IBC SPECIAL - SEPTEMBER 2017 IBC_SUPPLEMENT_SEPTEMBER_2017 | Page 8
Accenture: Traditional broadcasters
becoming data-driven
A
ccording to Gavin Mann (right), global
managing director with Accenture’s
broadcast business, broadcasters and
programmers often struggle to understand
demographics, behaviors, and intentions
of people who watch their content such as
TV shows. They do not know enough about
which TV shows interest them and why, which
character in the show alienates viewers the
most, and how far into a scene a viewer watches
a show. These problems exist because the data
broadcasters have about their viewers tends to
be sparse, disaggregated, and unreliable.
However, Internet-based platform
companies, known as ‘digital natives’,” possess
extensive and valuable data about consumers.
This specific and relevant data forms the core
of their businesses and arms them with a
wealth of information about the demographics,
behaviours, and intentions of people viewing
their content. Gaining deep understandings
of their viewers, these platform companies
can deliver consumers more personalised
and valuable video content, services, and
recommendations. As owners of the customer
experience, digital natives deliver compelling
video experiences that drive more advertising
revenues.
The competitive advantage this offers digital
natives are motivating traditional broadcasters
to become data-driven businesses, which have
the following characteristics:
1. Data-centricity: data-driven organisations
build direct, one-to-one relationships with
audiences, creating value propositions that
encourage and reward audiences for sharing
their data. These companies are in the
business of amassing data on audiences and
exploiting it.
2. Platform-based approach: data-driven
organisations take a ‘platform-based’
approach to gathering data from across
all their brands and audience touch-
points. Data is gathered and exploited in
a coordinated manner across propositions
and functional silos and throughout legacy
and new digital channels. This enables
broadcasters to properly exploit audience
engagement across their product portfolios
starting with visibility of how each audience
member engages with each channel, brand or
product.
3. Operating models led by data insights
experimentation: data-driven organisations
don’t just collect data and invest in
technology. They overhaul their operating
models to place insight and experimentation
at the core of their operations. This requires
new structures, skills and ways of working
to drive strategic KPIs (key performance
indicators).
Although broadcasters have been focused on
improving the quality and reliability of their
customer data for several years, at this year’s
event they will be focused on data strategies
because of mounting competitive pressures
and growing demand by consumers for more
Sky launching Sky-
Fi channel On Demand and on NOW TV,
Sky Cinema is bringing 1977’s A New Hope all the
customers a collection way to 2016’s Rogue One –
of classic and celebrated alongside all 10 original Star
sci-fi films this September, Trek movies, Spielberg
offering some of the genre’s
biggest titles on a dedicated
‘Sky-Fi’ channel.
Customers will be able to
watch some of the most iconic
franchises from the sci-fi
genre. The dedicated channel
the collection includes the
entire Star Wars series – from
classics such as Close
Encounters of The Third
Kind and Minority Report,
plus James Cameron’s The
Terminator. Ahead of the
theatrical release of Blade
is available at no extra cost to Runner 2049, the channel
Sky Cinema subscribers, which will also feature the theatrical
is available at £10 (€11) per version of Ridley Scott’s
month. iconic Blade Runner, as well as
Also available to viewers
a special programme looking
8 ADVANCEDTELEVISION
personalised services. Broadcasters need to
increasingly adopt the approaches of the major
digital disruptors and become data-driven
media and technology companies. But few are
doing so as quickly or effectively as the market
indicates.
To transform into data-driven businesses, it
is critical for companies to pivot their corporate
cultures so everyone understands that the
company is, first and foremost, driven by data.
A broadcaster, for example, needs to re-invent
its business model so it is responsive to insights
from customer data and uses that data to help
reduce costs and generate more revenues.
Insights and analytics should be applied
across all areas of the business. Integration of,
and reactions to, these insights is crucial for
proving business value.
At this year’s IBC expect broadcasters to be
increasingly focused on:
• Becoming data-driven as the industry
continues to be reshaped by digital
consumption;
• Building more direct, insightful, and deeper
relationships faster by knowing more
specifics about their viewing audiences; this
includes their habits, preferences, ages, and
genders;
• Constantly measuring performance of their
pro