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l audiovisual has become one of the main tools, if not the first great tool, of 21st century communication. It is a fact that no one misses. And in this sense, the audiovisual sector has a premise that will surely endure: content is king. Without content, no communication is possible. There may be technological changes, but content will prevail.
THE AUDIOVISUAL, OMNIPRESENT
Audiovisual is already everywhere: at the forefront of advertising campaigns, electoral campaigns, in research centers and medical institutions. It spreads across all industrial sectors. We see audiovisual in literary promotions, in theaters, dance shows, opera. It is no longer strange to read that El Liceu proposes an immersive audiovisual experience to its audience, a 360º format to experience, from within, La bohème or the ballet Coppélia.
More and more formats and devices integrate video. In a short time, television screens have begun to coexist with mobile phones, and analog television channels have new competitors on the internet and social networks. In the forecast of the latest study by the consulting firm PwC, Entertainment and Media Outlook 2017 - 2021, the growth of video games (3.5%), internet advertising (6.3%), online video (15%) and virtual and immersive reality (79.7%) stands out above all.
It goes without saying that everything is moving very fast. The pace at which technologies are evolving even exceeds our capacity for adaptation. What can be done to prevent this phenomenon from overwhelming us? How to turn this challenge into an opportunity? The answer lies, once again, in content.
We must value the narrative, formal and strategic possibilities that these changes offer: that is where the opportunity lies. And it must be understood that not only the audiovisual industry is called to do so, but also the rest of the industries.
In this sense, it is relevant to explain that for four years the Clúster Audiovisual de Catalunya, together with Foment del Treball, has organized the ZOOM Marcas sessions, where representatives of brands, agencies and audiovisual production companies meet. These sessions serve to explore the opportunities offered by the accelerated evolution of formats and new technologies in relation to brand communication.
FROM BRANDED CONTENT TO BRANDED CHANNEL
In Barcelona, this issue is of great interest. It has been confirmed every year that ZOOM Marques has exceeded all audience expectations, filling up with professionals from very diverse profiles.
The first edition brought together an advertising agency (Ogilvy & Mather), an entertainment production company (Gestmusic Endemol, with TV formats exported worldwide, such as Operación Triunfo), a brewing company (Damm), and a television channel (TV3). Targets, audiences, viewers, clients, were the center of the debate. While the consensus revolved around traditional advertising having lost efficiency, the divergence came from what alternatives should be put on the table. How to integrate content creation? How to find less aggressive formulas for the viewer?
In the same direction, the following year, the leap from sponsorship – a traditional method – to the production of branded content was addressed with the presence of Gas Natural Fenosa and the production company El Terrat. Both presented Cinergias, an initiative by Gas Natural Fenosa that, with awareness about energy efficiency as a backdrop, deployed, through cinema and entertainment, an innovative brand positioning strategy that involved social networks and new devices.
With the arrival of new devices, new narratives are needed. A premise that accompanied, a year later, a ZOOM Marques dedicated to analyzing the use of virtual reality (VR) and immersive technology in brand communication. VISYON 360, Antaviana Films, Metropolitana, and Createl presented their productions of stereoscopic 360 video, VR packaging, billboards, etc. Iberdrola explained the great commitment it is making to virtual reality for its campaigns. "Currently, people are very difficult to impact, but with VR, it is achieved," stated its digital & social media director, Carlos Fernández, who added: "Now I would like to go further: to move from the impactful experience to the useful experience."
The new strategy forces marketing executives to think beyond big campaigns and opt for always on (the constant provision of branded content)And the useful experiencewas the focus of debate in the following edition, that of 2017. An edition that analyzed brand strategies that have opted for the creation of audiovisual media with their own content: digital magazines, online television formats ... "The new revolution is the landing of television on the Internet," said Carlo Romboli, from the Lavinia Group, who presented the cases of Suez TV, Sabadell TV and Europarl TV.
The new strategy forces marketing managers to think beyond big campaigns and opt for always on (the constant provision of brand content). The case of Nestlé TV is significant, as they have incorporated a line of online videos, through YouTube channels, that deal with topics that even transcend their products and touch on very diverse issues about food and health.
The ALMA project, produced by the & Rosàs agency, presented by Beatriz Bahima, from Obra Social La "la Caixa", is another case. The project seeks to make visible the bulk of social projects that the "la Caixa" foundation undertakes and that until now had not been sufficiently communicated. With this objective, ALMA offers interesting content focused on video.
What is the conclusion, after all these years of ZOOM brands? Hard to say. There is still much to do. "What is certain -said Carlos Ortet from the Zoopa agency- is that from now on brands are condemned to produce their own content." And who isn't?, we ask ourselves.