The undercurrent of this session seemed to be what makes the difference between a community manager and a broadcaster. Is there a difference at all?
Lilley addressed the core of this question directly: in matters of transmedia success or failure, « This is still just about talent spotting. There aren’t many people with native experience of multi-platform content. »
Lilley: « I never, ever do sessions about the future. Focusing (solely) on the technologies really won’t lead to good thinking. Look carefully instead at behaviours of people we formerly knew as ‘the audience’. »
People are changing, and with them their expectations for technology. Weill illustrated this with the case of « Money Drop » in France, you can participate in the game show from home as if you are onstage. « This is changing TV! » Weill exclaimed.
He elaborated more on this later with what he called the Trojan Horse. Content operates a lot like this: you use it as your Trojan horse to get people addicted, then monetise using play-later models and sponsorship.
« In most cases, interaction during shows will be free. But there will be the play-anytime », where money gets made. « You can play along during ‘Money Drop’ if you buy a Nestlé product, » Weill explained. « So yes it’s free, but not really, and it’s good for the sponsor too. »
« The entire commercial model with (social gaming giant) Zynga is paying for things you could get free if you wait long enough, » Lilley added, and Weill concurred.
« The way you monetise with freemium has changed gaming, and it will also change social TV, » Weill said.
Medeiros elaborated. « Every night a new episode of Breaking Bad runs. The most downloaded episode is still the first one » – and each time somebody downloads a new episode, that’s one more supporter for the entire Breaking Bad franchise – opening immense opportunities for engagement and sales, not just of spinoff content but of DVD box sets.
« But a lot of the content people will consume will be variations of classic content, » Medeiros said. What’s changing are the new ways of forming relationships, which « will spread it around. »
