The Great Content Play

Bobby Pawar Jan 03, 2022

Honest confession; I’m seriously envious of my sixteen-year-old daughter and nine-year-old son. They are up to their eyeballs in content, while all I had when I was their age was radio, cassette tapes, a few books and four channels on a twenty-one-inch TV with a frickin antenna.

I remember waiting for nine pm to watch Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan with Tabassum (does anyone remember her?), only to be interrupted by static on the screen when the TV lost the signal, or by my mom who said it was time for me to sleep. Oh, there was also Flash Gordon and He-Man. I often felt like my dad/mom was the evil Skeletor, making me do things I did not want to. Like, read my textbooks, a form of content I was allergic to.

Yeah, back then most of the content had more 'con' than 'tent' if that makes any sense at all. In the decades that followed, things changed. However, a seismic shift happened in the last ten or so years. Why? Because of technology. You know, that thing most of us talk about in an all-knowing tone but don’t really understand? Yeah, that.

Now we are all living in the kingdom on Screendom. A place where boredom has become all but extinct. Damn, even the idiot box has become smart!

One of the first shifts to take place is the move from the word to the visual. Reading has become so Gen Y. The Bugles had it wrong when they released their song, ‘Video killed the radio star’. It’s damn near put a supari on just about everything else. The status neuvo is this if the image doesn’t move, it ain’t moving many people.

Another step change is the redefinition of the production house. No longer is a studio (movie or otherwise) the only purveyor of content. Today’s production house has quite literally become someone’s house. People are creating amazing stuff from their living rooms, bedrooms, sometimes even bathrooms, armed with nothing but their cellphone cameras and their incredible talents. And their success is inspiring many more. For instance, my son’s current ambition is not to be a game developer but a game reviewer and streamer. And to think, my wife made me give up my X-box, Playstation and Nintendo because, and I quote, ‘it is a colossal waste of time’.

The Content Of Today

These days, content is not just consumed, it is regurgitated. People are recreating dance steps, doing movie monologues in their own style, and participating in all kinds of trends on IG Reels, Taka-Tak, etc. Putting yourself out there for people to comment on is no longer so out there. Inhibitions are on their way out. Some of them at any rate.

So, why should you care? Should you even? The answer to the latter question is unless you are planning on being a marketing hermit, you should. As for the former, get comfortable, because it’s going to be a long ride, I mean read.

These are some of the trends we at Havas Group India think will only accelerate in our endeavour to create meaningful brands, businesses and conversations.

Social media platforms will innovate to offer more immersive experiences. These will be the confluence of deeper social connection tools, entertainment, information, and commerce.

AI and ML will be augmented to better predict customer behaviour patterns, analyse data in real-time and simultaneously enhance the personal experience.

The future of personalised content marketing is adaptive content. In unjargon terms, it means delivering content to the user, based on who, when, where how and what device is used to access the content, whereby technology is married with creativity. It is a strategy that is designed to act as a fulcrum for omnichannel personalised interaction based on customer analytics. Oh my god, I can’t believe I used the words fulcrum and omnichannel. In the same sentence. Business World, what have you turned me into????

Well, the Carnival of Jargon continues. Alas, unlike all carnivals this one has no music, dancing or fun activities of any kind. Just pearls on the knowledge that cannot be strung into a necklace.

Here goes.

In recent times, there has been a huge surge in co-viewing services, pursuant to which many OTT platforms and broadcasters are consolidating solutions. These not only allow viewers to the watch party from different geographical locations but also integrate advanced interaction amongst the viewers. Interestingly, we surmise that synchronised viewing will turn dormant consumption into a dynamic, performative one, adding new interactive features that will incite further interactions.

In addition, major broadcasters and brands are aiming at homogenising media content assets like movies, music, publications, gaming, etc., that brings a comprehensive solution at a fraction of the cost. Think of it as the 'chappan bhog' of content.

But that as they say is just the tip of the iceberg. So, what’s a dudette or dude to do? Keep your ears, eyes and most importantly, mind open. Because if your mind is closed, you will only see and hear what you want to hear. Have a game plan. But be ready to adapt it when you get feedback from consumers. Read and react. Get an MBA. No, not the kind you get at B-Schools. A ‘Main Bas Anaadi’ hoon degree. Act like you don’t know enough, and you will always strive to continuously learn what it takes to succeed in this shifting world. Peace out.