogue with film and television producer Michael Shamberg (we don’t think there we are related plus we differ on Chicago baseball) around brand participation in digital entertainment and content.  Michael sees the value of digital original content and interactive storytelling both for his industry and for brand marketing.  

When I asked him about the impact of the merger, and specifically the impact of how talent agencies might drive digital distribution, he identified two tracks.  “Either people will get discovered online and then agencies will want them for TV and film or they will package their film and TV talent to go online in an equity play like Funny or Die.  But until there is real money there for fictional content I just don’t see it as a core business”.

That real money, dollars that could appease talent agencies, should come from brands.  Sponsorship dollars, digital product placement, syndication fees and perhaps even a subscription model could combine to create scalable and sustainable revenue that would compliment TV and film business rather than cannibalize it.  Brands get unique exposure in a portable environment (key for consumers) and the buzz that resonates from Hollywood.  Hollywood puts their content in front of their audience somewhere other than the theatre (key for audience) or the TV and leverages their best asset – stars. 

In other words, brands can play the part of France in this revolution, swooping in to provide cash, strategy and a way to control distribution of Hollywood content.  The simple truth is that no matter how much user-generated content is out there, Hollywood will always be king (but not in a King George, squash the rebellion kind of way).