NATPE Panel: Sophie Turner Laing on Scale, Superbrands

MIAMI: Interviewed by World Screen’s Anna Carugati for the international keynote at NATPE today, Endemol Shine Group CEO Sophie Turner Laing discussed the power of the company’s production and distribution network, maintaining “superbrands” like Big Brother and MasterChef and exploring how nonscripted entertainment evolves in the digital age.

Asked about how she embarked on integrating the assets of Endemol and Shine Group last year, Turner Laing said, “Carefully. At the heart of our company are these brilliant, talented creatives. [Delivering] 715 productions in the middle of a merger is what I’m the most proud of. We tried to keep all the logistics away from the creative production [teams], so they could do what they do brilliantly.”

Carugati then asked Turner Laing about scale, given that Endemol Shine Group owns 120 production companies in 30 countries. “In a lot of creatives’ eyes, big equals evil,” Turner Laing said. “Actually, it’s not about scale, it’s about your network. That’s what we focus on. If you have a beautiful piece of content, we are the people who can turn it into a global hit. Having local production companies in 30 countries means that as soon as something starts bubbling in one part of the world, we can pick it up and put it out through the network.”

The conversation moved on to the importance of program brands. “In a world of infinite choice and infinite delivery pipes, it’s the program brands that we as viewers go searching for. The most fascinating challenge going forward is how to take these iconic brands we have and develop them from a B2B business into a B2C business. Look at the success of MasterChef or Big Brother, which are our superbrands. The question I always get asked is, when’s the end of them, are they showing signs of decline? CBS had its 17th year of Big Brother last year. That is phenomenal and the ratings are still marvelous. We’ve just finished MasterChef in the U.K., knocked it out of the park. [Had our] highest ratings in Australia. So there’s something about the familiarity of these superbrands.”

As for how a brand becomes a superbrand, she said, “You have to have a show that really connects with the audience. The clever bit about the teams who work on MasterChef and Big Brother is the constant evolutions of those shows. How do you change it slightly, so you don’t lose the audience who love the heart of that show, but you give them something new every time?”

Next up came the relevance of linear channels in an evolving media landscape. “The word broadcaster is probably outdated,” Turner Laing said. “All channels are trying to make sure their content is available on all platforms. We work very closely with all our customers to work out how that happens. To remain relevant, they’ve got to keep the audience there. There’s definitely a migration of the younger audience to mobile. What does that mean for a linear channel and scheduling? At the end of the day it’s all about the content. If you can create, and the buyer can choose, the best that there is, you’re off to the races.”

Turner Laing was then asked about the drama business today. “The proliferation of pipes that technology brings us means there are a million and one different sources hungry for content that really stands out. And drama carries a particular flag on it that says quality—which is the reverse snobbery of our business actually, because the big numbers go to the entertainment shows. We’re as proud of Big Brother and MasterChef as we are of Broadchurch.”

She also talked about the future of nonscripted. “Our big challenge is, what does nonscripted mean in OTT? No one has really cracked that yet. I’ve challenged [our creative teams] to work out how you do game shows on Snapchat.”