Rich content is, without a doubt, the name of the game today. Rich digital content, that is. For, let’s be clear, content consumption across the world is taking place digitally. Of course, factors such as the exponential rise in global smartphone usage and internet penetration have done their bit, too. After all, these mediums have provided consumers with the option to access the content of their choice-be it information, entertainment or social activity-anytime, anywhere. In other words, content discoverability and access have become simpler than ever before.
There is, of course, a catch. While most generic content-that is, videos, music, et al, are available (and accessed) in abundance, not all categories fall into the same bracket. As businesses are moving towards a digital landscape, it was only a matter of time for celebrities to make their presence on digital media. This trend started with celebrities enhancing their presence on social media. However, the issue with this approach was that it could not be monetized. Now, celebrities are realizing the monetary value of having a digital presence, keeping in mind that many relevant factors can be monetized. These may include (and, naturally, not be restricted to) managing contracts, promoting upcoming events, selling tickets and merchandise for events , or engaging with fans in an interactive and personalized manner. We believe that 360-degree celebrity management across all these aspects is the next wave that will play a large role in changing the very dynamics of entertainment. For example, popular artist Drake leverages social media to the fullest. He is most active on Instagram, where he has more than 37 million followers. By building a culture around @champagnepapi, he has enhanced Toronto’s visibility, turned OVO into a clothing line and festival, sidestepped traditional music revenue channels by having the most-streamed album of 2017 thus far and is the fourth highest-paid celebrity in the world. Another interesting example is Kim Kardashian teaming up with application developer Glu Mobile to launch Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, a lifestyle-centric game. In the first two years, the game raked in over $100 million, according to Niccolo de Masi, the developer’s chief executive officer.
Clearly, content related to celebrities-though extremely sought after-is difficult to access. And this brings us to the point of this blog-the need of the hour is for an increasing amount of celebrity-related content in a digital format. It makes sense, celebrities would be able to reach out to their fans in a more convenient and streamlined manner. Engagement levels would be much higher, and, subsequently, so would the fan’s loyalty. In a nutshell, the celebrity would achieve multiple benefits by simply adopting a single digital channel. Fan loyalty, content monetization (through events, merchandise, etc), enhanced connectivity and perhaps even meeting their fans-the list is endless. Therefore, the need of the hour is a service that fills the void of accessing that very content.
Ideally, such an offering ought to provide rapid and streamlined monetization of such content. The platform also ought to execute celebrity management in an end-to-end manner and supports the creation of a celebrity’s profile, content programming and all activities pertaining to operations and management. In short, the idea is to enable celebrities to connect, interact and sell to their followers, while managing and accessing their accounts on the platform.
Now, let’s talk about the nuts and bolts of such a solution. It’s quite straightforward, really. The artist registers on the platform and the content is curated by experts, thereafter uploaded and made live on the same. Last and perhaps the most important, customers are able to connect with that artist. Isn’t that, after all, the entire point?
But, what’s in it for each party-that is, the celebrity and the customer? Why would such a platform be required in the first place? Well, for the celebrity, the platform can:
- Support rich media content, such as videos, photos, blogs, et all
- Leverage social media networks to connect with fans
- Promote new and exclusive content and events, sell tickets and monetize the same, while obtaining real-time reports on the same
- Execute live broadcasts to speak to fans
On their part, customers can access personalized content, interact in real-time with the celebrity of their choice and one-stop access to various content, such as blogs, photos, videos, events, etc.
All in all, in the era of online content, social networking and “always-on” connectivity, accessing relevant and personalized content is all-important. After all, isn’t that what every successful player in the digital content ecosystem ought to aspire to achieve?
