vealwaysbeencuriousabouttheoriginsof
Ientertainmentonthisplanet.Whowasthefirsttotry outanewdancingmove?Whowasthefirsttobegin singing?Unfortunately,wedon'thaveanswerstothese questions,butcertainly,entertainmenthasalwaysbeenan integralpartofhumanity.
Intheoldendays,professionalperformersweretrainedand supportedbyimperialandroyalcourtsindiverseways.We haveprogressedfromseeingsilentfilmsintheatresto accessingmoviesonthegowithasinglebuttonpress.The entertainmentindustryhasawiderangeofcontentthat peopleofallagescanview,playingasignificantroleinour lives.
Themediaandentertainmentindustryhasdeveloped tremendously,resultinginmassivetechnicalbreakthroughs, producingmoreprevalentconsumer-centricmediatoday Withamountsofuserinputsthroughvariousplatforms,the productsandservicesareofferedaccordingly,whetheritis music,cinema,games,orevendailysoaps.
Inthisoceanofentertainmentoptions,OTTplatformsgive eachotherarunfortheirmoney.Tosecureamarket presence,multiplestreamingservicesaredeveloping originalcontentandaredistributingitontheirD2C channel.Asaresultofthisdevelopment,thefierce competition,othermarketplayersfollowedsuitand targetedthird-partycontentaggregators.Customer relationshipmanagementiscriticalintoday'scontent businessformaintainingconsistentsubscribers,which peoplearehappytopayforastreamingservicethatcaters totheirspecificlikes.Intheend,we'reallguiltyofbingewatchingaTVshowforhours.
Ifwetalkabouttechnology,thereisn'tasingle industrythathasn'tbenefitedfromAIand automation.Thankstoessentialinsightsand solutionsofferedbyAI,themediaandallitssubverticalsareexperiencingacomebackingrowth.AI isrevolutionizingthemediaandentertainment industry,whereitisprogressivelyenhancing efficienciesandhelpingtogrow.Usingartificial intelligenceandmachinelearningalgorithms,almost everyOTTplatformmakescontentsuggestions basedonuserbehavioranddemographicdata.
Theentertainmentindustryislookingforinnovative methodstoadapttothedigitallandscape.Itattractsa bigaudiencebyallowingbusinessestousethis visibilitytopromotetheirproductsandservices throughonlineadvertising.
InsightsSuccesshasidentifiedsuchestablishments inthiseditionof "The 10 Most Innovative Companies Revolutionizing Media and Entertainment, 2022," makingdrasticchangestothe entertainmentindustry.Exploremoresimilarand fascinatingstoriesofsuchtoughplayersandlearn abouttheircontributionstomakingourexistenceon thisrevolvingrockfun.
Toobtaininsightintothesector,readthearticles writtenbyoureditorialteamandtheCXOopinions ofsomeoftheindustry'sleadingprofessionals.
Haveafunread!
BlackBoxProductions blackboxproductions.tv
CleverusHoldings cleverus.com
GHOGroupLLC ghogroup.com
LawmenceWong CEO
GaryOlson CEO
MarkGrether CEO Sizmek sizmek.com
JonOringer FounderandCEOShutterstock shutterstock.com
BlackBoxProductionsprovidescreativeproductionservicesin MontrealandToront.
Cleverusisateamofdigitalmarketingexpertsthatelevatethe presenceofbusinessesthroughexcellentmarketingservices.
TheGHOGroup,LLCisanindependentconsultinggroupthat hastheuniqueabilitytounderstandthemyriadofdifferentand complexmediatechnologies.
SizmekAdSuiteisaglobal,multichanneladserverusedto create,distribute,customize,measure,andoptimizecampaigns acrossavarietyofscreens.
Shutterstockisaleadingglobalcreativeplatformofferingfullservicesolutions,high-qualitycontent,andtoolsforbrands, businessesandmediacompanies.
MichaelLitt CEO VidyardisTheVideoPlatformforMarketingandSales.Vidyard vidyard.com
ViralInNature viralinnature.com
VideoAmp videoamp.com
YUDU yudu.com
Zixi zixi.com
ShawnAlain President ViralInNatureisanawardwinningsocialmedia,reputation managementandwebdevelopmentagency
DaveGullo
FounderandCTO
VideoAmpisasoftwareanddatacompany
RichardStephenson FounderandCEO YUDUisaapplicationstechnologycompanyspecializingin digitalpublishingandcrisiscommunications.
GordonBrooks CEO Zixiistheaward-winningarchitectoftheSoftware-Defined VideoPlatform(SDVP).
JoshUsheroff Co-Founder
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The SDVP makes it easy to deliver live video over any IP Network, any protocol, any cloud provider, or edge device.
Gordon Brooks CEO | Zixi
Forthe pastfew yearstheriseof severalvideo streamingplatformshas madeiteasiertoaccessdigitalcontentand livestreamsatourfingertips.Itisfascinatingto witnesstheupwardcurveofdigitalizationandthe technologythatgoesintotheseplatforms,providingusers witheasy-to-useseamlessservice.Spearheadingwith innovativesolutions,Zixiwasfoundedtoassistcompanies reliablydeliveringbroadcast-qualityvideosecurelyoverany networkworldwide.
GordonBrooks,theCEO,statesthatZixigotstartedby developingatransportprotocolthatcontinuouslyoptimizes videodelivery,evenasnetworkconditionsandtraffic patternschange.Zixihasalwaysbeenatthecenterof explosivegrowthinlivevideodeliveryoverIPnetworks andworkedcloselywithitscustomerandindustrypartners tobuildtheZixiSoftware-DefinedVideoPlatform(SDVP) toorchestrate,automate,andmanagecomplexlivevideo distribution.
TheZixiEnabledNetworkofover300technology integrationsintodevices,platformsandserviceproviders ensuresinteroperabilitythroughouttheecosystemsupplychain.Zixiwillcontinuetodriveinnovationthatchanges howlivecontentisproduced,delivered,licensedand monetized.
Deliveringbroadcastqualitylivevideowithreliableand securedovermixednetworkstofirstandthird-party destinationscanbeverycomplex.However,Zixienablesits customers,thebusinessagilitytomeettherapidlyevolving commerciallandscapewhiledrivingdowncoststhrough operationalefficiencyandautonomyaretopofmindforits customers.GordonmentionsthattheSDVPconsolidates end-to-endvideodistributionintoapowerfullivevideo orchestrationandcontrolplane,intelligentdataanalytics plane,transportrouting,andvideoprocessinglayersintoan easilymanagedanddynamicallyscaledsolution.Itiswhy Zixiisatrustedpartner,workingcloselywithitscustomers todelivertheworld'smostvaluablecontentsuccessfully
Initsrelentlesspursuitofbeingthebest,theSDVPoffers significantcomponentsandtheintegrationofitspartner network:
Protocols:TheSDVPorchestratesvideoroutesbuiltonthe award-winningZixiprotocolandotherindustryprotocols suchasRIST,RTMP,HLS,SRTandmore.
VideoSolutionsStack:Essentialtoolsandmedia PROCESSINGfunctionalitysuchaslivetranscodingand packaging,hitlessfailover,bonding,andmore.
IntelligentDataPlatform(IDP):AI/ML-basedDATA PLANEenableactionableinsights,streaminghealth predictions,anomalydetection,andincidentimpact analysis
ZENMaster:Cloud-basedCONTROLPLANEthatallows forlivevideoorchestration,management,andmonitoringat scalefromanywhereintheworld.
ZixiEnabledPartnerNetwork:Universal INTEROPERABILITYwithaZixiEnabledNetworkof over300integratedtechnologyproviders.
GordonsaysthatZixiishyper-focusedononething,the successfuldeliveryofbroadcast-qualitylivevideooverany network.Ithasmoreexperiencedoingthisthananyother company,andthisexperienceismanifestedintheproduct visionandexecution.
Zixiisatrustedpartnertomanyoftheworld'sleading mediacompanies,continuouslydeliveringover20,000 high-valuelive,linearchannelsandthousandsmorelive eventseveryday.BehindthattrustisZixi'scommitmentto thehighestlevelofserviceandresponsivenesstoits customersandpartners.Itisroutinelyselectedasthe solutionofchoiceduetoitscost-effectiveness,deep operationalexpertise,productexecution,innovationand commitmenttoalwaysdorightbyitscustomer
Gordonknowsthatdeliveringlivevideoovermanaged networks,unmanagedinternet,5G/MECandcloud infrastructureisrapidlychangingthefundamental broadcastingprocesses.It'snotuncommonforasingle videooperationsteamtomanagedozensofsources deliveredtohundredsoftargetsacrossamixoffirstand third-partymanagedinfrastructure.Livevideohasavery lowtoleranceforfluctuationsinnetworkperformanceand ishighlysensitivetoawiderangeofimpairmentsthatcan negativelyimpactdistribution.
ThousandsofcontinuouslygeneratedKPIsdescribeany videochannel'snetwork,infrastructure,latency,structural, complianceandstreamquality.Eachmaybevitalto understandingafutureimpactorpastincident;sifting throughvastvolumesofdetailedmetricdataandpresenting thisasactionableintelligenceisideallysuitedtopowerful AI/MLalgorithms.Continuouslyleveragingbillionsof discreetdatapointsharvestedfrommorethan20,000live, linearchanneldistributions,andtrainedonthecollective knowledgeofZixi'sexpertisehasenabledtheIDPtoiterate increasinglyaccuratestatepredictions,incidentdetection, androotcauseanalysis.Zixicontinuestoexpandthe breadthanddepthofIDPAI/MLmodelsandisinching closertofullyautomatedresponsesandautonomousvideo operations.
TheIntelligentDataPlatformIDPisbuiltaround continuouslytrainedAI/MLmodelstoenhancevideo operationsanddeliverhigherqualityvideo,andconsistsof severalorchestratedcomponentstoanalyzeandvisualize clearandactionableinformation.
IDPHealthScoresynthesizestrendingdataacrossseveral keyperformanceindicatorstogeneratelivepredictiveand constructsapredictivemodelforfuturestreamhealth.As it’sscoredeterioratesforagivenvideochannel,the contributingfactorsareidentifiedandpresented,providing
videoopstheinsightsnecessarytoproactivelyroutearound potentialimpairmentsthatmaydisruptpartnerandaudience distribution.
IDPInsightsevaluateinfrastructureandchannel performancetorapidlypinpointintermittentandanomalous behaviorthatisoftenincrediblydifficulttotrace.New visualizationdashboardssimplifythecontinuousiterative serviceenhancementsthatmodernvideooperationsteams desire.
IDPIncidentsautomaticallydetectconditionsthatlikely resultedindeliveryimpairments.ZixiBlastRadius identifiesimpactedchannelandinfrastructureresources. Incidentsreportsdisplayatime-alignedgraphoftheleading andtrailingKPIscriticaltodeterminingrootcauseinan easilydigestibleandshareablereportformat,significantly reducingRCAtimesandimprovingoperationalefficiency.
Finally,Zixihasdeployedcompute-efficientAI/ML-driven modelsthatproducealivemeasurementofperceptualvideo qualitywithouttheneedforreferenceframes.Estimated PSNRandVMAFstandards-basedvideoqualityscoresare accuratelycalculatedandenablereal-timealertsofawide rangeofvideoimpairmentsthatdisrupttheviewer experience.
Gordonstatesthatcultureiswhat definesacompany.Hesays, "A company can have a solid strategic
outlook, and the wrong culture will eat that alive. Before Zixi can succeed in the market, we must succeed with each other, and Zixi promotes an Esprit de corps thru friendship, enthusiasm and devotion to our common cause."
Zixi'sculturalcommitmentsfocuson:
• Diversity:Recognizingthatthecompany'sdiverse experiences,backgrounds,andbeliefsultimately engenderunderstandingandspurinnovation.
• Sustainability:LeavingtheEarthbetterthantoday.
• Charity:Tothankthecompany'ssuccessand pay it forward forthefuture.
Zixi'svaluesandculturecontributetoitsnumberone priority:UnderPromise,OverDeliver,100%Customer Satisfaction!
Gordonstates, "Our industry is changing at a breath-taking pace. When we look at analyst reports and attend industry
events, we consistently see live content as a significant driver of project and budget priorities. Live content offers significant differentiation to combat the growing VOD choice fatigue we're seeing. This is driving content owners to seek distribution of live content to a growing number of new OTT experiences, FAST Channel platforms and vMVPD services."
Contentaggregatorsaremoreflexiblynegotiatingcarriage contractsandcontentrights,withlate-binding'just-in-time' licensingstartingtotakeoff.Zixiseesinvestmentinnew audienceengagementmodelsthatofferenhancedin-venue experiences,multi-cameraperspectives,andsocialized interactiveexperiences.Interactivity,ultra-lowlatencyand time-alignedvideodeliveryopenupmassivemonetization opportunitieswithlivebettingoperations.Keytothese excitinginnovationsistheabilitytoscaleoutinfrastructure on-demand,soawholesalemovetoprivateand increasinglypubliccloudoperationshasoccurred.
Gordonexplains, "You can see a tight correlation between the market innovations and Zixi's product launches. The
ZEN Master control plane orchestrates and flexibly manages video operations and dynamically scales out onprem, hybrid, and cloud resources. The IDP to provide the clear and deep insights, enabling smaller operations teams to manage better a growing collection of live sources, processes and destinations while continuously iterating on greater efficiency."
Zixi'snewContentXchangemanagescustomercontent acquisitionandtransportrights,increasinglyleveraging biddingandflexiblecontentrights.Zixilatency managementtosupportliveinteractiveandsportsbetting operations.Zixialsoseessustainabilityexertingsignificant buyingpressureandthinksthat2022istheyearthat sustainabilitybecomesatopcustomerpriority. "We expect to continue to invest in these areas and are working closely with our customers and partners to bring exciting innovations to the market."
Zixiaimstomanagecomplexlivevideoworkflowsatan exceptionalpace,advancingitsleadershippositionasthe clear#1enterprisebroadcastplatforminthecoming quinquennialyears.Gordonsays, "We are taking lessons learned in the most demanding and high-value media
environments into other verticals that are rapidly expanding their video communications and live distribution priorities such as government, healthcare, enterprise, house of worship, and education."
"Zixi's SDVP and best-of-breed protocol extend NI's ability to securely deliver broadcast-quality live video at scale for our customers, regardless of network, device or cloud infrastructure."
- TorBlomdell,NetInsight
"We have been monitoring advancements in technology to support reliable broadcast-quality content delivery over IP – and it is here. Zixi offers a complete system platform that is very flexible and at a competitive price. The flexibility allows programmers like us to offer alternative services and find ways to monetize these services."
- MikeMcCrackan,MusicChoice
Dave Gullo
VideoAmpturns4yearsoldthismonth.Somany memories,andsomuchgrowth.Let’sreflecton someoftheworstdecisionsandassociated learningsthathavebeenfundamentaltoourgrowth.Why theworstyousay?Becausewhenyouaccelerateyour learningrateinafail-fastenvironment,itthenallowsyouto makefastdecisionsvstheanalysisparalysispredicament.
Oneofmyfavoritewildcardinterviewquestionsfor managersis:“Describethefailureyou’remostproudof.” Thissometimescatchespeopleoffguard,soI’llsharemine firsttogettheconversationgoing.Inevitablyitcomesdown tochoosingbecausetherearesomany.
Youcan’ttalkaboutgrowthandsuccesswithouttalking aboutthesefailures.Unlessyou’re somekindofhybridAIrobot-space-alienwho’sabsolutelyperfect,there’sgoingto bemistakes.What’simportantisthatasaleaderyouown yourmistakesandbetransparentaboutthem.
Findingtherightpeopleisthesinglemostimportantaspect ofgrowingastartup.Thebiggestmistakesinhiringhave been:
“Hiringoutofhand”orshortcuttingthenormal processesbecausethecandidateiswellknownbyother engineersinthegroup.
“Promotingoutofhand”isanothervariationof thiswhereyoudon’tputsomeonethroughthe normalduediligencebecausetheyalready present.Inourcase,individualcontributor(IC) engineersdon’tgothroughtherigorous referencechecksthatnewmanagersdo.
“Hiringunderduress”orloweringyourbar simplytomeetheadcountgoals.Istrongly advisetohirefewer“full-fullstack”senior engineersvsabunchofjuniorormid-level careerdeveloperswhorequiremoretime, nurturingandpreciousattentionunitsfromyour seniorstaff.
Thisisamovingtarget,andonewhichhasdefinitelybeen anongoingseriesofblogs.Intheearlystage,we“over prescribedscrum.”Somethingthataveryearlystage companycando,alongwithtoomuchagileprocessestoo soon.
Forexample,prototypesandproofofconceptsshouldnot havearigorousdefinitionofdone,withendlessunit, functional,andend-to-endtestsbecausetheproduct’s requirementswillprobablyzig-zagwildly
Conversely,havingtoolittleprocesswhenyouare supportingenterprisecustomerscanalsobea problem.IspentmypriordaysasanICand
contractorretrofittingandscalingCI/CDpipelinesand trainingengineershowtowritebettertests.
Thechallengeisright-sizingthisallalongtheway,andthe triggerpointsonwhentochangemaynotbeobvious. Isay thisbecausewegrewheadcountby22engineersfromOct 2017toFeb2018,andintheprocesswedidnotmodifyour simplifiedKanbanapproachtoaprescribedScrumprocess quicklyenough.Growingpainsemerged,tosaytheleast. Nowwe’reinaspotwherewecanwithstandamagnitude scaleofgrowthwithroughlythesamesquadandtribe-level process.
RiffingoffrapidgrowthofBrainsinengineering,wedidn’t scalemanagementfastenough.Almostallstartup engineeringorgsstartveryflat,withallICsandno management.Youhave“techleads”whomaysplittheir timedoinglightmanagerialfunctions,buttheyallwrite codeanddiveintotheoperations.
ThebiggestfailhereinscalingtheICswasnotscalingthe organdmanagementstructuretofollow At~44engineers anddatascientists,wehaveadutytodeliveronourmission toprovideanenvironmentwheretheyhavetheopportunity todothebestworkoftheirlivesandbeworthmoreinthe marketplace.
Withoutthisvitalmanagementstructure,thereisavacuum. Donotboltthisonlater,builditasyougo.Wetook inspirationfromSpotify’smodelofengineering organizationalscaling.
We’vetalkedaboutallofthesefails,howaboutsomething thathasworkedwellforus?
Whendoinginitialcontactwithacandidate,Ioftenask “whyareyouinmarket?”Ihaveseencountlessfolkswho arelookingbecausetheircurrentmanagementdoesnot havetheirgrowthandcareerpathinginmind. Inextreme cases,theycandoaday’sworkinfourhours,feellikethey areunder-challenged,andhavenotlearnedanythingin years.TheyworkinanenvironmentlikethemovieOffice Space.
Takinganoppositeapproachistoengageinthegrowthand pathingofeveryindividual.Wedothisby:
Aligningthegrowthoftheindividualwiththe company’sgrowth.
Havingmanagementcheckinfrequentlyonthesuccess ofthis,and
Settingupformalquarterlycheck-insonmeasuring thesegoals.GoogleadoptedthisearlyonfromJohn DoerrintheformofOKRs,andtherearegreat platformsouttherewhichcanformallymeasureand tracktheseobjectives.
Careerpathingisalonger-termconcern.Iaskcandidates fromthestart“sowhat’sthenextjobafterVideoAmp?” Thisoftencatchesthemoffguard,thenaftercarefulthought mostreplywitharole1-2levelsbeyondwherethey’reat now.It’sourgoaltohelpsteertheminwhateverpaththey currentlysee.
Manyearlier-careerengineersthinkmanagementistheir ultimatepath,butIhavefoundthatmanywillstayona tractofengineeringexcellence.Whetherit’saPrincipal EngineeroraVPofEngineering,thegoalistoorientthe newchallengesinamannerwhichgrowstheminthat direction,evenifwecan’tfullyrealizetheirultimate pathinggoalwhileatthecompany.
Bypayingcarefulattentiontothesedetails,wehavefound ourannualretentionrateinthehigh90%.
Oncetherewasatimewhenthequestionwas“Will themediaindustrygetdigitallytransformed?”,but thescenariohaschangednow Thequestiontoday is“Howwillthetransformationtakeplace?”and“Howwill themediacompaniesrespondtothischange?”Seeingthese opportunitiespresentedbythedigitalvideosystems,new playersarejoiningthemarket,hence,capturingconsumer’s mindwithnewinitiativesandgrabbingtheirwallets.These changesarebringinginaggressivemodificationinthe industryalongwithnewbusinessmodels,partnershipsand alsoacquisitions.
WhetheroneisamoviefreakoramadTVwatcher,itis quiteknowntothemthatthetechnologytodayisnotwhat theyhaveseenfewyearsback.Themediaand entertainmentindustryhasseenrapidchangesand modificationintherecentyears.Themostobserving changesthattheworldoftechnologyhaswitnessedareas follows:
Timehaschangednow.Thosedaysaregonewhenpeople usedtoseetheadvertisementofafilmontheroad-side billboardorontheirnewspaperandthengotoamoviehall towatchthemovie.Today,peoplearemultitaskingandthey aremoreintomulti-channelexperiencing.Peoplenoware notjustintowatchingamovieorTelevisionshowwithall theirconcentration.Theyarewatchingamovie,uploading statusontheirFacebookwallandtweetingaboutthemovie, allatthesametime.Theyaresharingtheirviewsand opinionsaboutwhatevertheyarewatchingontheirsocial mediaplatforms.Itclearlyindicatesthatmarketingisno moreaone-mediathing;ratherit’saneventofallchannels.
Anextensiveresearchclearlyprovedthatmostpeople watchclipsanduser-generatedcontentontheirphonesand simultaneouslytheypreferwatchingmoviesonadevice withlargerscreenlikecomputerortelevisionset.Thisis somethingofwhichentertainmentcompaniesmusttake
advantageofbypromptingtheviewerstousehashtag(#) andshareusingbrandedcontenttobringmoretrafficto theircontent.Thosedaysarenomorewhenthewritersand marketersusedtobefocusedaboutonlythewritingofthe content,rathertheyarenowfocusingalotonhowtheir promotionalcontentonsocialmediaplatformsshouldlook likeandhowtheycangainmoreattraction.
Theaudiencehaschangedalotandsoistheirdemand. Peoplearenowdemandingmorecuratedcontent.Andthe trendisalreadygrowingataverysuccessfulpace.Ithas beenobservedthatmediagiantslikeNetflixandAmazon havealreadybeeneffectivelyusingthecuratedcontentfor aboutfouryears.Itisaprocedurewheretheplatform suggestswhattheaudiencewouldliketowatchor subscribe.Whentheseareusedeffectively,itcancreate newaudiencesinstantlyfortheprovider’snewshowsand products.Thisisabetterwaytoadvertiseproductsthan othermeansofadvertisements.
Itsoundscrazytohearthattheprojectedamountof spendingforAI(ArtificialIntelligence)for2025is$30 billionwhichwasearlierobservedtobe$300-350million intheyear2015.Butthemainreasonbehindsuchahuge projectionisthatAIischangingthewaycompletelyin whichcreativitywasexpressedearlier Therearealready variouscompanieswhichareusingtheAItechnologyto createinterestingmovieplotpointsbasedonthe performanceofboxofficeresults.
RecentreportsinformedthatMcCannEricksoninJapan ownsanAIcreativedirectorwhichcanactuallyanalyze briefingsfromclientsbeforepitchingastory.Fromimage recognitionandlanguageprocessingtospeechrecognition anddeeplearning,AIisanalyzingeverythingtocreatenew levelsofimpactfulpitchesthroughcreativeprocessinthe entertainmentandmediaindustry.
Editor’s Pick
Gonearethosedayswhenpeoplehadtopayforall300channelswhichtheirsatelliteorcableTVchannelprovidersusedto givethoughthevieweractuallywatchesonlyfourtofivechannels.Nowthedefinitionoftheentiremediaandentertainment industryhaschanged.ThecompanieslikeNetflixandHuluhasbroughtinthenewgenerationofwirelessentertainment.The newusersaregoingonline.FromYouTube,Netflix,HulutoAmazonandeventhecablecompaniesaregoingtowirelessand replacingtraditionalofferingswithspecialandcustomizedpackagestoattractmoreconsumers.
Thepresentdaytechnologicaladvancementshavebroughtananalyticalapproachinmachinelearningand haveopened doorstocombineAIandreality.Thisiswhichismakingadvertisementsmuchsmarter.Thepunditssaytraditionalproduct placementwillbesoonreplacedbythejustaclickonthedressofone’sfavoriteactororactress,thattoojustwhenitappears. Expertsmentionedthatmarketingagencieswiththehelpofbigdata,willbesoonabletoswitchoutspecificproduct placementtotheonetheviewerwillmostlikelybuy Theadvertisementissoongoingtobeanothermodeofentertainment. Afterthenewdigitaltransformationstakingplace,certainchangesareobservedinthemediaandentertainmentindustry
Traditionalrevenuemodelsaredecreasingintheirgrowthasthenewmodelsareemerging.Digitalenterprisesaregaining muchprominenceastheirabilitytodelivermulti-channelexperienceandindividualbusinessmodelsarereplacedbythe moderndaycomplexecosystemofthenewcomersincludingnewstartupsandsuper-platforms.Theconceptof generalizationisfadingawayandthepersonalizedcontentistakingstand.
Digitaltransformationsaredrivingeverysectorwith anunmatchedspeed.Socialmediahasbeenoneof thegreatestevolutionsofthecentury.Ithas revolutionizedourwayofcommunication,advertisingand theentiremarketlandscape.
Owingtothisboomingrise,regionalbusinessesarenow abletolaunchandadvertisetheirproductsonaglobalscale withnotableefficiencyatminimalcost.Variouscompanies aroundtheglobearetransformingthewaytheyconnect withtheircustomers.Theyarechoosingcontemporary methodsofcommunicationlikewebchat,websiteorweb pagebasedfeedbacks.Thesefreeofcostmethodshavealso enabledthecustomerstoconveytheirqueryandgetthe feedbackinreal-time.
However,thereisanendlessflowofdataontheinternet. Thousandsofglobalcompanieswithsimilarproductsare directlycompetingwitheachother;allinthehopeof makingamark.
Needlesstomention,ifacompanywishesitswebsitetobe atthetopofeveryrelevantsearchlist,thenitmustemploy anadeptSEOteam.Eitherin-houseorspeciallyhired,itis prerequisitefororganizationstohaveapreciseSEO solutiontostayaheadofthecompetition.
Malaysian-basedcompany,CleverusConsulting,boasting awide-rangeofSEOexperts,istheperfectsolutionfor globalbusinesses.Foundedin2013,Cleverushasgoneon tobecomeoneofthebestcompaniesinMalaysia,allthe whilebestowingitsclientsinhavingtheironlinepresence proliferated.BeingoneofthemostestablishedGoogle partner,ithasdevelopedaprovenframeworktohelpits clientsrisequicklytothetopofmajorsearchengines aroundtheworld.
Cleverusinitiallystartedofferingsome prominentSEOservicesthat empowereditscustomerstooutrank theircompetitorsanddominatethe searchenginewithbetterresults.With theincreasingclientdemandsandfast pacedprogression,thecompanybegan offeringnewservicessuchasweb design,onlinereputationmanagement, influencermarketing,andapp development.Cleverusthenutilizedits specializedSEOframeworktoincept andenhancetheonlinereputation managementservice,whichfurther helpedmajorcompaniesremove negativepressonlineandsuccessfully restoredthebrandnameofthose companies.Cleverusfirmlybelievesin offeringcompletecustomersatisfaction andchargesitsclientsbasedonresults anddeliversoptimallevelof performance.Thisprovencredibility hasgivenboththecompanyandits clientsawin-winsituation.
Cleverusiscurrentlyrankedasthe numberoneSEOSpecialistin MalaysiaonGoogleforproviding someofthemostcompetitive keywordsintheindustry.Today,asa marketleader,thecompanyisgetting RequestforProposals(RFP)from majorglobalcompaniesandis deliveringsomeimpeccableservicesto them.However,itsjourneyhasnot beenacake-walk.
DuringtheearlyphaseofCleverus,it facedplentyofrejections.Butoverthe yearsithasmanagedtoovercomethe challengesbycontinuouslydelivering high-qualityworktoitstrustedclients. Theproductive,efficientandcost effectiveservicesprovidedbyCleverus wereadmiredbymanyofitsclients. Asaresult,thecompanygainedplenty ofreferralsfromitsexistingclients whichhelpedameliorateitsgrowth
rate.
Whileexplainingaboutthereasons behindCleverus’sfast-pacedsuccess itsCEO,LawmenceWong,recalls, “We were confident in our ability and have persisted to source leads daily and approach clients to showcase our service.” Withthecompanycontinuing todevelopitssolidreputationinthe onlinemarketingindustry,itnow envisionsonbeingthelargestonline marketingagencyinAsiawithinthe nextsixyears.
CleverusConsultinghasastrongteam of21peopleatpresent,withoffices scatteredacrossMalaysia,Philippines, andtheUnitedStates.Lawmence Wong’sastuteleadershiphasbeena vitalpartbehindthissurginggrowth.
Wongbelievesthathavingtheright talentisthekeybehindgrowinga company ThusinCleverus,every singlehiringispersonallyapprovedby bothLawmenceandtheHeadofHRto maintainthequalityofitsservices. Lawmencehasastutelyledthegroup ofyoungandexperienced professionalsinthecompanytogreater heights.Theirexpertisehasallowed thecompanytogainmoreandmore pleasingandloyalclients.Throughout hisleadership,Lawmencehas emphasizedonfuturisticintegrations andboldexpansionplans,andisnow planningtoexpandtoseveralcitiesin Asiawithinthenextfewyears
Nowadays,everyothercompanyis employingdigitalwaysofmarketing, anddigitaltransformationisgaininga worldwideattentionforalltheright reason.MarketingandAdvertisingvia
digitalplatformshaveallowed organizationstoconnectwithawider poolofglobalaudience,inreal-time.
Cleverusisleveragingthistrend,and insteadoftheusualtraditional advertisingonnewspaperand magazines,ithasshifteditsfocus towardsonlineadvertisingand marketingplatformssuchasFacebook, Google,andInstagram.
Thisyearalone,Cleverushashired3 newstafftoaccommodatethedemands foronlineadvertisingandforesee hiringevenmoreemployeesinQ2as thedemandgetshigher.Itisalsohiring overseasemployeestofacilitatethe groundworktopenetratethesenew markets.Cleverusenvisionsonebeing thelargestonlinemarketingagencyin Asiainthenearfuture.Thecompany hasbeenmeticulouslyraisingfundsto pushitsvisionfurtherintorealityand expectsitsnametobetheprimal choiceamongstclients.
Dominate Google and take over your competition with our proven Search Engine Optimization strategies.
“ “
Almosteverybusinesssectorincluding entertainment,education,training,communication andsecurityisrevolutionizingduetothe emergenceofmultimediaplatforms.Thesenewtechnology platformsshowcasethedemandforanexpertmedia solutionprovider.Thebroadcastandmediaindustryis constantlyevolving.Ithasbecomeaprerequisiteformedia planninganddesigningcompaniestoanticipatenewtrends andindustrialchangestoprovidethebestguidanceand advicetoclients.Whetheritisanewfacilityorupgrading anexistingone,thereareseveralmethodstodeliver programmingandcontentinabetterwaytoeverybusiness. Butveryfewcompanieshavethenotableabilitytoidentify clientsthiswayandprovidethemwithfuture-proofmedia solutions.GHOGroupisoneofthem.
GHOGroupisanindependentconsultingfirm, specializinginplanninganddesigning mediaproductionfacilitiesfor broadcastand
As a strategic adviser we identify the clients requirements to achieve their goals and recommend the technologies and resources that will bring the vision to reality.
Gary Olson Founder & President
cablecompanies,corporations,educationalinstitutions,and culturalorganizations.GHOhasasubstantialportfolioof successprovidingunique,practicalandcost-effective solutionstothechallengesfacedinbuildingnewfacilities orimplementingnewtechnologystrategies.
GHOprovidesadvisoryservicesandstrategicplanningin thedevelopmentphaseofanengagement,designinga technologysolutionandcreatingaprojectplanwith milestonesanddeliverablesthatareachievable,toinsurea successfulproject.GHOfunctionsastheseniorproject administratorcoordinatingtheimplementationprocessand strategy
Asastrategicadviser,GHOidentifiesitsclients requirementsandhelpsthemachievetheirgoalsby recommendingthetechnologiesandresourcesthatwill bringtheirvisiontoreality.Thecompanyexecutiveswork closelywiththeassociatedorganization,andmakesthe mostoftheirinternalresources,preferredserviceproviders andapprovedcontractors.GHOutilizesitsbroad experiencebasetobenefititsclients.Andbysharingbest practicesindesign,addressingbudgetsandscheduleswith specialattentiontocraftingtheprocessitassuresbest resultsfor itsclients.
Inadditiontothis,thecompanyisoneoftherecognized leadersintechnologyimplementation.GHO’sdesign philosophyisbasedonsustainabilityandaprincipalthat theprovidedmediasolutionsmustbefutureproof.
ADynamicTechIndividualLeadingfromtheFront GaryOlson Founder Presidentisthe and ofGHOGroup. Heprovidesdirectiontothecompanyasathoughtleaderin digitalmediaandbroadcasttechnologyaswellasin cognitivecomputing.Olson’sbook, Planning and Designing the IP Broadcast Facility - A New Puzzle to Solve, isconsideredasatopreferencebooktothebroadcast industry
Thisdynamicindividualhasaconsiderablefollowingofhis articlesonTheBroadcastBridge,assistingtheindustrywith knowledgeandguidanceduringthetransitiontocomputer andIPnetwork-basedtechnologiesformediaproduction anddistribution.
Theexpression digitaltransformation’coversabroad‘ spectrumwithinthemediaandentertainmentindustries. Thistransformationhashadsignificantimpactoncontent
creationanddistribution coupledwithdisruptivechangesin thetechnologiesthatsupportthese industrysectors.Thesizeofthescreendoes notdeterminetheplatformthatcontentis deliveredtoorhowit’sdelivered.Therearedifferent productionconsiderationsforeachdigitalplatformand newmonetizationopportunities.
GHOisuniquelypositionedtoserveasanadvisoronthe transitiontothesenewtechnologies,provideguidanceand strategytooptimizetheinvestmentoforganizationsand assistthetechnicalsupportstaffinadoptingthenew technologysystems.
Intoday’sconnectedworld,communicationisoneofthe keyrequirementstokeepincontactwithanaudience.GHO isknownandrespectedforitsobjectiveperspectiveson technologytrends.Understandingclients’needsand budgetsiscriticaltothesuccessofaproject.GHOspendsa considerableamountoftimeresearchingacrossmany differentindustries.GHOpublishesarticlesontechnology regularlyonLinkedIntoeducateandinformtheindustry aboutthenovelevolutions.Throughthesetruthfulefforts, thecompanyenvisionseducatingtheusersandaimsto attractitspotentialcustomerbycreatingsuch comprehensivestrategies.
Themediaandentertainmentindustryisbecomingless segregatedandevolvingtoincludeDigitaloutofHome. MobileservicesandOTThavebecomeintegralmembersof thecommunity.GHOGroupisdevelopingsome impeccablestrategiesforitscustomersbyfocusingonthese advancements.Additionally,thecompanylooksatDeep LearningandArtificialIntelligenceasthenewtrends. Currentlythereismoreconfusionthanclarityaboutthis technologyanditsfuturisticbenefits.Client’sneed independentandtrustworthyadvisorsandstrategiststohelp navigatethroughthesechanges.Hence,thecompanyis spreadingbetterunderstandingregardingfuturistic technologiesandaimstoimplementtheseopportunitiesin thesefields.
Theevolutionofdigitalcontent acrossallindustriesfrom healthcareandfinanceto publishingandeducationhasincreased marketcompetitionandprompted companiestomodernize communicationsystemsandprocesses. Mostbusinessesunderstandthe importanceofacreativeplatformwith thetoolsthatcanhelpthemadvertise theirproductsandserviceseffectively andefficiently
Shutterstockisaleadingtechnology companywithsuchaplatform,anditis knownforitsrichfeatures,andhighqualityassets,toolsandservices.The companylicensesimages,videos, music,andothereditorialassets.Italso offersavarietyofplansforindividuals, teams,andenterprisecustomersaswell asthecreativeeditingteamsofvarious companies.
JonOringer,FounderandCEOof Shutterstockfoundedtheunique platformin2003.
Herecognizedtheneedforlicensable imagesatanaffordablecostand createdtheworld’sfirstsubscription imagemarketplace,startingwith thousandsofhisowndigital photographs.Thecompanywentpublic ontheNewYorkStockExchangein 2012,justnineshortyearsafterits inception.
Sincethen,ithascontinuedtoexpand andevolve.Shutterstocknowownsa
portfolioofbrandsservingbusinesses, marketingagencies,andmedia organizationsaroundtheworldwitha comprehensiverangeofcreativeand editorialassets.
Jonbelievesthatthecompany’sgrowth intoasuccessfulandsustainable businessisunderpinnedbyitsabilityto providecustomerswithcompelling content,innovativetools,andpremium servicestofueltheircreativity
DeterminedtoBestowCustomers withHigh-qualityDigitalAssets, ToolsandServices
Thedigitaltransformationoverthelast decadehasleftShutterstockcustomers, especiallythoseinadvertising,film, andmedia,withanever-increasing needformorevisualcontent.
Workingwithitsgrowingcommunity ofover400,000contributors, Shutterstockaddshundredsof thousandsofimageseachweek,and currentlyhasmorethan190million imagesandmorethan10millionvideo clipsavailable.
Whenthecompany’simagearchive crossedthe100millionimagesmark, Shutterstockturneditsattentionto helpingitsclientsfindexactlywhat theyneeded,asquicklyaspossible.
ThecompanyalsoownsBigstock,a value-orientedstockmediaagency; ShutterstockCustom,acustomcontent creationplatform;Offset,ahigh-end imagecollection;PremiumBeata curatedroyalty-freemusiclibrary;and
RexFeatures,apremiersourceof editorialimagesforinternationalmedia houses.
Shutterstockrecentlyannouncedthe releaseofCompositionAwareSearch, itsrevolutionarynewsearchfeature. Thisamazingtoolallowsusersto specifyoneormorekeywords,orto searchforcopyspace,andarrange themspatiallyonacanvastoreflectthe specificlayoutoftheimagetheyare seeking.
Additionally,theplatformoffers customersthefreshestcontentand valuableinsightstofacilitatetheir creativeprocess.Shutterstock’steam ofexperiencedcreativeprofessionalsis determinedtogiveitscustomersbestin-classdigitalassets,toolsand services.
Shutterstockhasalwaysdistinguished itselfbyprovidingthehighestquality ofcontentandthebestsearch experience,whichaddsuptosuperior valueforthecustomer.Thecompanyis continuingtobuildindustry-leading technologytoimproveitsofferingsby leveragingcomputervisionandAI technology.
Theroleofmarketersandsocialmedia managerstodayincreasinglyincludes thecreationofvisualcontent,butthey havelittletimetocreatecompelling visualcontentthataccurately representstheirbrandandengages theirtargetaudience.Shutterstock recognizesthatoneofthemost
commonpainpointsfortheseindividualsisthelackof simplebutpowerfuleditingtools.
Forthesebusyhybridcreativemarketersandsmallbusiness owners,ShutterstockintroducedEditor,asimpleonline editingtoolthatallowsuserstoquicklyandeasilycreate high-qualityvisualcontent.
ShutterstockEditorisaweb-basedapplicationthat leveragesShutterstock’sinnovativesearchtechnologyto helpusersfindtheimagerytheyneed.Thetoolfeatures professionallydesignedtemplates,theabilitytoupload visualassetssuchasalogo,savedesigns,andthepowerto publishfinisheddesignstosocialnetworksdirectlyfromthe application.
ThisisjustanotherexampleofShutterstock’sabilityto identifycustomerneedsandtoquicklydevelopasimple andeffectivesolution,whichhasbeenthemajordriving factorbehinditssuccess.
StrivetoReachattheEveryCorneroftheWorld JonstartedShutterstockin2003bybootstrappingithimself with$10,000ashesetouttointroducethesubscription modeltothestockphotographyindustry
Tokick-starttheidea,Jonshotmorethan30,000images andmadethemavailableforlicenseontheplatform.He thenopenedthemarketplaceuptootherphotographers. Today,thecommunityhasgrowntomorethan300,000 photographers,artists,videographers,andmusiciansfrom allcornersoftheworld.
AsShutterstockcontinuestoexpanditsplatformandrange ofproducts,thecompanyalsostrivestoensurethatits contentisavailablewhereverthecustomerneedsit.It achievesthisthroughthedevelopmentoftoolsthat integratemediasearchwiththecustomer’sworkflow ThroughstrategicAPIIntegrations,Shutterstockisnow availableinproductslikeGoogleSlidesandAdobe CreativeCloud,improvingcontentcreators’workflowsby givingthemaccesstopremium,professionalimageryfrom withinaplatformtheyarealreadyusing.
Inadditiontothis,Shutterstock’srecentpartnershipwith MicrosoftPowerPointgivesusersintegratedaccesstoits collectionofphotosandillustrations,afullintegration directlyintoFacebook’sadcreationtool.
Shutterstockstrivestoprovideworld-classdigitalcontent andhascontinuedtoinvestinmakingitsimages,video,and musiccontentavailableinbusinessapplications.Italso envisionsenablingbusinessestobuildtheirown applicationsthroughanewdeveloperportal.
Anincredibleamountofresearch,planning,and resourcesgointoeveryadthatwesee.Teamsof advertisingprofessionals,assistedbyimmensely powerfulcomputersequippedwithArtificialIntelligence (AI)contributetoitscreation,thendecideontimingand delivery Thisisamassiveinvestmentandevery advertiserwantstoseeresultsthatjustifytheiroutlay
However,advertisingmanagementfirmshave traditionallybeenreluctanttosharetrueinsightsintothe ROI.Now,onecompanyisrevolutionizingtheindustry withitsuniquebrandofservicedeliverywhichcombines excellentadvertisingexposurewithunparalleled transparency.
ThatcompanyisSizmek.
Sizmekistheworld’slargestindependentbuy-side advertisingplatform.Itcaterstoagenciesandbrandsin morethan70countriesthroughouttheAmericas,EMEA, andAPAC,andconnectsmorethan20,000advertisers and3,600agenciestoaudiencesaroundtheworld.
Thecompany’spowerfulintegratedsolutionsenable data,creative,andmediatoworkseamlesslytogether TheirAI-drivendecisionenginethenidentifiesinsights acrossthefivekeydatadimensions-campaigns, consumers,context,creative,andcost.
Theresultisaward-winningservicethattranscends industry,geographicallocation,targetdemographics,and mediumofdelivery.Sizmek’sincisive,targetedmedia
plansareaugmentedbypricingandshowcasealevelof transparencyunprecedentedintheadvertisingindustry
Leadingthistrailblazingcompanythroughitsslewof recentsuccessesisCEO,MarkGrether.Hehasbeen withSizmeksince2017.Markisnostrangertothe marketingarena;hehasperformedvirtuallyeveryrolein theindustryinthemanyyearsthathehasbeenapart ofit.
Hisjourneybeganinacademiaasaprofessorof marketingbeforetheappealofreal-worldmarketing technologypulledhimontohiscurrentpath. ImmediatelypriortojoiningSizmek,Markwasthe globalChiefOperatingOfficerofWPP’sXaxis,a platformthatheco-founded.
BeforeXaxis,MarkworkedatGroupM,theworld’s largestmediainvestmentgroup.AsitsGlobal DevelopmentDirector,hehelpedsetuptheirdigital tradingdeskacross10countries.
Mark’stenureatSizmekhasbeenmarkedby transformativechange.Herevampedthefirm’sstructure togiveregionalGMs-whounderstandtheirlocal marketsbest-thepowertomakemoredecisionswhile armedwiththeconfidencethatcomesfrombeingpartof amajorglobalenterprise.
Anotherofhismajorinitiativeshasbeentogive actionabledatatheattentionandpriorityitdeserves. ManyofSizmek’scompetitorsareonlyjustwadinginto thesewatersatatimewhenthecompanyhasalready madeitaprimefocus,andincludesitsclientsand partnersintheimplementationprocess.
WhenMarkjoinedSizmek,hequicklydeterminedthat twoindustry-criticalchallengesneededtobeovercome. Thefirstwastransparencyandthesecond,theEuropean Union’supcomingGDPR(GeneralDataProtection Regulation)whichhassincebeenimplemented.
Theadvertisingindustryis,unfortunately,ahotbedof playerswhointentionallyconcealhowdollarsarespent andwhereinvestmenthasthelargestorleastimpact.By contrast,Marknamed2018thecompany’s‘YearofTotal Transparency’.
UnderMark’sleadership,Sizmekoffersfulltransparency acrossitsentireAI-enabledplatform,includingmedia, creative,data,technology,andservice-relatedcosts.
Agenciesandadvertisersgetincreasedvisibilityand controlovertheirmediaplanningandbuying;theycan identifyhoweveryelementworksandthenhonetheir strategiesforthebestresults.
Meanwhile,theEU’sGDPRhasshakentheadvertising industry.Non-compliancecanbedevastating–theEU imposesfinesof4%ofglobalrevenueor20million Euros,whicheverishigher
Sizmekinitiatedpreparationstocounteritseffectsas soonasplansforthelegislationwereannouncedyears ago,makingsuretheirAI-poweredfusionofcreative, media,anddatawasready.
Thecompanyallowsitsclientstodeploytargeted campaignswithoutresortingtotheuseofpersonaldata. ThisisachievedthroughtheirPeer39contextualtargeting solutionthatappliesartificialintelligencetoanalyzewords andphrases,andtherelationshipbetweenthemtofully understandthecontextandcategoryofanypage.Theycan alsostaysafefromfineswithfullymanagedservice,from accountmanagementtoDCOtoaudiencedevelopmentto performancereportingandbeyond.
InsteadofsufferingaGDPR-induceddownturn,Sizmek’s clientsarenowbetterpositionedthantheircompetitorsto navigatethischangedmarketinglandscape.
BecauseSizmekemploysAIextensively,itisfullyawareof howthetechnologyisconstantlyimprovingandbecoming moreaccurate.Itisalreadyabletodecidewhichpersona specificadshouldbedeliveredtooutofmillionsofbid requestspersecond.
AsAIcontinuouslylearns,andwillonlyimproveinthe upcomingyears,Sizmekisworkingtobetterplaceadsat scaleinreal-time,helpingbrandsimproveconversionsand attracttheirmostvaluableconsumers.
Sizmekisalsoinvestinginlearning when individualsare mostreceptivetomarketingmessages.Factorslikethe periodbeforeandafterarelatedpurchase,timeoftheday, anddayoftheweekallformacomplexdatarelationship thatholdsenormousmarketingpotentialifitcanbe unraveled—whichSizmekisalreadyabletoevaluate.
Asitmakesadvancesbyleapsandboundsintermsof technology,Sizmekhasmaintaineditsemphasison transparency.Theirindustry-firstconsumer/businessmodel updateatthebeginningof2018marksthecompany’s visionforhowAdTechshouldbemovingtowardsfulldata accessibilityandpricingtransparency.
Thisleadershipintechnologyadoptionandself-regulation haveplacedSizmekinthedrivingseatofthemarketing world,apositioninwhichitseemsverycomfortable.
“Our AI-driven decisioning engine can identify robust insights within data across the ve key dimensions of predictive marketing—campaigns, consumers, context, creative, and cost.”
—MarkGrether CEO
Vidyardisanextgenerationvideoplatformthatis helpingbusinessesdrivemorerevenue,boost employeeengagement,andcreatenewareasof competitiveadvantagethroughthestrategicuseofonline video.
Designedtogobeyondtraditionalvideohostingand management,theplatformhelpsbusinessesquicklycreate andsharenewvideocontent,connectwithmoreviewers throughinteractiveandpersonalizedvideoexperiences,and
turnpowerfulaudienceinsightsintoaction.
Vidyardalsohelpsbusinessestransforminternal communicationswithsecurevideomessaging,private contentsharing,internallivestreaming,custom-builtvideo applications,andmore.Thesefeaturescanintegrate seamlesslywithexistingbusinessworkflowsandcorporate securitymodels.
Globalleadersandindustrypioneers,including Microsoft,Honeywell,Lenovo,andLinkedInrelyon idyardtopowertheirvideostrategiesforboth externalcustomerengagementandinternal employeecommunications.
MichaelLittistheCo-founderandCEOof Vidyardandanavidentrepreneurwithapassion forbuildingSaaScompanies.Michaelleadsthe developmentofVidyard’sinnovativevideo technology,isarespectedauthorityon entrepreneurshipandstartupculture,andisa masterofconnectingwithaudiences.
Michaelcontributestothegrowthofthemedia industrybysharinghisinsightfulperspectives withbroadaudiencesasaregularcontributorto Fast Company,anAmericanbusinessmagazine. Hehasbeenquotedin Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, TechCrunch andotherleading publications.
Hehassharedhisengagingandinspiringpublicspeaking stylewithglobalaudiencesofallsizesthroughTEDx,The DigitalCollective,DreamforceandYCombinator’sAdInnovationConference.
Theseeffortshaveledtomanyrecognitionsandawards, includingthePeterBrojdeAwardforCanada’sNext GenerationExecutiveLeadership,MarketingMagazine’s Top30Under30,andErnst&Young’sEntrepreneurofthe Year.
Vidyard’srangeofservicesencompasscloud-basedvideo hostingandmanagement,videoanalytics,videocontent personalization,interactivevideo,andlivestreaming.They aresupportedbytoolsthatsimplifyvideocreationand sharingbyemployees.
Vidyard’sfreepersonal-videomessagingapp,Vidyard GoVideoallowssalesreps,supportreps,andindividual
employeestoeasilyrecordandshare personalvideomessageswhile trackingengagementlevelsforthat content.
Theseinsightscanbeleveragedtohelp businessesunderstandwhichmaterial isresonatingwithcustomers,partners, andtheirownemployees.
WhenVidyardwasfirstlaunched,its biggestbarriertosuccesswere prominentvideo-hostingandplayback solutionplatformsthatwereavailable forfree.Thechallengewasgetting businessestounderstandthatthese platformsofferedlimitedanalytics, security,scalability,andintegration intoexistingtechnologies.
Duetotheselimitations,videoviewer datacouldnotbemappedintoa MarketingAutomationPlatform (MAP)orCustomerRelationship Platform(CRM). “Competing with “free” is never easy unless you can demonstrate a clear and quantifiable return-on-investment that aligns with their business goals,” statesMichael.
Oncebusinessesrealizedthese shortcomings,Vidyardwas immediatelymoreappealing.The companyhassecureditsdominanceby demonstratingclearvalueandROI, coupledwiththeabilitytohelp organizationsmorerapidlyadoptvideo acrossdifferentteamsasastrategic businessadvantage.
WithVidyard’spersonalizedvideo solution,brandshavetheabilityto createuniquevideocontentthat seamlesslyweavesinanindividual viewer’sname,companyname,title andotheruniqueinformation.
Thesevideosaredrivingconversion rateshigherthanthatoftraditional
content.Whetheritisatelcosendinga personalizedvideomessagetoexplain abill,auniversitysharingacustommadevideotorecruitnewstudents,or aB2Bcompanyusingbespokevideos topromoteanewproductorevent,this isapowerfulwaytostandoutandto engageaudiencesinamemorableand compellingcontentexperience.
WhileVidyardcontinuestogrowits ownmarketingandsalesteams,akey partofitsstrategyistoinvestfurtherin partnerships.Lastyear,itlauncheda seriesofnewpartnerprogramstowork withresellers,agencies,systems integrators,andtechnologypartnersto broadenitsmarketreach.
Inadditiontoleveragingnewchannels, thecompanyrecentlylaunchedits VidyardGoVideopartnerprogramthat enablesanytechnologyproviderto embedaspectsofVidyard’splatform withinitsownofferings,freeofcharge. Vidyardisalsopartneringwithtraining andeducationorganizationssuchas AlwaysHired,SalesBootcampand
SalesforLife,whicharetraining studentsonhowtousevideoto improvetheirsalesprocess.
EvolvingwiththeJourney idyardisexpandingitsfootprintin differentmarketsandgeographies.The companyisacceleratingitsgrowthin financialservices,manufacturingand educationwhilerapidlygrowingits customerbasesinEMEAandtheAsiaPacific.
Muchofthisexpansionwillbefueled byitsproductinnovationinareassuch asvideopersonalization,videosales, interactivevideo,andvideofor customersupport.
Vidyardisleadingthechargein deliveringacomprehensivevideo platformtohost,analyze,and operationalizevideoinawaythat exposeskeyflawsinmostexecutives’ assumptions.Itisonamissiontohelp everyoneleveragethepowerofthis mediumtobuildbetterrelationships, communicatemoreclearly,and humanizethewaywedobusiness.
InDecember2017,Vidyardwas recognizedforitsrapidrevenue growth,boldinnovationand entrepreneurialspiritwithaDeloitte TechnologyFast50programaward, ranking16thwithagrowthrateof21.4 %overthepreviousfouryears.
Thecompanywasalsoselectedasa finalistforthe2017MITSloanCIO Symposium’sInnovationShowcase basedonthestrategicvalueand innovationitbringstodigital enterprisenowandinthefuture.
Vidyardhasalsobeennamedoneof the‘TopRatedEnterpriseVideo Platforms’byTrustRadiusand‘Leader forOnlineVideoPlatformsforSales andMarketing’byForrester
VR is a way to escape the real world into something more fantastic. It has the potential to be the most social technology of all time. — Palmer Luckey
Virtualreality(VR)hasbeenaround formanyyearsnow,inspiteofthisitis averyunderdevelopedtechnology.It holdsavastpotentialoutsideof entertainment,ithastakenovervarious aspectsofourlivesrightfromtheway weshop,experience,converseand evenwaystoconductbusiness.
Withtimethistechnologyhasgained popularitywithmanypowerhouses, whichhasencouragedthemtoinvest profoundlyinVRtechnology.Ithas becomemoreandmoreaccessiblefor users,withmanufacturershaving alreadyreleasedhouseholdsetsandare continuingtodoso.
TherecentadvancementintheVR technologyhasmadeitmore accessibleforthegeneralpublic.Due tothis,ithashadaremarkableimpact onthebusinessworldalso.Thesole aimofthetechnologyistochange humanperceptionusingvirtual systems.TheadoptionofVRbyusers isstillinitsnascentstagesandhas gainedpopularity,andmoreandmore businessesarecomingupwithVR basedsolutions.Thereducingpricesof VRheadsetshavealsoposedtobean advantagefortheconsumersaswell.
Ithasalsoposedtobeanadvantagefor theconsumersaswell,withthe reducingpricesofVRheadsets.This hasprovedthatVRisatoughand emergentmarket,withgreatscopefor platformswhichcanallowbusinesses toleverageVRforprocess developmentandadvancedmarketing.
BusinessesareUsingVRtotheir Benefit
VRhasthepotentialtobecomethe mostimportanttoolthatbusinessescan leveragetoaddontotheirsuccess.
Establishedbusinessesaretakingthe helpofVRtotraintheirnew employeesinamorecost-effectiveand efficientway WiththehelpofVR,one canhaveanemployeeinLosAngeles meetingwiththeoneinLondonasif theywere/areinthesameroom.
VRoffersanaddedadvantagewhenit comestotheoutwardfocusofthe businesses;itallowsanovelwayto connectwithcustomers.Thecompany canbuildupamorestorydrivenway ofmarketingwhichdrawspeopleinto thecompany'sbrand,inatangibleand relationalway.Virtualrealityhas potentiallytransformedtheworldof media.Ithasopeneddoorsfor businesses;toadvertiseinawaythey hadneverimaginedbefore.
Consumersarenow equippedwiththe abilitytotestoutandexperience products,thattheyintendtopurchase, inanentirelynewway.Itallowsyouto preciselyvisualizehowapieceof furnitureorpaintingwouldlookina particularroom,oreventestdifferent makeupstyleswithoutleavingthe room.Astructuredassessment, planningofthefutureofbusinesses, andwiththerightdataVRcaneven giveavaluableinsightintothesuccess ofthebusiness.
VRisnowbeingusedtosimplifyand reducethecostoftheprocessof productprototyping.SinceVRhas madeitverycost-effectivefor businessestodesignaproductoran intricatecomponentofanoutsized machinevirtuallythanactuallybuild
theprototype,theuseofVRinthis sectorislikelytodevelopquickly VR andARhavealsoadvancedtheareaof Computer-AidedDesign(CAD).
Prototypescannowbeshapedwithin thevirtualspace,allowingdesignersto accuratelypindownitsworkingway beforetheresourcestobuildthe productareacquired.Thishaseased theprocessoftestingtheproductwhile savingbothmoneyandtime.
Themajorsetbackthatthee-commerce industryfacesisthesales;customers arereluctanttobuyproductsthatthey haven’ttried.WiththehelpofVR,the consumerscanpotentiallytryoutand visualizedemonstrationsforvarious productcategories.Allowingamore clearvisionofhowtheirpost-purchase experiencewilllooklike.
There are as many applications for VR as you can think of; it’s restricted by your imagination. — John Goddard.
VirtualRealityhasnumerous businessesperspective;notjustby providinginnovativefeaturestothe businessproducts,butalsoinhelping innovatorscreatenovelbusinesseswith thesetechnologiesatthecore.
Justlikeold-fashionedcafes,VRcafes wouldsoonbeahit.Theseplaceswill beasocialgatewayforpeoplelooking foraugmentedandvirtuallyenhanced experiences.VRcafeswouldoffer choicesondiversevirtualreality equipment,comprisingofgames, videotapes,team-buildingexercises, socialmediapractices,3Dbooksand contentexperiences,andvirtually enrichedmeditation.
Inrealestatemarkets,VRplatforms
permithousetourstopeoplefrom anyplacearoundtheglobe.Peoplecan designandevenpainttheirhomeswith thistechnologyastheywouldinreal lifesetting,toprovideanoutlookinto thefuturelookoftheirhomes.
CarslikeAudiR8offersaVR-powered “testdrive”experience.Similarly,even Airbushasintroducedaircrafttoursfor itsairlineexecutives,whichallows themanenrichedexperienceandtour oftheaircraftwithoutactuallyvisiting it.
AsVRandARcarryondevelopment, moreandmoreknowledgeabouthow itcanbeefficientlyincorporatedinto thebusinesseshascometolight,this amalgamationofnewwiththeoldwill potentiallyhaveahugepositiveimpact oneverysector.Newentrepreneurs, startups,andbusinessesshouldsurely keepaneyeoutforthistechnology,as ithasbecomeanintegralpartof marketingandbusinessesprocessesin thenearfuture.
Bearinginmindhowseveralindustries andbusinessesarequicklyvalidating andacceptingvirtualreality,the estimateisthatitwilltakeoverthe businessscenarioalmostcompletely, isn’tbloatedbyanymeans.
Socialmediahascompletelychangedthewaywe interactandshareideas,howweinfluenceothers,and howweallowourselvestobeinfluenced.Itisthetool ofchoiceforworldleaders,governments,major corporations,celebrities,andanyoneelsewhowantsto connectdirectlywithanaudienceofmillions.
Thisremarkableabilitytobeseenandheard-andto personallycommunicatewith-suchlargeswathesofthe humanraceinstantlyisunprecedentedbothinscopeand scale.Ittranscendsbarriersofrace,religion,nationality, age,socialstatus,andalmosteveryotherfactorwhichwe usetodivideourselves.
Wieldinganypowerfultoolrequiresalevelofskill,and socialmediaisnoexception.Thisisamplyevidentfromthe newsstoriesweregularlyhearofdisastroussocialmedia fauxpasfromstars,politiciansandrespectedorganizations. Theycouldallhavemadethenewsfortherightreasonshad theychosenViralInNature
ViralInNaturewasfoundedin2010asGoWowMedia,and rebrandedtoitscurrentnamein2013.BesidesSocial MediaManagement,italsospecializesinReputation ManagementandWebDevelopment.
TheCanadiancompanyfocusesonhelpingsmalland mediumenterprisesutilizethepowerofsocialmedia.It helpsthemtobridgethegapbetweenremainingalocal presenceandacquiringaglobalcustomerbase.Their incrediblesuccessratewithsmallerbusinesseshas promptedglobalcompaniestoseekouttheirservicesas well.
Hardworkandcommitmentisinthefirm’sDNA.12hours ofeachday,7daysaweek,and365daysarethehoursof coveragetheydofortheirsocialmediaclients.ViralIn
Naturedevotesmoretimeandenergytosocialmedia managementandliveeventsocialmediamanagementthan itsrivals.Andtheresultsspeakforthemselves.
ViralInNaturehasbecomethemostawardedsocialmedia agencyinNorthAmerica.Respectedpublicationslike Clutch.coandGoodFirms.cohaveconsistentlyrankeditas oneoftheworld’stopsocialmediamarketingagencies. CV Magazine namedittheUSA’sBestSocialMediaAgency for2018.
Withaccoladeslikethat,itisnowonderthatthefirmis poisedtobecomeoneofthemostpowerfulsocialmedia hubsforbusinessanywhere.
ViralInNaturemaintainsasingularfocusonitsclients. Whileothercompaniesmayclaimtobeclient-centric,Viral InNaturehasprovenconsistentlythatittrulyembodiesthat spirit.Thisisevidentnotjustfromtheindustryaccolades thatkeeppilingup,butfromthetestimonialsofcustomers whomthefirmconsidersitsbestambassadors.
TheotherareainwhichViralInNatureinvestsconsiderable timeandeffortistechnology.Socialmediaisbyitsvery natureatech-drivenfield,anditisonlybyleveragingthe vastpotentialitholdsthattrulyspectacularresultsare possible.
Thecompanyconstantlyseeksout,tests,develops,and implementsthelatestadvances,applicationsandhardware suchasnewanduniquecamers.Inthisway,everyclientis assuredacutting-edgesolutionthatkeepsthemaheadofthe competition.
Tofosteranenvironmentofconstantlearningand adaptability,thecompanyholdsregularmeetingsthatfocus primarilyonemergingtrendsinsocialmedia.Conductedin anopendiscussionformat,itallowsteammemberstokeep abreastofdevelopmentsthatmaynotrelatetotheir
specialtydirectly Thiscreatesarich tapestryofresidualknowledgeupon whichtheycandrawinthefuture.
Apro-activeapproachiscriticaltohow ViralInNatureoperates.Theagency adoptsapolicyofcreatingawide footprintforeachclientacrossarange ofsocialmediaplatforms.Itadheresto thisphilosophytomitigatethenegative effectsofpolicychangesatanyoneof thosecompanies,andtoinsulateits clientsfromunforeseeabledownturns liketheonecurrentlyplaguing Facebook.
TheManBehindtheBrand ShawnAlainisthePresidentofViral InNatureandtheownerofthe company
Mr Alainbeganhiscareerinmedia withthepublishingindustry.He
recognizedthemassivepotentialof socialmediamarketingbeforeithad becometheglobalphenomenonitis today.In2010,afteradecadein publishing,hesetupGoWowMedia, thepredecessortoViralinNature.
AslewofsuccessinTwitterand FacebookmarketinggaveMr.Alain thegroundworkandanintimate understandingoftheindustry.Itwas uponthisfoundationthatViralIn Naturewasborn.
TheJourneyBeyond ViralInNatureisundoubtedlyoneof thebestsocialmediamanagement agenciesinNorthAmerica.
However,Shawniseagertotakehis brandtoatrulyinternationallevel, withplansforEurope,Australiaand LatinAmericaalreadyonthecards.In
fact,thefirmhasalreadyhiredstaff fluentinFrenchandSpanishasthefirst steptothisexpansion.
Inlinewithitspolicyofgivingevery clientawidesocialmediapresence, ViralInNaturehasalwaysmanaged themacrossfivetosevenplatforms. Withanincreasinglybusiness-centric focusandundauntedbychange,the companyisalwaysonthelookoutfor newer,betteroptionsthatwillmore thoroughlyserveitsclients’needs.
Technologyisunbiased–itwillfavor themosteffectivesolution.ViralIn Naturedoesnotonlyapplythis philosophy,ithasitselfbecomethe bestexampleofitsveracity.
TheMediaandEntertainment Industryhasdisplayedevident growthglobally,sinceits commencement.Theadventof innovativetechnologiesandtheir pioneersinthisindustryand subsequentdisciplineshascatapulted itsdevelopment. YUDU isonesuch innovativepioneerofthedigital publishingindustry
Foundedin2007, YUDU isan applicationstechnologycompany specializingindigitalpublishingand crisiscommunications.Itupholdsa visionofharnessingcloud-based technologytomeetgrowingmarket needs.Itwasoneofthefirstcompanies tohelppublishersproducedigital versionsoftheirmagazinesandother publications.Theorganizationholds simplicityandeaseofaccessatthe heartofitsvision,bothforitsclients andcustomers,andproducessolutions thathavebeenwidelylikedbyusers.
YUDU’sFounderandCEO,Richard Stephenson,hasbeenatthehelm sincethecompany’sinceptionin2007. HeholdsajointhonorsB.Sc.in EconomicsandMaterialsSciencefrom SwanseaUniversity.Hehasdriventhe growthofthecompanyasithasgrown initsinternationalclientele,adaptedto changesinthepublishingindustry,and mostrecently,ledthedevelopmentof thecompany’sCrisisManagementapp named Sentinel.
Theonlineshifttowardse-reading,ecommerceandappshasopenedupnew opportunitiesfor YUDU,which Richardhasbeenattheforefrontof capitalizingonandhelpingclients adapttochangingconsumerwantsand needs.Overthepast10years,Richard hasoverseenthegrowthofthe companytobecomeagloballeaderin cloudbaseddocumentdistributionand corporatecommunications.
Richardhasbeenrunningtechnology ledinternationalbusinessesforthepast 30yearsandcompletedhisfirstprivate equitybackedMBOin2001.Richard pastrolesincludebeinganOperating PartnerwithDukeStreetCapital, ChairmanofXafinityHoldingsLtd, PresidentoftheSupervisoryBoardof NavimoS.A.andChairmanofDeloro StelliteLtd.
Although YUDU hasdevelopedover 1,000appsoveritstenyearsintech, communicationisattheheartofthe company’sfunctionality.The organization’scoreproductisitsdigital publishingplatform, Publisher.It allowsanyonetoturnaPDFintoan intuitive,re-flowable,IOS,Android andWindowscompatibledigital version.
Clientsrangingfromretailerslike Screwfix topublicationslike National Geographic use Publisher tocreate highqualitymagazines,catalogues,
newslettersandmore,allwithfull statisticalanalysisbuilt-inandoptional subscriptioncontrol.
YUDU’smostrecentlydeveloped software Sentinel,combinesmass alertingviaSMS,emailandin-app messaging,offlinecriticaldocument handlingandanHRdatabaseof contacts.Allofthisishostedona securecloudserver,sothatifacyber attack,poweroutageoranactofterror takesdownserversandphonelines, incidentmanagerscancheckthat everyoneissafeandinstructstaffon whattodo. Sentinel isusedasa businesscontinuityand communicationstoolbyarangeof industriesincludinglawfirms,hotels, andtheatres.
Amongpublishers,thedigital transformationhasbeenembracedby someandfearedbyothers.E-book readerslikeKindlewerehailed simultaneouslyastheendofthebook industryandasapassingfadbyits detractors,andmoremobileformsof entertainmenthavebroadenedthe optionsformagazinesdistributionand consumption.
With Publisher,theorganizationwas abletotakepublicationsintothedigital arena.Itcouldalsoenhanceprint magazineswithvideoandinteractivity, helpingmediacompaniesand educationalpublishersreacha massivelywideraudiencewiththeir mostinnovativecontent.
Whenpeoplebeganconsumingmoremediaviatheir mobilephonesandtabletsandlessondesktops, YUDU facedthechallengeofmakingcontentaccessible. Consumerswantedasmoothreadingexperiencewithout havingtopinchandzoom,thusthecompanyneededto rethinkhowitdelivereditsclients’content. PhoneView is itssolutiontodevice-responsivedocumentviewing.
“The roadmap for YUDU’s development has always been user-centric. We listen to feedback from our clients and are continually adding new features to our apps based on our clients’needs, and that is what keeps us ahead of our competitors,” statesRichard.Thecompanyhasadedicated supportteamintheUKandisproudofitsveryhigh customerapprovalrating.
YUDU’sstrategyistodeliverthebestpossibleproductand givethebestpossibleclientexperience.Expressinghis viewsonadaptingtothechangingtrendsintheindustry, Richardasserts, “The consumer has migrated from desktop to mobile passing tablets on the way. We have anticipated this trend by developing the technology for displaying rich content on smaller screens.”
Thenextstepfor YUDU istoenterintoanewterritory,of businesscontinuityandcrisismanagement.Thecompany’s expertiseindocumentmanagement,communicationsand appdevelopmenthassetituptofulfillthegrowingneedfor areliable,simplesoftwaretohelporganizationskeeptheir peoplesafeandkeeptheinformationflowingduringan emergency
Immediateaccesstobusinessrecoveryplansonmobilesis vitalforinstantresponse.Theorganization’spublishing backgroundenablesittouseitsdocumenthandling technologytoofferfeaturesthatotheralertingsystemsfail todeliver.Itscompetitorscan’tofferincidentmanagersthe abilitytosharebusinesscontinuitydocuments,press statements,clientslistsetc.offlineandsecurelyinacrisis.
While YUDU continuestoofferindustry-leading technologyfordigitalpublishing,itisbroadeningits portfolioofappsallthetime.Thecompanyisexpandingits corporatecommunicationsofferingbycombiningdocument handlingandcommunicationsinitsappforsalesteams;
addingnewfeatures,likegroupspecificpushnotifications, toitsexistingappsandcontinualrefinementofitsapp technologyinthefaceofchangestoappstoresand operatingsystems.
Inthenearfuture, YUDU isgrowingits Sentinel product intoawholerangeofbusinesscontinuitysolutions.Ithas excitingworklinedupwithsecurityandcounter-terror specialiststocreate Sentinel Alaris and Sentinel Alert.With the Sentinel rangeofproductsitisbuildingastrong portfoliooftopclientsanddevelopinginastrongly growingmarket.
“Knowing that our apps are going to be used to help organizations safeguard their staff and help save lives in an increasingly dangerous world makes it an incredibly worthwhile work,” statesRichard.
Richard Stephenson Founder & CEO
YUDU helps publishers, corporations, educators and organizations engage with their audiences digitally.
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