iWorld
Monetising OTT: Competing in a new game
SINGAPORE: In this session at BroadcastAsia 2013, Ericsson, sr. director, innovation and business development, content and enabler Jon M Sonsteby focused on how best to monetise from over the top services.
He began his session with a very sleekly executed pre-roll advertisement and at the end he exclaimed, “Pre-roll is great, but let’s think outside the pre-roll ad. How can we best monetise from the OTT platform?”
According to the Consumerlab Annual Research, which Sonsteby used during his presentation, Social TV is really exploding – as more than 60 per cent people use social forums while watching TV – these numbers reveal the results of 100,000 respondents, and reflects the views of nearly 1.1 billion consumers from more than 40 countries globally.
Referring to the Ericsson ConsumerLab TV Video Consumer trends 2012, Sonsteby stressed on the fact that consumers are not canceling their traditional TV subscriptions on a larger scale, though the traction for OTT is growing.
He further went on to explain the trend of scheduled broadcast TV falling from 92 per cent to 87 per cent between 2010 and 2012; the drastic fall in the trend of recorded broadcast TV from 61 per cent in 2010 to a mere 45 per cent in 2012. Whereas, DVD/Blue-ray witnessed a minor fall from 48 per cent to 45 per cent between 2010 and 2012 and PPV a rise by a per cent from 19 per cent to 20 per cent between 2010 and 2012.
In terms of on-demand habits, the consumer’s TV/video consumption on a weekly basis or more has witnessed a rise in short video clips e.g. YouTube from 58 to 62 per cent between 2010 and 2012; even streamed or downloaded movies or TV shows witnessed a rise from 54 per cent to 59 per cent from 2010 to 2012.
Sonsteby also mentioned how basic broadcast viewing has slowly migrated from internet based on-demand to multi-screen experience. He further dwelled into the change in social TV habits, where the maximum hike was witnessed during browsing the internet while watching television from 64 per cent in 2011 to 83 per cent in 2012 and the use of social media (Facebook, Twitter, blogs) rising from 44 per cent in 2011 to 62 per cent in 2012.
“The important features that consumers are on the lookout for include: excellent video quality, simple user interface, A la cart TV/video service, ad free telecasts, a diverse availability of content and theatrical releases that come on TV too,” Sonsteby explained.
Finally, coming to monetising from OTT, he said, “There are two possibilities to monetise from OTT, one being use of portal ads that include banner, text or rich media and the second being non-portal ads, which include in-stream ads (pre-roll, mid-roll or post-roll) and out-stream ads also called overlay ads.”
Summing up his session, Sonsteby mentioned that consumers want content anytime, anywhere and access across any device or platform. He also mentioned that social media is the go to place in the future and broadcasters or content owners want to continue building brand loyalty and look at newer revenue streams to receive from consumers directly.
iWorld
Bajaj Dhuniverse crowns ‘Voice of the Nation’ on 31 March
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy to judge finale in Mumbai as over 60,000 aspirants compete.
MUMBAI: Bajaj Dhuniverse just hit the high note because when 60,000 voices chase a dream, even the judges need earplugs and a standing ovation. Bajaj Finserv will conclude its digital-first music talent platform Bajaj Dhuniverse with a grand finale on 31 March in Mumbai. The event, hosted in the presence of legendary composers Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, will crown the ‘Voice of the Nation’ after a six-month nationwide search that drew over 60,000 auditions from metros to deep rural areas.
The platform enabled aspiring singers and musicians to submit audio and video entries without the barriers of physical auditions. A rigorous, multi-layered evaluation process shortlisted the top 100 contestants, who received mentorship from Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy through a digital episodic format. From this pool, 10 finalists and one wild-card entrant were selected to perform live at the finale.
The winner will receive the opportunity to co-create the Bajaj Anthem as Season 1’s ‘Voice of Bajaj’, record an independent album with Zee Music Company, and collaborate with Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy on a Spotify release.
Bajaj Finserv president of digital platforms Manav Mianwal said, “We owe it to the nation and our people to invest in creating platforms that harness potential and create new role models. The response we have received in Year 1 gives us the tailwinds and the courage to make this even bigger and better in Year 2.”
Shankar Mahadevan said, “What stood out to me about Bajaj Dhuniverse was the intent to find and elevate musical talent from all corners of India. The digital-first approach has made participation genuinely inclusive.”
Ehsaan Noorani added, “The range, depth and commitment we witnessed during evaluations were extraordinary.”
Loy Mendonsa noted, “India has always had immense musical talent. Bajaj Dhuniverse created a platform where musicians could step forward and be discovered.”
The campaign was amplified through on-air storytelling and on-ground activations in partnership with Radio Mirchi. The finale will be streamed nationwide, offering music lovers across the country a chance to witness the crowning moment.
In a country where musical dreams often stay hidden in small towns and villages, Bajaj Dhuniverse didn’t just open the stage, it built one that reaches every corner, proving that the next big voice may not come from the spotlight, but from the silence between the notes.
