Tag: Content production

Singapore – In an effort to establish meaningful connections with guests, global hospitality group Accor has recently partnered with Accenture to spearhead its forthcoming digital content strategy. This follows their commitment to increase the brand’s content production scalability and consistency in the local and international marketing communications scene.

Following this initiative, Accenture Song developed a modern data-driven content supply model known as ‘Content Atelier.’ This service platform employs customised, adaptable, effective, and high-quality marketing and communications material across all customer touchpoints with a reduced cost.

In particular, it encompasses both physical and digital communications, allowing its availability to all Accor marketing professionals worldwide. It also includes managing content development from the first brief to performance monitoring and content optimisation. 

Interestingly, the ‘Content Atelier’ also utilises a data-led approach to enable Accor brand marketers to focus on their most important activities while aiming to increase the effectiveness of its digital marketing programmes, drive more traffic to its branded website, and deliver exceptional customer experiences. 

This service has been developed with leading design principles and utilises Accenture’s SynOps platform for marketing and content operations while being integrated into Accor’s infrastructure. 

Talking about the project, Stéphanie Jaffré, SVP digital marketing and eCommerce, Premium, Midscale, and Economy Brands at Accor, said, “Accor is committed to extending hospitality and inspiring new opportunities and experiences for our guests. So, it is crucial we have the right framework in place to reach our guests in the right way at the right time on the right channels, to inspire and support their travel needs and desires.

“Consumer attention is not agnostic; it spreads across multiple digital channels, and we need to be able to communicate with our guests on all relevant platforms, particularly at the research and inspiration stage of the customer journey. Hospitality is all about connecting with people, and through our new digital content strategy, we can better connect with, inspire, and serve our guests,” added Jaffré.

Meanwhile, Martial Viudes, managing director at Accenture Song, said, “Together with Accor, we have redesigned the experience for Accor marketing professionals, aiming to optimize efficiency on a global level and ensure locally relevant, ultra-personalized experiences for its guests. We are proud to support Accor in creating a new generation of content production, harnessing our deep industry, creative, and technical expertise. 

“The development of the ‘Content Atelier’ serves each brand within the group according to their marketing ambitions, delivering bespoke and creative points of delight worldwide,” he ended.

The last two years have changed the way consumers interact with brands. Apart from speeding up digital consumption, consumer behaviour continually shifted, even as brands press on and prepare for a more digital future. Increasing mobile internet penetration to 52 per cent by 2025 (up from 42 per cent at the end of 2020) is also resulting in more technologically savvy citizens; driving digital consumption on various platforms, with Southeast Asian consumers reportedly spending 414 billion hours online in 2021.

This increased consumption has also fuelled digital content production, especially in the advertising space. In Asia Pacific, the digital advertising market is expected to grow by 13.25 per cent annually, with a totally addressable market capitalisation of USD 2.9 billion from 2022 to 2031. Another global advertising forecast by MAGNA also suggests the same rampant growth, predicting digital and mobile campaigns to drive APAC advertising revenue to an 11.2 per cent increase and be worth USD 235 billion this year. 

All these factors are contributing to the thriving digital economy in Asia Pacific, and it is up to brands and marketers to adapt to newer marketing strategies to capitalise on the shift. Today, many are already delivering personalised content across omnichannel platforms and creating successful mobile experiences that convert. With 8 out of 10 consumers surveyed by Forrester perceiving their world as ‘all digital’, brands have to question if their current content production process can meet these expectations. 

Across every industry, major brands are becoming more reliant on technology to deliver engaging content and nurture new leads for higher revenue. In fact, up to 79 per cent of Asia Pacific marketers admitted to investing in marketing technology. This should not come as a surprise, since 80 per cent of consumers use digital platforms to discover and evaluate products and services online before actual purchase. 

For companies to stay nimble and be able to continually wow customers, content production needs to become an increasingly important part of marketing strategy. The way it is produced is just as important as what is produced. In today’s lightning-paced environment where content could become immediately obsolete, the agility in content production requires brands to be agile-minded in their processes.

What does agile content development look like?

Firstly, an agile content development process utilises data science and an iterative approach to content optimisation and delivery. This enables the business to create solution-focused content and present its brand as an industry thought leader.

Three things to look out for in agile content development

To foster an agile content development process, brands must implement a strategy to create a full-stack solution. Here are the actions to create one:

  1. Increase efficiencies, manage costs, and establish better processes.

Day-to-day oversight of the content production process across brands, agencies, vendors and countries helps stakeholders identify cost inefficiencies, and spot new trending opportunities quicker. 

  1. A centralised concierge to manage every aspect of content production.

Having all production data in one place, helps stakeholders access and manage all production activities more efficiently. From assessing production readiness, or Request For Proposal (RFP) programmes, this concierge enables greater transparency when it comes to timelines and costs. With the flexibility to produce content with the right selected partners, brands can mitigate risks – especially when it comes to media rights and getting sufficient production insurance. 

  1. Syncing your brand with the right strategy and ecosystem.

With marketing content being generated across a wide range of sources, in various markets and locations, stakeholders from agencies, in-house teams and media partners need to take a step back and assess their current capacity, processes and investments. Sometimes deviating from the norm can provide the brand with the best results, but many brands are tied with existing production partners, which can often frustrate processes. Hence, an aerial view of the business gives more options to the brand. 

The future of content production is agile

As consumer behaviour continues to sporadically transform, brands that are aiming to ride the wave of market relevance need a strategy that can help the business pivot faster and stay nimble. The ability to engage and capture attention will keep business booming, and it is important for brands to stay ahead 

of competitors. For profits to keep flowing, the business needs to be adaptable, and traditional approaches constrain that.

A new standard has arrived, and it is time to embrace something better and faster or choose to hold on and stagnate. The decision is yours. 

This article is written by Jonathan Parker, managing director of Advertising Production Resources for EMEA & APAC.

Manila, Philippines – Digital talent and media company Gushcloud in the Philippines has recently signed Jason Magbanua, a celebrated local videographer known for his videography stints at well-known celebrity weddings in the country, as well as his own visual storyteller stints.

In an exclusive deal, the digital talent and marketing agency will be working closely with the esteemed videographer to represent and manage key brand deals, and to provide channel management support. Said deal is aimed at bolstering as well the talent’s digital presence and thought leadership.

With over 20 years of experience, a slew of international awards, and a strong roster of clients, Magbanua is known as well for capturing captivating video content for corporate clients and brands.

Speaking about this endeavor, Magbanua mentioned that the past year has been really challenging, to say the least, adding that events had to be put on hold and wedding shoots had to be cancelled. However, he mentioned that his passion to create was the one thing that didn’t stop him. 

“I shot and edited, and learned to master my craft – which is why I’m very excited to be in this new partnership with Gushcloud Philippines. I’ve received a ton of emails and direct messages about partnerships and representation and while all these messages were courteous and polite, none approached it the way the Gushcloud team did,” Magbanua said.

He added, “They were not only very nice people, but patient, thorough, forward thinking, and transparent. Inking the agreement was a process of relationship building and not once did I feel obliged or pressured. I’m eager to learn and create, and I’m looking forward to partnering with brands and exerting influence not just to sell but for the greater good.”

As part of the deal, Gushcloud Philippines will co-manage his personal YouTube channel where he shares his creative process, including reviews, tips, and tutorials. Magbanua also has over 314,000 subscribers on his second YouTube channel where he shares wedding films of celebrities and other couples. Apart from this, he also has over 113,000 Instagram followers and over 250,000 Facebook followers. 

“At Gushcloud, our goals have always been to create a sustainable ecosystem where brands, influencers, and content creators grow together. We’re thrilled to have Jason Magbanua onboard, to collaborate and strengthen his digital presence. Excited for him to impart his expertise, and continue to create a strong positive influence in our collective industry,” said Jamie Paraso, country director at Gushcloud Philippines. 

Aside from Jason Magbanua, Gushcloud has also signed gaming creator Yuka Kuroyanagi, celebrities Bangs Garcia, Ciara Sotto, Bettinna Carlos, Michelle Madrigal, and Patrick Garcia and family for channel management.

London, United Kingdom – Creative transformation company WPP and tech giant Microsoft have recently entered a new partnership to launch ‘Cloud Studio’, an innovative cloud platform targeted to transform creative content production.

Cloud Studio aims to allow creative teams from across WPP’s global network to produce campaigns for clients from any location around the world. It is also the advertising industry’s first bespoke platform for virtual production that arms creatives with the technology to collaborate and create impactful work for clients, moving content creation, production and editing out of on-premises environments and into the cloud.

WPP will roll out Cloud Studio to 5,000 employees across its network, notably within WPP’s creative production operation Hogarth, giving them the ability to access production tools and services from standard Internet-connected devices via Azure without the need for the traditional hardware or physical equipment.

In the longer run, WPP has plans to expand the platform more broadly, with a potential deployment of up to 25,000 users.

For Satya Nadella, CEO at Microsoft, digital technology is rapidly transforming every aspect of the media and advertising industry, including how content is produced.

“Together with WPP, we will apply the power of Azure’s scalable, intelligent infrastructure to support next-generation content production and ensure thousands of WPP employees remain agile, collaborative and creative from anywhere,” Nadella stated.

Cloud Studio enables WPP to fully embrace today’s new world of hybrid working environments while providing business continuity and the ability to deliver outstanding work for clients across teams and markets. This intelligent categorization of content will enable WPP to give teams the assurance of version control, eliminate duplication of content and empower creatives working across markets and time zones with access to the right assets for the right product or market.

“Technology is what powers WPP’s creativity; it allows us to realise our ideas, uncover insights and embrace innovative ways of working. The pandemic has shown how WPP teams can successfully collaborate to create extraordinary work for our clients, all while being physically apart,” said Mark Read, CEO at WPP. 

He added, “Partnering with Microsoft on Cloud Studio is the next step in our journey to arm creative teams with the latest in cutting-edge production tools, and draw upon the best talent, regardless of where they are.”

Singapore – Media company Verizon Media has announced the promotion of former director of content Simon Wheeler as the company’s senior director of content, therefore ramping up the company’s remit in Southeast Asia and India following the success of its Australian-based media brands.

Through his new role, Wheeler will be responsible for editorial strategy in English-language regions including Australia, India, and Southeast Asia. Editorial teams in India and across Southeast Asia will now report to Wheeler under the new structure. 

Prior to his new role, Wheeler has led the editorial strategy in Australia, managing teams to deliver quality content, diversify audiences, and achieve substantial growth. 

According to the company, Australian monthly active users across its editorial brands Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Lifestyle, Yahoo News and Yahoo Sport grew by 8% last year, and logged-in users increasing by 7%.

Commenting on his promotion, Wheeler said, “This is a really exciting time for Verizon Media as we band together with international teams to deliver quality content for our audiences across the wider APAC region. 2020 presented difficult and unexpected challenges for all but we overcame and adapted to interact with our audiences in new ways. I’m excited to be taking on this new role and working closer with our regional counterparts.”

Meanwhile, Marie-Hélène Savard, vice president and head of international consumer at Verizon Media, commented, “We’re thrilled to announce Simon’s promotion to this new role. Having proven success in diversifying and growing audiences over the past few years in Australia, we’re excited to see his expertise in play across the wider region. This new structure will better align our editorial strategy across wider APAC and enable our editorial teams to continue to deliver fantastic content and results for our audiences.” 

Singapore – Global creative agency AnalogFolk has announced its recent investment to Untold Fable, a newly-launched global content production company founded by entrepreneur Kate Tancred, who also serves as Untold Fable’s CEO.

AnalogFolk Group will become a majority shareholder of Untold Fable, and it will be running its specialist brands – AnalogFolk, Untold Fable and Serum (UK) – as stand-alone businesses.

Through the investment, Untold Fable will offer clients the added value of tapping into on-demand digital agency services from AnalogFolk. This joint offering is designed to provide one entry point for clients into the creativity and efficiencies of a tech-powered production offering and the strategic precision of on demand creative digital agency services.

Untold Fable was founded on a greater need for video and audio content across entertainment and advertising, to which the company aims to cater to by creating a platform that houses studios, sound designers, sound engineers, composers and voice talent from around the world, assisting brands with their audio identity while communicating with consumers via one of the fastest-growing ad formats in the world.

Furthermore, Untold Fable allows brands, publishers and agencies to also have the option to measure their diversity and inclusion (D&I) statistics across their productions throughout the year, empowering them to put the issue front and center by giving them the data when it comes time to commission talent. 

According to data from branding and design company IMPACT, 70% of consumers have shared a brand’s video, with 52% saying watching product videos makes them more confident in online purchase decisions. About 72% of businesses, meanwhile, stated video has improved their conversion rate. 

“It is the first community-based production model to be built with diversity at its heart, promising to ensure the makeup of the network reflects the world we live in as well as launching technology features that make connecting with traditionally underrepresented talent from the creative industry much more accessible to clients,” the company said in a press statement.

With the existing footprint of AnalogFolk globally, Untold Fable will offer clients on-the-ground teams in London, New York, Sydney, Amsterdam, Hong Kong and Singapore from day one. 

“I spent the last 10 years driving the efficiencies and creativity of a tech powered production offering. Untold Fable expands on that model by connecting clients with a curated network of diverse, award-winning talent and layering over digital creative services from one of the most celebrated independent digital agencies in the world. Combining these offerings enables us to produce audio and video content in a way that the industry is yet to experience,” Tancred said.

Meanwhile, for AnalogFolk founder and chief client officer Bill Brock, their recent investment in Untold Fable speaks to the agency’s mission of using “digital to make the analog world better.”

“With the launch of Untold Fable, we not only diversify the group’s offering, we break exciting new ground on this enduring mission. We’re leveraging the power of technology to make it easier than ever before for brands and publishers to work with a more diverse talent pool,” Brock stated.