Learnings from the Digicon- Content & Distribution

I realized I haven't been blogging :( so allow me to share something I have learned from the Digital Congress I attended recently.

Gautam Talwar at the 2016 Power of X at the PICC
Photo lifted from Facebook/adobomagazine

Gautam Talwar, General Manager of Maker Studios, said one out of three millennials watch a video produced by Makers Studios.  That, he said, translates to 250 million video streams in the Philippines and about billions in Southeast Asia.  About 70% of that audience are in the 14-44 demographics. Those numbers gave them consumer insights about how content should be distributed, how long should it be, what genres should they prioritize and what kind of content is shareable online.

A bit about  Makers Studios.  This company came out of Youtube about 6 years ago and was acquired by no less than Walt Disney 2 years ago.  It's primary function is to be the short form content house of Walt Disney.  But, they do more than that.  They buy and sell media and distribute them in various social media platforms.

Walt Disney, like all other company, are also chasing the millennials. So, a study was commissioned last year by the company to know more about this generation.  The research was titled "The Shift Report".  Talwar promised to provide a soft copy of this report and we are still waiting todate for it.

The Shift Report revealed that 60% of millennial consumption is taking place on smart phones watching, and sharing videos on platforms like Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

AUTHENTICITY AND TRUST are buzz words that came out of that study.  Talwar said, according to the report millennials are twice more likely to try a product or brand that a Youtuber recommends than try those endorsed by mainstream celebrities.  

This means, a new generation of celebrities are influencing the millennials and it is not from the traditional media.  These new influencers, according to Talwar, have a direct fan base across all important platforms. “When they speak, the fans listen and ready to take actions,” Talwar added.   It is not surprising, really.  In 2014, Variety conducted a survey on the top 10 most influential celebrities and survey revealed that the first 5 are Digital superstars.  

So if brands want to connect with the millenials, the route is short videos that feature digital stars.  He shared as an example Marvel.  Digital celebrities were tapped to generate buzz around the showing of Capt. marvel the movie. 1 of the 6 videos created by Maker Studios for this campaign generated 2 and a half million views in 3 days. I've included a sample here that feature Filipino winners. (by Ramona Nieva)