Local Content Key for VICE Expansion

Hosi Simon, the global general manager of VICE Media, updated APOS delegates in Bali on the company’s international rollout strategy, stressing the importance of local content as it expands across the globe.

Asia is a key pillar of the company’s international growth strategy, Simon said, with VICE Media setting up local offices in several key markets. “We’re really looking at a full market entry, bringing the whole business of VICE—the television business, the digital business and everything surrounding it—to the region, and accelerating growth as quickly as we can. We’re not going to launch VICE in Korea, VICE in Indonesia, VICE in India. We’re going to launch VICE India, VICE Korea, VICE Indonesia.” It’s not just about selling VICE content into a market, Simon said, but rather about “what we can create together. The strength of VICE is being extremely respectful and well versed in cultural nuances around the world. We’re creating a global lens to youth culture around the world.”

He went on to note that in each territory, the mix of international and local needs to be 50/50.

“Each market has a certain line, a certain box of how you can create content within that context of culture and sensitivities. VICE will always be pushing that boundary.”

VICELAND has expanded internationally rapidly and further launches are still to come, Simon noted. From linear to digital, VICE has built “a massive content creation engine.”

VICE’s Shane Smith spoke at APOS last year.