The Times They Are A-Changin’

Earlier this week, our co-founder Maarten Verwaest attended an IMEC Investor Briefing in Antwerp and spent some time talking about technology and change in the media sector.

The recently published case study highlighting Limecraft’s work with Sveriges Television (SVT – Sweden’s national public broadcaster) highlights the fact that all broadcasters are constantly grappling with the twin issues of technology and efficiency. This is not a new phenomenon – it has arguably always been the case. When a new technology emerges, broadcasters will consider the costs and the benefits versus the challenges of implementation, and then decide whether or not that new technology is worth leveraging and exploiting. Sometimes the answer will be ‘yes’, sometimes ‘no’. Sometimes the answer will be ‘not just yet’. Either way, technology never stands still and keeping on top of it is a full-time job in itself.

The media and entertainment industry is no stranger to change, but the last five years have been quite remarkable. We’ve seen an explosion in the number of online channels and platforms, unprecedented levels of cord cutting (terrestrial and satellite), huge growth in the popularity of web-based short-form content, and a massive increase in globalisation which has led to demands for more tailored and personalised content and more localisation. Add it all up and you see massive logistical challenges for everyone in the production and delivery business. You could argue that this change in the landscape has been quite predictable given that other industries have previously experienced similar trends – personalisation, just-in-time delivery, scaling at marginal cost – but our industry can be quite self-referencing and we’re not always the best at seeing changes in consumer behaviour until they become quite obvious.

While change is arguably inevitable and very often positive, it can also come with negative consequences. Industry fragmentation, falling advertising revenues and the need for additional content for off-shoot digital and online channels have all caused broadcasters to focus more attention on efficiency and savings. The phrase ‘doing more with less’ has never been more widely used, and the effects of shrinking budgets and smaller headcounts are being keenly felt by all. Limecraft has been fortunate to work with several progressive customers who have embraced change, especially technological change, in a way that has helped them navigate the turbulent waters of industry transformation. SVT chose, perhaps radically, to opt for automation and improve accessibility rather than reduce output. Hotel Hungaria successfully evolved from a TV production club into a full scale 360° content agency. DPG Media have become the first international media organisation to implement a live content delivery portal, enabling them to collaborate with hundreds of producers in real-time and continue scaling their business with only negligible increases in costs.

What’s the common thread here? These organisations have successfully researched and implemented technology solutions that provide demonstrable benefits and improvements in efficiency at an acceptable cost (both financially and organisationally).

Limecraft is not just another MAM system. Limecraft is a real-time collaboration platform that connects producers and broadcasters and establishes effective communication. It uses AI and templates to generate new shared workspaces in seconds, getting rid of ad hoc informal communication and unnecessary, costly software development.

Interested? Get in touch here.