 Broadband Content  Emergence of new patterns of content creation and media consumption  Currently, broadband content is very close to television in nature, but new forms of content will break away from these conventions Analyzing these new forms must avoid the comparison with TV New forms of content will target a young audience Content forms and media consumption patterns will diverge significantly from established content |
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 Introduction For quite some time now, broadband content has been one of the hottest fields of development in the online space. Around the globe, the number of new sites offering their version of Internet-based television is rising exponentially. It is clear however, that with all eyes zeroing in on the new suspected growth sector, original broadband content has a difficult time extracting itself from the overbearing influence of broadcast culture. It IS going to be the replacement for TV, right? So, what is wrong with LOOKING like TV? Right now, what is really happening is that broadband experiments are becoming the laboratory for networks and cable channels. This is where TV production companies can test-run new ideas, and this is where they can dig for fresh new concepts to liven up their mainstream offerings. It is not, however, becoming the hot new medium everybody is anticipating. Just television in a small window on a computer screen… The question, in other words, is: is broadband content being swallowed up by the major players in the television space before it can even come to maturity? That certainly seems to be the case when one watches most experiments in broadband content. Take “Whatever,” the broadband serial which is available on goosehead.com. These short pieces about life as an adolescent are witty, incisive, fun to watch - but in the end, they are television. Why watch it on the Internet? And if the producers of the show had a TV contract, would they still produce the serial for the Internet? Watch the Fringe In fact, what is happening here is that market anticipation is blocking the natural development of the medium. If we forget about 'TV on the Internet' for a moment, we can see that the potential for broadband media is much wider than simply delivering television programs interactively over the Internet. And it is not limited to video, either. Some of the most original entertainment sites on the Web are actually based on technologies such as Flash and Shockwave - and since they are not as bandwidth hungry as streaming video, they deliver a much more pleasant viewing experience. Major developments often happen where you least expect them. To anticipate what will happen in the broadband space it is essential to watch the fringe: sites which concentrate on delivering original content to a captive audience, without first-and-foremost being preoccupied with getting a slice of the “next big thing.” Forget Television To understand how broadband content will evolve, we need to look at market segments such as the music business, not television. Why? Because in the music business, just as in the emerging, digital video-driven broadband space, the tools are in the hands of the creators. In the broadcast space they reside with the networks and production companies. The music business is totally driven by the push emanating from creative individuals and groups, and the recording industry has developed very intelligent mechanisms for picking and pushing groups and musicians who capture and focalize a particular vision for a distinct market segment. Similar patterns are likely to emerge with broadband content. The affordable, easy to use tools will have an increasing impact on broadband production. Watch out for innovative content where you least expect it. And don’t expect it to look like broadcast television. Whatever the field, “Killer Content” is driven by practices, not concepts. Movements in music start with musicians playing instruments not with marketing experts trying to figure out what would sell. The same logic applies to most other fields. As tools for production come down in price, fields which were totally controlled by companies with a lot of market clout are opening up for individuals and small groups of creative people who, though they may lack funding, have an extremely strong creative vision. Conclusion Now that the smoke of dot-com madness has cleared a bit, we can start to look at what is really happening with broadband. The revolution in content is coming, but it will start where we least expect it. Before projecting what the market for the technology will look like in a few years time, we will need to keep a close eye on what kind of creative content develops, how it is supported, and how it targets its audience. Note: Pfeiffer Consulting is conducting a research project on creative trends in the broadband space. Let us know your comments and suggestions, or if you would like to be informed when the research becomes available. 02Nov2000 ©2000 Pfeiffer Consulting |
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