By truly understanding what your viewers’ passions are and developing compelling offerings for each of those communities, you will garner views, trust and loyalty.
The debate as to whether the world of broadcast is heading towards saturation has raged on for some time now. Will we ever get to the point where content producers meet the demands of all viewers? In my opinion, there’s not a chance – there are too many viewers to consider, too many evolving trends and demand for content will never cease to exist.
Whether we’ll ever get to the point of true saturation is somewhat irrelevant, however; the fact is that competition for viewership has never been greater. Producers of content in all its forms are competing for both viewers’ finite time and budgets, if we are to consider subscription-based content.
And I don’t think that’s a bad thing. It helps to keep content companies on their toes. Most importantly, it ensures they’re delivering content that truly resonates with their audiences, which is the secret ingredient to breaking through a saturated market.
Stick to what you’re good at
To stand out, content companies and producers must first define their consumer proposition and be bold about it. That means owning the lane in real-life entertainment, but fundamentally it’s about having the confidence in knowing what your audience wants and not being tempted into veering off course.
Sticking to what you’re good at doesn’t mean regurgitating content that perhaps once worked well. It’s about knowing when to enhance and evolve. Adapting an international format, for instance, and adding the flavour of Arabic culture and celebrating it sometimes helps establish a greater rapport with viewers in the MENA region.
Consistency is key
Standing out doesn’t have to equate to being shocking. Content such as Squid Game can take the world by storm for a short period of time, but to sustain your position in standing out in the market you must be consistent. By truly understanding what your viewers’ passions are and developing compelling offerings for each of those communities, you will garner views, trust and loyalty.
Audiences often turn to entertainment to seek comfort, solutions and inspiration. Brands that can offer that differentiation and reliability in a cluttered and crowded space and can offer reassurance will help create a loyal audience base.
Accessibility and IP
Quite simply, you can’t stand out if your content cannot be seen readily. In a crowded environment, the key is owning your IP so you can run it multi-screen and own all the rights. Instead of renting content, you can make your own by making sure that content is available on-demand whenever and wherever the audience wants it. Audiences want to be able to access content on their own terms nowadays, and you need to be nimble and bold if you don’t want to get left behind.
Powerful partnerships
Standing out doesn’t mean doing it alone. There’s power in coming together with the right partners, as we have done in this market with StarzPlay and Intigral. It’s imperative to collaborate with relevant local companies who have an innate and unrivalled understanding of the regional market as natives. The right partnerships allow you to introduce your content while gaining instantaneous solid brand awareness and invaluable consumer insights that become essential to your success.
The increasingly content-saturated market is a testament to the demand for tailor-made content. This is both a challenge and an opportunity that can be maximised with the right strategies. Conserving and evolving our best practices, staying consistent, improving content accessibility and partnering with key market players – all boil down to a consumer-first approach. Trends, viewing appetite and competitions are ever-changing, but producing content with genuine resonance with the audience will remain the secret ingredient to cutting through any saturation.
Francesco Perta is Senior Business Development and Distribution Director, MEA, Turkey and Northeast Europe, Discovery Inc.
