Viewpoint: Embracing Change

Anne de Kerckhove is the director of the entertainment division at Reed MIDEM.

The world of entertainment is changing at a pace never seen before. This is a crossroads year: as we take apart old business models and recover from the recession, we look forward to a bright future. Exciting trends are emerging that will forever change the way we create, produce, deliver and consume content.

To begin with, our TV sets are taking on a new dimension. The advent of 3D on a mass scale, with extraordinary visual feasts like Avatar, made us rediscover the power of the image. This revolution will take over our home entertainment. Reality TV will take on an entirely different meaning. I can’t wait to explore some of the magical regions of the world with my children through our television set, offering them an exploration impossible in real life.

More than ever, we live in a connected world. The digital transformation of television and home entertainment was taken to a new level with the iPad, connected television sets and game consoles and the proliferation of smartphones worldwide. The debate about which device will take over the home is obsolete. Consumers are multitaskers and want to be entertained seamlessly via all devices in and out of the home.

Connected devices offer amazing consumer interactions in real time on a mass scale. Technology without content is nothing and increasingly the reverse is true. Storytellers and technologists will come together to create new interactive transmedia experiences.

Mobility will be a huge theme in the coming years, unleashing unparalleled growth in terms of consumers and viewing opportunities. As entertainers, we can now be with our customers anywhere they go. The voice of the consumer is stronger than ever. They are in the driver’s seat of change and at the center of the content ecosystem. They interact with content and shape its outcome. They control what they consume and when.

Last year saw record TV-viewing figures. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, the global entertainment market will grow by 5 percent compounded annually until 2014, reaching $1.7 trillion. Nonetheless, this growth will be challenging to monetize as audiences fragment. Our business models must change to reflect new consumer habits. Consumers won’t let commercial restrictions impact their viewing pleasure. If we can’t offer them an entertainment experience legally and easily, they will simply steal it.

Finally, the world is shrinking. Geographical barriers of content distribution are disappearing. That’s great news for content makers as they can tap into consumers everywhere. However, local consumer insight and delivery remains more vital than ever.

So concretely, what does it mean for our industry and MIP markets? We must innovate at a pace never seen before. We must let deep consumer insight lead our innovations. Partnerships across geographies and industries, from brands to technology, will multiply. Dialogue with partners will be required at the inception of new ideas and throughout all the steps of content creation and distribution. MIP markets must facilitate different worlds coming together.

Creativity and unique content remains the heart of our industry.  Without extraordinary programs such as Lionsgate’s Mad Men; Tandem Communications, Muse Entertainment and Scott Free Productions’ The Pillars of the Earth; TV Azteca’s Drowning City; ITV Studios Global Entertainment’s Florizel Street; eOne’s Haven and Saban’s Power Rangers, to name a few, consumers would simply not be captivated.

At MIPCOM 2010 and MIPTV 2011, as we continue to develop our services, from animation to formats, from co-production workshops to digital and branded entertainment summits, we must offer the best global platform for transformational deals that drive the industry.

“Redefining the Entertainment Experience” is the theme at MIPCOM and we are pleased to introduce a number of new business enabling initiatives. The first Branded Entertainment VIP Summit will bring together 50 key executives from advertising agencies, brands, producers, broadcasters, social media and digital platforms to explore the growing potential of branded entertainment.  Connected Entertainment is a key topic at this year’s conference and MSN and YouTube will enlighten us on the latest developments in social entertainment and digital content.

Another first will be the Asian Content Exchange, designed to facilitate opportunities with Asian markets. There will also be a country focus on Australia to explore their production capabilities and creative talent.

We will further our focus on early stage transactions with the Producers’ Forum, to help producers develop, fund and sell their projects internationally.

On the creative side, we are delighted to honor Jon Feltheimer, the co-chairman and CEO of Lionsgate, as Personality of the Year. We are also introducing the MIPCOM World Premiere TV Screenings as a premium showcase. The inaugural event will present an unaired episode from Lions-gate’s drama Mad Men and their new romantic comedy Running Wilde; cast members will be present.