Strategic Report for Eureka Productions by Jyotish

Resilience in the Face of Disruption Business model innovation in a changing media landscape

FACULTY ADVISORS

Dr. Alia Weston Nabil Harfoush

STUDENT ADVISORS

Janice de Jong Jenny Whyte Jyotish Sonowal Oktay Kesebi Ryan Taylor OCADU 2016 PREPARED FOR

Felice Gorica

The world bre and afterward strong at the b

eaks everyone, d, some are broken places. Ernest Hemingway

Executive Summary

This report proposes a new approach for Felice Gorica and her digital media company Eureka Productions. Operating two online video channels, Lifestylegoddess. tv and Newexplorer.tv. Eureka is struggling to attain viewership and meaningful revenue in an ever-changing, noisy digital media environment. While Eureka’s business model has shortcomings, our most important observation is the fact that the organisation’s software focus does not appropriately harness or reflect Felice’s skills as an experienced producer and leader. Her passion for making educational, evergreen content that matters was a focus of the project team underlying our solution called “Beyond the Hashtag”. Beyond the Hashtag is an online channel that responds to trending social media hashtags and “co-opts” them to present educational, evergreen videos related to the topic. The video content, which is either generated by Felice or by partners, is then optimised and distributed through a variety of social media platforms. Reactions from viewers are monitored to gain greater insights on what types of content people are most responsive to, informing future Beyond the Hashtag productions. While the first iteration could be funded by grants, there are many opportunities for profitability as “Beyond the Hashtag” gains a following - whether it’s through sponsored content, donations from viewers, creating content for traditional “primary screen” producers, or by educating others on her unique process. By leveraging Felice’s skills and passions, Beyond the Hashtag gives her the opportunity to create content that matters by turning everyday events into a teachable moment. The following report provides a comprehensive overview of the current media environment, the challenges and shortcomings of Eureka’s business model, and profiles the skills and motivators of Felice. It then introduces the Beyond the Hashtag concept and provides a series of steps to guide Felice on its implementation. The project team is confident that this proposal has great potential for Felice to find success in an industry disrupted by digital media while remaining true to her core beliefs. 1

Table of Contents

Introducing Eureka

The driving force: Felice Gorica

The industry has evolved

Questioning Eureka

Key insights for Felice

Beyond the Hashtag

Key changes to existing Business

Steps to success

Revenue possibilities

Summery

Appendix

References

Our Story of Change This report harnessed the collective intelligence of the following individuals. While diverse in background, each faced disruption in their lives that drew them to pursue a graduate degree in the SFI program.

Janice de Jong As a former employee of BlackBerry who lived through its success and failure, I know all too well how challenging industry disruption can be. As the company fell from grace, supplanted by Apple and Android, I felt helpless and ashamed. What could I have done to prevent this? The disruption BlackBerry faced ended up spilling into my life, and soon I was forced to find the next phase of my career. I joined this program because I wanted to know what I could have done differently so that I never again fall victim to industry shifts.

Jenny Whyte A main reason I moved forward with a career as a teacher was to ensure kids were receiving ‘content that mattered’. I felt strongly that the education system was failing to teach important and fundamental lessons of equality, appreciation of difference, respect for self and others and open-heartedness towards new ideas and possibilities. Unfortunately, the optimism I had in my ability to do this was squashed by the weight of a system so broken, I felt barely able to come into teach everyday after my first year and a half. Fighting within the system was beyond my capacity. Jobless, and with seemingly non transferable skills, I choose to come back to school to develop myself beyond the narrows of my first two degrees. In collecting new skills and developing myself, I still intend to make the content of my life matter, but in new ways, under new pretences, with renewed purpose. 4

Eureka Strategic Report ��

Jyotish Sonowal I am a professional typeface designer specializing in Indian writing systems. My work was driven by a passion to help people preserve their writing systems and language. Also having worked with startups which wanted to make positive social change, I saw the importance of applying business thinking to a design process and vice versa. Most of these startups asked me the same question over and over again “How do we make money?”. Realizing my current skill-sets weren’t enough to answer these questions I looked at programs that would enable me to help them out. This is why I left my work and country to join the SFI program at OCADU.

Oktay Kesebi I am a marketing and digital strategist. The last 5 years have been transformative for me where I have been able to navigate and succeed in an atmosphere of personal and career disruption. Personal circumstance forever changed my life and outlook, and it has impacted the way I look at adversity and challenges—providing me with a foundation with which to overcome roadblocks and existential barriers. Fear of change and uncertainty used to be my friend, but the friendship did not last. I realized that with the worst of disruption comes massive opportunity—if only one is willing to embrace it.

Ryan Taylor I’m a goldsmith by trade, but my focus has turned from simply producing ‘things’ to the development of integrated, responsible supply chains for precious minerals. This disruptive idealism was totally new for an industry well over a 1000 years old. Achieving the change I wanted to see was no small feat. Creating ‘ethical jewellery’ meant more than just ‘making better’, it required me to introduce new supply chains, co-developing policies, even producing video documentaries of the processes and communities involved. Nowadays, delivering socially responsible luxury goods is the norm essential to survival. But even with these successes and experiences, the story felt incomplete; I felt incomplete. The unending uphill battles wore down my passion for the craft causing me to question my abilities. I joined the SFI program to invest in myself; to give me the framework and tools to prepare for (greater) impact that transcends my industry. I’ve found that maintaining a process of lifelong learning is essential to the development of personal resilience to weather change. 5

A letter to Felice

• The Strategic Foresight and Innovation Graduate degree is unique to Canada, but part of a worldwide community of practice and an emerging set of design principles. These principles ask us as the designers to tackle problems with open minds and user centered approaches. A fundamental part of this process is what we call “problem finding” and “problem re-framing”. You asked us to 'make Eureka money'; this was your problem statement. In doing so our process involved investigating Eureka, examining the changing media industry, and the myriad ways people are making money off the internet today. However, as the sole proprietor of Eureka, we also were interested in you. User centered approaches allow us to think of business as systems; systems which function on the skills and resources of the people who run them. Eureka would not be here without you; you are the key to its success. Throughout our process we have spent time getting to know you; and asking you to share with us your passions, strengths, and known weaknesses. Understanding that you, yourself are the sole proprietor of your company, this also makes you the main resource. Our recommendation has been created with your strengths, capabilities and passions in mind. It will also encourage you to move to improve your weaknesses. The internet and social media are constantly evolving systems and those who find success in them must ride the tides of change. The enclosed proposal provides guidance on how to successfully lead in these ever-changing environments. However, the lack of technical skills and social media engagement is a known weakness for you. This challenge is not insurmountable! These are skills that you can easily acquire. There are some quick and easy educational opportunities that you can pursue which we have listed in Appendix A. You have so many strengths that we were able to draw on, the team is confident that with the changes we propose and learnings we share, you will find success. All the best Felice!

PART 1: PROBLEM

Introducing: Eureka “No one explains how to do online media as a business but I know people make money at it. Make Eureka money!” (Gorica, May 18, 2016).

Established in 2013, Eureka Productions Inc. (hereafter refer to as Eureka) is a digital media company and a trade name of Gorica Productions Inc. Operating with the tagline, ‘Video content for all screens’, the company purports to create video networks through a ‘unique TRACK algorithm to determine what video content to make based on keyword searches’ (Eureka Productions, n.d). A unique and engaging idea, its owner Felice Gorica has been successful in obtaining a technology grant to get her business venture off the ground. Unfortunately, the proprietary algorithm Felice aimed to make is still not ready and she lacks the technical skills to improve the product (Gorica, June 7, 2016). As a result, Eureka is in a state of “permanent prototype”. Eureka’s working product portfolio consists of two video networks: Lifestylegoddess.tv, her channel for women (80 subscribers as of June 25, 2016), and Newexplorer. tv, her channel for men (249 subscribers as of June 25, 2016). While some original content is pulled from Felice’s own content library, most content featured is pulled from other internet sources and linked from YouTube. With such low viewership little to no ad revenue is being generated. This issue prompted Felice to approach the team to determine how to make Eureka money.

Eureka Productions Inc. Digital Media Company

Eureka does not operate in isolation, rather it obtains content from its parent company, Gorica Productions. Revenue is shared between the two businesses, as illustrated in Figure 1.1). At the core of both Gorica Productions and Eureka is its owner, Felice Gorica. As part of the user centred design process the project team believed it was important to understand Felice’s history, her strengths, weaknesses and passions. By embracing these aspects, the project team would be better equipped to design the most appropriate solution for Eureka and Felice.

Established: 2013 President: Felice Gorica Tagline: Content for every screen Products: Lifestylegoddess.tv (78 subscribers) Newexplorer.tv (248 subscribers) Problem: Not generating enough revenue Gorica Productions Inc. Multimedia Production Company Established: 1997 President: Felice Gorica Tagline: You're going to love what you see from us Products: Off the Map (2,920 subscribers) Behind enemy lines, Test Lab (Video Series)

Felice Gorica

Lifestylegoddess.tv CONTENT

REVENUE

Gorica Production

CONTENT

REVENUE

CONTENT

Eureka

Newexplorer.tv CONTENT CONTENT

Figure 1.1: Relationship between Eureka, Gorica Productions, Felice & viewers.

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The driving force: Felice Gorica #producer #valuesdriven #leader

AN EXPERIENCED PRODUCER Felice Gorica is a highly experienced television producer and financier. Involved in the industry since the late 1980s, she began her own production company, Gorica Productions, in 1997. Up until the early 2000s, Felice was the driving force behind numerous documentary series for The History Channel and the Discovery Network, including “Behind Enemy Lines” and “Test Lab”. She is also highly knowledgeable in television financing. In 1999 she wrote a book entitled Canadian Television Financing: The Buck Stops Here, a guide for wouldbe producers on the toughest part of the job, “finding the money” (Gorica, 1999). Felice’s knowledge of the television industry is extremely valuable, and the project team knew that any solution must effectively use Felice’s production and financing experience.

DRIVEN BY VALUES Felice is committed to making “content that matters”, and her commitment to these values despite the changing industry has been admirable. As viewership declined in traditional media, Felice faced growing pressure to create reality television. While she could have compromised her beliefs to make vapid content, Felice remained true to herself and developed Eureka to distribute more informative videos.This aspect of Felice is commendable, and the project team determined that any solution must find a way to embrace these beliefs.

Felice’s speciality is educational, evergreen content, and this love can be traced to her childhood. As a young girl, she aspired to be an archaeologist. Looking at her portfolio of content, glimmers of this childhood passion can be seen in her work. The project team wishes to rekindle that childhood love in the final proposal for Felice.

A SKILLED LEADER Felice has many leadership skills that are a great asset. As a producer, she has demonstrated skills in managing numerous people, complex projects, all while on tight timelines and budgets. As a public speaker and author, she is influential in the production field, particularly in terms of financing. She is highly motivated, successfully operating her own production company in a male dominated industry. She is not afraid of a challenge, embarking on developing Eureka in light of the changing media environment. Her motivation, management skills, influential nature and willingness to take on a challenge makes Felice well-positioned to pioneer change her the industry. The project team is determined to leverage these leadership skills in a solution for Felice.

“I saw other people in the industry doing it. I knew I was the right person for the job. It was really a

“They tried to force me into making

natural transition for me”

reality television; that was all they

(Gorica, June 7, 2016).

wanted. I didn’t want to do it; it goes against my values as a producer” (Gorica, May 18, 2016). 11

PART 2: RESEARCH

The industry has Evolved In addition to extensive interviews with Felice, the project team collected research from a variety of sources to contribute to a shared understanding the problem and the development of a solution. The team conducted primary interviews with industry experts, performed extensive secondary research and trend scanning to validate theories and understanding about new media. The following outlines the most critical findings.

#industrydisruption

The media production industry is in a state of significant transition, and this evolution prompted Felice to develop Eureka in response. In order to fully understand Eurekaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s context, and propose an effective solution, the team researched the underlying shifts driving the media production industry.

FROM OLIGOPOLY TO DEMOCRACY Traditionally, the industry operated in a rather linear, hierarchical format. Content was produced for television networks, which were in turn broadcast through cable companies to the viewers (see Figure 2.1). Networks played the main role in deciding what content was to be made (albeit heavily influenced by advertisers), and viewers had little role in the production process beyond simply consuming content. The industry operated as a form of oligopoly, with few large companies dictating the market (Thompson, 2015).

through apps and platforms which integrate content production, editing, distribution and messaging (e.g. Instagram and Snapchat). Content choices are on-demand, platform agnostic, and algorithmically curated. The former method of distribution, (hierarchal and oligopolistic in nature) has shifted to a highly competitive and noisy landscape of democratically distributed content (Thompson, 2015).

However, the continued rise of internet and mobile networks, as well as advanced personal recording mobile technology, has created a democratized production landscape. Viewers can now generate and disseminate content

Hierarchy

Distributed NETWORKS

CREATORS

VIEWERS

Order, Oligopoly

Chaos, Democracy

Figure 2.1: Shows the difference between old hierarchical and new distributed industry structure

PRODUCERS

PLATFORMS

"No established production companies" "Individual stars" Amateurs with large following

FIRST SCREEN

SECOND SCREEN

Figure 2.2: A 2x2 matrix comparing the players in the first and second screen markets, in terms of content producers and platforms 14

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NEW TECH. & THE SOCIAL MEDIA GAME In this technology-driven new media landscape, the tools used to consume media have changed, and in turn so have the players (see figure 2.2 ). Traditionally, content was viewed solely on television sets, which are referred to as “first screens”. Nowadays, mobile phones, tablets, and laptops (or “second screens”), are also being used to consume content. Interestingly, the main players for these two screen types are not the same. While the “first screen” is dominated by large, traditional producers such as the BBC, HBO, and Discovery Communications, second screen content is dominated by independent, mostly amateur producers. In terms of platforms, primary screen content is distributed through traditional cable companies, but also through large digital

THE EVOLUTION CONTINUES Adding to the confusion of this new media world is the fact that it is not static; rather it is constantly evolving. New platforms spring up, new technologies emerge, and content producers and distributors must constantly adapt to these changes (Meeker, 2016). Netflix is a great example of how to effectively change course. Over the past decade, it has evolved from a rental company to an online streaming company, and to this day is constantly updating and evolving its interface (Green, 2016; Segran, 2016). At the same time, traditional companies who are reluctant to adapt are feeling the pinch. The rise of “cord cutters”, or households cancelling their cable subscriptions, have dramatically impacted cable companies’ bottom line, and they are now struggling to find their place in the new media landscape (Harris, 2016). In order to ensure long term success, it is essential to constantly monitor industry shifts and adapt to the changes happening.

“According to the Convergence Consulting platforms such as Apple TV, Hulu, and Netflix. Meanwhile, second screen content is delivered through entirely different social media platforms, such as Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. It’s important to note that these two screens depend on each other for content. That is to say, popular content in the first screen space often drives community responses in the second screen. For example, consider the selfie Ellen tweeted at the 2014 Oscars, which immediately became viral (DeGeneres, 2014). In any case, if one wants to participate in the new media industry, one must be highly aware of which screen they are catering to, and change their methods of production and distribution accordingly.

Group, 190,000 Canadians ended their ties with traditional TV in 2015. That's an 80 per cent increase from the previous year when 105,000 people cut the cord.” (Harris, 2016).

Questioning Eureka #therealproblem, #followyourpassion Given that the media production industry is in a state of significant transition, this change has put online channel producer Eureka. in a precarious position. After reviewing Eureka’s current business, and measuring it against changes in the industry, some significant issues were apparent: CATEGORY

ISSUES

CONTENT

1. Content is infrequently updated, which makes it difficult to stand out in a world where “newness” counts (Shepard, 2011) 2. Channels aren’t mobile ready, which limits potential viewership 3. Content is not available in HD, which makes it look dated 4. Gender-based channels can be alienating (e.g. science content “for men”), especially for younger online viewers (Kott, 2014) 5. Algorithm is not functional, and therefore not useful at gaining insights 6. Long form content is limiting viewership to certain channels (i.e. content not optimised for different social media platforms)

DISTRIBUTION

1. Isolated platform (e.g. standalone websites lifestylegoddess.tv and newexplorer.tv) makes it challenging to gain visibility in a noisy landscape 2. There is no conversation or engagement with viewership, which is essential in the media and entertainment industry (Hanna et al, 2011) 3. Sites are not regularly maintained. Online channels (and algorithms) require constant maintenance and upkeep to ensure relevance (Green, 2016; Segran, 2016; Shepard, 2011)

RESOURCES AND OPERATIONS

1. Labour: Use of temporary, student-based labour means that there are few long-term experts with a vested interest in Eureka’s sustained success 2. Platform: Wordpress website is affordable, but not optimised for media content distribution 3. Marketing: Little effort has been put into marketing Eureka’s offerings. In a noisy online world, skillful marketing is essential 4. Brand: Eureka shares a name with a Quebec production company. The generic name is difficult to find online through search engines 5. Strategy: There is no long-term vision or strategy for Eureka’s success

FINANCIAL MATTERS

1. Few viewers has led to little ad revenue 2. Business is reliant on grants, which are unpredictable and irregular 3. Very little investment into growing the business (see “Strategy” above)

Eureka Strategic Report ��

At project outset, Felice asked the team to be blunt about the long-term feasibility of Eureka. Given the issues highlighted, the project team believes that Eureka in its current state is not a viable business. However, the most important issue with Eureka is that it is not effectively using Felice’s unique skills and passions. Felice is an experienced producer, driven to make content that matters. In contrast, while Eureka was founded as a software-centric company, Felice is not knowledgeable about that aspect of the business. The project team believes that the best way to guarantee success in the new media industry is for Felice to leverage her passions and strengths as a producer and leader, rather than focusing on an aspect that she does not know and love.

media production industry has faced, Felice is not unique in terms of this problem. Indeed, Felice has stated that if her problems were resolved, “there’s a line of one hundred people behind [her] waiting for help” (Gorica, May 18, 2016). Felice has unique skills as a leader and as a producer which could position her as a pioneer of change in the industry. She has the power to marry the valuable traditional production skills with the new media environment in a way that is not only financially lucrative, but also makes content that truly matters.

After understanding Felice as an individual, what motivates her, and the challenges she faces, the project team has revealed that the problem is not how to “make Eureka money”. Rather the problem is about finding the role of a producer in an age of distributed, user-driven content. Given the massive changes the

PART 3: THE OPPORTUNITY

Key insights for Felice "Short form is becoming increasingly important for how people consume." Richard Plepler, HBO Chairman and CEO (Hainey, 2016)

Based on analysis the project team highlighted four key insights for Felice: 1. There is opportunity in the amateur-dominated “second screen” space to create professional, educational content. This report profiles notable case studies of producers creating second screen educational content, both amateur and professional. 2.The second screen is highly responsive to first screen content. That is to say, social second-screen content often reacts to the major events happening in traditional broadcast networks. This provides an endless source of inspiration to create an educational, second screen response to the events in the first screen. 3. The virtual landscape is dominated by social media which facilitates connection, conversation and fast pace rehashing of current events and trends. 4. The notion of the “algorithm” to gain insights from viewership to shape content is strong but needs a nonsoftware based approach.

CASE STUDY 1: The Great War Topic: Documenting one week of World War 100, one hundred years later Platforms Used: Primarily YouTube, also Facebook Subscribers/Viewers: 332,099 subscribers • 31,142,598 views as of June 24, 2016 Why they’re interesting: Viewers donate money through crowdfunding platform Patreon, and sometimes get recognition for their contribution as a “supporter of the week”

A famous example of first to second screen content: Ellen DeGeneres “group selfie” during the Oscars extending well beyond the the television screen into the lives of millions of additional viewers. 20

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To use QR codes conveniently you must have a smartphone equipped with a camera and a QR code reader/ scanner application feature. Download QR code scanner from the App Store. There is no need to take a photo or press a button.

Beyond the Hashtag #conceptbasics

Hashtags: “ because they’re a hack and they prove that simple solutions are often the best ways to solve a problem, rather than waiting for a technology solution.” Chris Messina, inventor of Hashtag (2007)

Based on these insights, the project team developed a concept called “Beyond the Hashtag”. This model envisions Felice using her existing content production skills and developing educational niche content of current social trends. By strategically planning her content production, one piece of content can be repurposed many times to the delivery specifications of each social media platforms.“Beyond the Hashtag” monitors trending hashtags on various social platforms, and develops educational content in response. Alternatively, content from other partner sites can be reposted to maximise viewership. This transforms popular social trends into an opportunity for education. An example process is shown on the following page, using Discovery’s Gold Rush show.

hashtag noun

a word or phrase preceded by a hash mark (#), used within a message to identify a keyword or topic of interest and facilitate a search for it.

#goldrush

GOLD RUSH

Discovery releases new season on popular reality show "Gold Rush"

Viewers discuss with #goldrush, becomes trending topic

Subscribe!

# 3

"Beyond the Hashtag" hijacks the hashtag, creating educational content on ethical gold mining, released on various social media platforms

Subscribe!

Felice monitors community responses and other trending topics to the determine what to make next

Figure 3.1: This process shows the possibilities for the concept in action.

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"Gold Rush" viewers see this hashtag, watch the content and "Beyond the Hashtag" gains a following

In this model, Felice takes the method behind her algorithm, which was originally intended to determine which niche content would be successful based on search terms, and refocuses it into a practice for analysing real time social data. By experimenting with various hashtags, content niches and social platforms she can identify

opportunities from an active global community. Felice will be able to actively adapt the content she produces to fit the sentiment and demands of a quantifiable audience. This is beneficial because it gains rich user insights without relying on technology specifically, something that Felice is not comfortable with maintaining or managing.

AN EASIER SHIFT This model is designed to align with the changing nature of the media industry. The team’s research and experience in the field indicated changes in user behaviour. Viewers use specific platforms for media consumption beyond the TV screen (eg. Facebook, Reddit, Twitter, Instagram). Viewers’ consumption patterns are also changing. Daytime content consumption habits have shifted from viewing content on larger screens to mobile devices (Thompson, 2015; Meeker, 2016). Viewer habits also show that in the evening, large screens—TVs and computers—dominate. The team also discovered that daytime mobile content consumers prefer to view content in snippets (short form), and often do so in particular circumstances (e.g. on the bus, at the mall, waiting for a friend, exchanging content with peers, etc.), adjusting their viewing and engagement habits depending on the social media platform (Accenture Outlook, 2013). Embracing critical insights of the nuances of platforms and user behavior espoused by Beyond

the Hashtag model can provide Felice with a significant opportunity in ‘tailor adapted’ online content marketing. Although significant in impact, the shift to achieve this model is not very dramatic; Felice is already producing content and she is already deploying her content online. However, Beyond the Hashtag’s business model adds several missing and critical elements to her existing business model. See Appendix B and C for a complete sketch of both the old and the new business model based on Osterwalder and Pigneur's Business Model Canvas.

Felice Gorica

Lifestylegoddess.tv CONTENT

REVENUE

CONTENT

Gorica Production

Eureka

Newexplorer.tv

REVENUE CONTENT

288 million

30 million

average users a month

monthly active Snapchat users

1.65 billion

monthly active Facebook users

CONTENT

Felice Gorica CONTENT

Beyond the Hashtag

Gorica Production

CONTENT

REVENUE CONTENT

CONTENT

Figure 3.2: A comparison between Felice’s existing business and content flow (top), with the proposal for Beyond the Hashtag (bottom). The new model proposes that Eureka and its channels are replaced with Beyond the Hashtag, which will distribute content from Gorica Productions or its partners to various 24

Eureka Strategic Report ��

Partner* social media platforms. The middle banner highlights some of the user statistics for social media platforms Felice may wish to consider.

*Content partners

Key changes to existing Business 1. Clearly and concisely articulated Value Propositions, 2. Clearly defined User Segments (based on trending hashtags, viewers interested in in-depth educational content) and 3. Several options of high potential and recurring Revenue Streams. The choice of which path to take will be dependent on the type of success Beyond the Hashtag sees. Along with the inclusion of the potential of behavioural targeting, Beyond the Hashtag’s business model provides Felice with a powerful framework to make the transformation from a traditional content producer into an engaged, social media professional. When assessing the advantages of this model matched to the evaluation criteria, the strengths become obvious. First and foremost, the model provides Felice the opportunity to create content that is meaningful to her with a genuine potential to generate revenue. Secondly, it addresses the weaknesses that we see in her current operations: a reluctance to collaborate in production or to engage with social media. It also recognizes her limited knowledge of the technology that she finds herself within. The team understands these challenges and has addressed limitations with consolidated knowledge of social media ‘must haves.’ In addition, the team has proposed a framework that allows Felice to personally focus on content development and where/when appropriate to develop potential 3rd party licensing/ syndication partners. Social media adaptation, deployment and user engagement could be delegated to highly experienced (and yet to be hired) internal team members. Beyond the Hashtag would also minimize the requirement to

maintain her own ‘technically challenging’ and maintenance-prone content distribution platform. Third, the proposed Beyond the Hashtag model does not place any additional required burden on operations; what is proposed here is expected of any successful content distribution model. The key for the project team will be to clearly outline the steps required so that Felice is aware of the actions she needs to take. Finally, the proposed business model allows Felice to operate in an environment where the content choice remains hers, allowing her to seek out distribution partners and niche content topics that may have low competition. These partnerships and her selective choice of niche opportunities enhances her ability to remain viable and profitable in the face of fierce competition that occurs in other segments. It is apparent that Beyond the Hashtag provides Felice a significant opportunity to become a new kind of content producer, with a tremendous amount of flexibility in a rapidly changing industry. Content production and Felice’s existing expertise remain stable at its core while the evolving distribution channels and changing viewer habits can be adapted to as necessary. 25

PART 4: IMPLEMENTATION

Steps to Success Understanding how to successfully implement the recommendations made for improving the business was of great importance to Felice. To address this need, the following implementation plan outlines key activities, such as developing brand presence, deciding how to best engage with a wide variety of social media platforms, tips and tricks for improving social media presence and messaging, resources needed, a cost structure breakdown and projected future benefits. This report was designed for maximum learning and flexibility. Each section (Set-up, Identify, Create, Communicate, Learn and Revenue) is a rich area of opportunity to be explored in succession or as opportunities and capabilities emerge.

Ide n

y tif

Crea te

ITERATION PROCESS Re

Communicat e

SET-UP

L e ar

Figure 4.1: This diagram illustrates the process of continuous learning required for successful implementation. 27

THE SETUP #buildyourbrand In order to build following a newly invigorated brand is needed: #beyondthehashtag. This brand username should be consistent across platforms to ensure that fans can easily follow and find all of Beyond the Hashtag’s channels. To develop a strong brand, one needs to: 1.Develop a brand personality and tone (How do you want to say things—friendly, whimsical, corporate, etc) 2. Develop Visual Branding and Language (logo and tagline) 3. Secure brand domain name such as www.beyondthehashtag.tv 4. Develop a landing page for the domain name that links the site to the platforms the content is available on. 5. Launch brand consistently across platforms.

#grants While the recommendations contained in this report are meant to be cost effective and profitable, some early changes may require investment capital. Specifically financial resources may be allocated to video production, staff/contractors and any comprehensive rebranding exercise. Historically grants have been a major funding asset to Felice, particularly on the content production and technology side. The project team recommends leveraging grant opportunities to help fund early stage initiatives.

#reducingalgorithmicprocess Managing software and APIs (application programming interface) for Google and other search providers is a comprehensive, capital intensive and specialised business, as experienced by Felice in the development of her algorithm. By relying on trending social data, Felice can exercise greater control of her content selection, with the added benefit of sentiment analysis, without extensive investment in software development.

Eureka Strategic Report ��

Platform

Facebook

Type of Screen

Userbase

Specifications

#expertapproach

Adapting Content

1.6 Billion

Posting videos, stills, links, likes, comments, shares, community formation, private messaging, links to instagram

Facebook Pages for Business has an extensive website dedicated to helping business and niche interest groups promote their brand. Content must have captions

Full length video reveal could be housed on FB page dedicated to the niche

Turns users into publishers, live streamed coverage, chat, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Phantomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; extension plugin allows for previously filmed content to be uploaded

Content must be edited to fit full mobile screen, and link to full content (eg. miologie, National Geographic and Comedy Network). Content must have captions

Used to hype video content reveal, snapchat videos of content filming process, upload short clips of content with Phantom extension, promote products, shows

Make account public, develop a consistent hashtag strategy, use geo-tagging (eg. Sue Zimmerman @the instagramexpert). Content must have captions

Release stills or under 60 second clips of edited content under niche segment account names

Top demographic: 22%, age 18 to 24

100+ million daily active users

Snapchat

7 billion videos viewed/day Top demographic: 45%, age 25 to 34

500 million total, 300 million active daily users Instagram

Top demographic: 26%, age 25 to 34

Rumored that snapchat will evolve to become a ecommerce platform where viewers can buy items directly

1 to 60 second videos, stills, likes, comments, reposting, sharing and private messaging, links to other sites

Figure 4.2: Shows the various social media platforms and provides tips for expert use

Platform

Type of Screen

YouTube

Userbase

Specifications

#expertapproach

Adapting Content

4 billion video views/day

Longer video upload, monetization options, links to external sites, custom thumbnail, editing software, now has livestreaming capabilities

Create a channel which all content be housed in and linked to encourage subscription to create following. Content must have captions

Content could be shown in full on youtube channels dedicated to niche segments

140 characters, links to other urls, video and photo options integrated, content connected through usernames and hashtags

Keep it short, use visuals and video, develop integrated hashtag strategy, ask questions of followers, run polls, curate content for niche segments and connect with followers. Content must have captions

Post facts related to educational content to promote the release of material, post provide links to content home (youtube or facebook)

Communities of special interest topics, where numerous forms of content are posted, upvoted and commented on

This is the place to gain exposure, not revenue. Crosspost content across multiple networks to gain a following. Do not pose as a fan if posting your own content; be yourself. Breaking trust will lead to enormous backlash

Write an interesting tagline and link to full YouTube content. If popularity grows, start an AMA (Ask Me Anything) to tell your story

2 billion videos views on mobile platform

310 million active monthly users Twitter

Top demographic: 22%, age 35 to 44

234 million unique users

Figure 4.3: Shows the various social media platforms and provides tips for expert use

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#prepareforemergence In this industry, new platform features and platforms themselves are constantly emerging. Market experts and industry experts #prepareforemergence alike are required to keep a watch for emergence, and thus the team recommends that Felice regularly refers to these sources to keep up with the latest trends: Mary Meeker: former venture capitalist and now at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, her annual internet trend report provides critical knowledge of the online media space: http:// www.slideshare.net/kleinerperkins/2016internet-trends-report Ben Thompson: An influential independent media analyst that provides interesting analysis of the industry on his blog Stratechery. For a subscription fee, users can access daily news and analysis: https://stratechery.com/

Accenture Outlook’s Media Report: The consulting firm’s regular media report examines the shifting nature of television: https://www. accenture.com/us-en/insight-outlook-eyeshave-it-who-controls-future-of-television-media HBO Chairman and CEO Richard Plepler: The leader attributed to taking HBO into the future, his recent interview with the Wall Street Journal was enlightening: http://www.wsj.com/articles/ the-man-who-greenlighted-game-of-throneson-televisions-future-1465827910

IDENTIFY This phase holds the greatest need for an experienced producer. Producers have an eye for possibility. Felice can use her experience to identify opportunity in the abundance of emergent social data, and in turn deliver educational content in response to current trends.

#sourcingcontent

Trending hashtags are available by search in relation to platform. To execute this, new trending content must be constantly monitored,whether that be popular news bites, new shows, world events, internet memes, and so forth. The potential for educational content

could be determined by asking “what is the educational story within this story?” Ideally, to make Beyond the Hashtag more appealing for grants, Canadian content should be prioritised.

#choosetherighthashtag

(such as Christmas topics), the better it is for Felice and her team to develop content that is market current and appropriate. Cyclical content such as for wedding season, summer holidays or Christmas are also strong areas to produce.

Hashtags need to be selected carefully to maximize their content potential. Evergreen hashtags (content that is not time sensitive and that has a long shelf life) and broader niche tags are more powerful than breaking news events. There are monitoring tools that Felice can use to track the legacy of hashtag trending/popularity. The longer the adoption timeline of the hashtags 31

Strong Hashtags to Follow

Weak Hashtags to Follow

Difference

#christmastraditions

#2015christmasalbum

Strong hashtags are evergreen content that can be reused year after year

#communitiesagainstviolence

#arrestslastnight

Broader content potential and not time sensitive

#digitalparenting

#funnyfamilyphoto

Wide content possibility versus a sudden area of interest that dies quickly

Figure 4.3: Shows how to appropriately select hashtags. Find Inspiration in these examples which take trending content and adapt finds the educational content within it. EXAMPLE

1. Cute Dog with overbite

2. Corduroy Road

3. Gold Rush

HASHTAG

#dailyfluff #underbite #animalprosthetics

#corduroyroad

#goldrush

EVENT

This amusing dog with an underbite and mobility assistance was featured on Instagram’s Twitter, and has become an internet sensation: https:// twitter.com/instagram/

Earlier this year, an old “corduroy road” was discovered in Uptown Waterloo, ON while constructing light rail. The road gained instant attention, attracting locals and tourists alike. When the city offered pieces of road for the public, over 100 cars lined up early in the morning to claim their piece of history.

Gold Rush is a longrunning reality show on Discovery Channel

QUESTION

How might these trending hashtags inspire educational content?

RESPONSE CONTENT

What are the developments in animal prosthetics? Why do we have overbites or underbites?

What is the history behind corduroy roads?

Figure 4.4: Inspirational example and their potential for content

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How is gold ethically mined?

CREATE In order to successfully implement the strategy proposed, an effective and well organized team of talent and expertise, as well as careful tailoring of content, is critical.

#buildyourproductionteam

Felice has extensive experience in assembling film crews for the purpose of video production. The only difference she will find with Beyond the Hashtag is perhaps the duration of the content that is being produced. Content should be produced and edited with the previously identified platforms in mind and future proofed (e.g. shot in HD/4K) to ensure long-term relevance.

#tailoryourcontent

Once the full length video has been created, it should be edited to suit each social media platform it will be released on. For example, from a single YouTube video a still shot with a compelling caption could be created for release on Instagram, while a 140 second â&#x20AC;&#x153;teaserâ&#x20AC;? could can be created for release on Twitter. This medium-sensitive approach will be far more effective than simply posting a link to a full length YouTube video on each platform.

#leveragesocialmediaexperts

Social media platforms are constantly updating. Felice may wish to hire experts who understand the digital marketing space to help her optimise content according to the platform and aid in analyzing viewer responses. A Social Media Strategist will use the various social platforms, while a Social and Digital Analyst will help monitor viewer response and guide future content. While products like Salesforce Marketing Cloud (previously known as Radian6), Twitterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tweetdeck and HootSuite facilitate monitoring and even sentiment analysis, knowing what to

look for and monitoring is essential. This is the benefit of a strategist.

#findyourpartners

It may not be possible for Felice to produce all of the content that Beyond the Hashtag posts. Felice may wish to repost content from other educational content producers to keep the channels looking fresh. It is important to gain permission to repost, not only for legal reasons but to help build a partner network of content providers. It is important to gain permission to repost, not only for legal reasons but to help build a partner network of content providers.

COMMUNICATE #engage

Communicating with fans is an important part of building a following and developing a comprehensive understanding of the evolving digital landscape. This also allows Felice to direct users to alternative content she has produced. By posting often and polling users on what they like seeing or what hashtag they are interested in, Felice can become a trusted content advisor for branded content development.

LEARN #understanduserbehaviour:

Understanding user behaviour is an important part of any online media strategy. Knowing what type of niche content is most likely to be viewed, by which interest segment, at what time of the day, can be accomplished through observing user behaviour. Keep track of what videos posted are popular, when, by what type of user, and learn from these insights to inform future content production. 33

CHECKLIST Successful Implementation will lead to Long Term Benefits Areas Content

Must Be • • • • • •

Distribution

• •

Resources

• • •

Analytics

•

• •

Strategy

•

Edited in multiple formated lengths according to popular platforms Filmed in HD Created with awareness of changing cultural nuances Targeted to interest based niches Actively engaging with viewers wants, popular trending content Have a degree of Canadian content to ensure preliminary grant funding

•

Linked to current trending events via #hashtags Widely distributed through multiple social media platforms

•

Built with dedicated experts Created for platform that are preexisting Cross posting of video content across networks to generate viral effect through ‘shares and likes’

• •

Active in reviewing performance of content across platforms, viewer groups, to track user behavior and habits Tracking new hashtag topics Reviewing lifecycle of older hashtags (look for evergreen content opportunity)

•

Using information gleaned from analysis to create new content with strong user uptake potential

•

Figure 4.5: This check list can be used throughout execution.

Future Benefits

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• •

•

• •

Unlimited inspiration, always fresh trending content Possibility of partnering with larger production and distribution networks interested in second screen content Extensive catalog of educational evergreen content

Content is widely accessible to new viewers Engaging with viewers creates personal and trusted connection Increased profile and awareness Connection to new and interesting partners No tech maintenance

Enhanced page stickiness to increase viewer return visits Greater return on effort spent Strong positioning in the eyes of potential partners

Increased user visits and viewer retention Increased brand equity Increased opportunity for premium advertisers

Revenue Possibilities This implementation plan allows Felice to build a strong foundation with which to increase her success as a digital media producer. However, without a solid revenue model, the best implementation efforts will be in vain. The following section details how to ink a successful media concept to revenue possibilities. #showmethemoney

The Beyond the Hashtag business model presents Felice with significant revenue opportunities broken down into short term (immediate), midterm, and emergent phases. Short Term: This is the period where Felice launches her new business model and begins to increase her viewership based on her new content development strategy. Revenue is limited at this point. 1. Grants. Felice can use her skill and experience to continue to pursue grants focusing not only on regular production grants and Canadian content but also existing and emerging grants focused on digital production such as, the Canadian Media Fund, Telus New Media Fund, Interactive Digital Media Fund, Ontario Media Development Corporation and The Bell Fund among others.

Mid Term: During this period, Felice commits to opportunities that fits her content development philosophy. As audience viewership grows, several revenue opportunities appear. 1. Product Placement. Advertising products are deliberately placed in the content using the various product scenarios: a. Passive (not called out): The product advertiser is not specifically mentioned. b. Active (called out): The advertiser is explicitly recognized. c. Endorsement: Felice gives her explicit approval of the product, its quality attributes and encourages viewers to buy the product or service. 2. Sponsorship. Felice gets sponsored by a key advertiser that becomes a regular ad partner that takes over the content segment (For example, the YouTube channel Smarter Every Day is sponsored by Audible).

CASE STUDY 2: Smarter Everyday Topic: Science content Platforms Used: Primarily YouTube, also Twitter and Facebook Subscribers/Viewers: 3,946,978 subscribers • 291,823,464 views as of June 24, 2016 Why they’re interesting: Intriguing content, such as the science behind the infamous “backwards brain bicycle”. Channel is sponsored by Audible, and each video has a short thank you to their sponsor.

3. Patreon Funding. Patreon is a crowd-sourced fundraising platform that allows a content creator’s viewers to donate money. Popular channels such as SciShow and the Great War rely on Patreon for funding, and thank specific donors in their videos. 4. Network Partnerships. Using partnerships Felice may already have or will develop she can: a. Get paid to develop ‘second screen’ social media content for network content. This is content developed to support a network's first screen or second screen activities. For example, in the promotion of ‘Shark Week’ or the ‘Sci-Fi Movie Marathon,’ Felice produces unique and modified

Eureka Strategic Report ��

content for the networks on social media that uses her social media experience to adapt content to the viewing needs and behaviors of viewers. This would be extremely valuable to networks because: i. There is not enough of quality produced second screen content that networks can use (Felice’s content would be top tier compared to amatuer content), and ii. Many networks do not have an intimate understanding of online user habits (aside from the basic analytics of their viewer’s activities. Felice’s social media experience can augment this viewer behaviour knowledge to maximize viewership and ‘stickiness’ for the networks, and as a result increasing advertiser appeal for network content.

5. Public Speaking, Seminars and Books. There is a tremendous opportunity for Felice to position herself as an industry authority who has successfully made the transition from a traditional producer to an accomplished digital one. Speaking engagements at conferences can be lucrative. Moreover, Felice can use her expertise to help others make the transition by writing how-to books to succeed in the digital content space. 6. Existing Online Advertising Models (Note: these models are often implemented incorrectly and are increasingly under pressure from tools such as ad blockers): a. Contests and Promotions. Felice gives away advertisers’ products using a contest tool in order to drive lead generation and to capture user information. Users enter contests that provide opt-in marketing and more granular and specific user demographic, behavioral and contact information that can be used for future marketing and advertising efforts. When to use this? When digital property owners are starting out, are trying to increase user engagement, or are looking to market to viewers in the future, contests are a very effective tool. User response is often tied to relevance, quality of the reward, urgency and the upsell of gaining extra chances of entry if they market the contest (through Facebook, Twitter or email) to their peers. Contests have been shown to be an effective way to quickly scale up a property’s user base, using permission based marketing. b. Cost per Mille (CPM). Ad revenue is generated where advertisers pay upfront for a certain amount of user views (in groups of

a thousand). Once these limits are reached, additional views (CPMs) by the advertiser are purchased. The the higher viewership and the more specific the viewers, the rates Felice can charge increases. When to use this? CPM is used for branding and awareness (i.e.:‘don’t forget my brand’). It has also been used to highlight promotions but the click through rate is very low. Sites with low viewership often get poor quality advertisers such as Emoji firms. c. Pay Per Click (PPC) or Cost Per Action (CPA). In this model, revenue is generated when advertiser ads are clicked (PPC) or when user conditions are met such as filling out a newsletter sign-up form, entering a contest, or buying a product or service (CPA). CPA models can be very lucrative especially when an audience is very specific and an appropriate advertiser and matching offer is properly matched to this segment. When to use this? PPC or CPA assumes a digital property has existing, growing, quality returning traffic. The digital property owner is usually confident about their user base. As a result, the property owner can accept an ‘action’ based ad model where an advertiser’s product/service/offer closely aligns with their audience. A click on the advertiser’s ad from a user generates a predetermined amount of revenue (PPC) for the digital property. A deeper action such as a sign-up to a newsletter can generate more revenue. PPC/CPA models are often more lucrative than CPM models. Note: This model requires strong, quality, focused and returning traffic. In order to capture returning traffic, content needs to be updated regularly.

d. Affiliate Marketing. This is a form of CPA advertising, but involves a longer term partnership with advertisers where Felice can receive commission on sales of product and services. A tracking code is attached to a visiting user and when this user makes a purchase of the advertiser’s product/service, Felice receives a pre-determined commission from the sale. In some cases, future sales of this user may also provide Felice with residual revenue. When to use this? Affiliate marketing assumes a digital property makes a dedicated commitment to partner with a vendor that generates commission based sales. The digital property owner essentially becomes a salesperson for the product. When a user clicks the ad and purchases the product, the digital property owner gets a commission. In this case the digital property owner is usually confident about their user base. Since this model is performance based, digital property owners will try to drive more traffic to their sites (at their own cost) with the hopes of earning more affiliate commision. Note: This model requires strong, quality, focused and returning traffic and often an exclusive commitment to a single vendor within a product offering such working only with Apple products and not other computer vendors. Emergent Revenue Streams: 1. Video Layering Technology. This technology allows users to click on a product in a video that will then lead them to more product info or to a purchase site. This particular vehicle is advantageous over current video based advertising as it is noninvasive, and invisible to viewers who may not be interested in the product

Eureka Strategic Report ��

within the video. Video layering technology combined with the affiliate marketing model can provide Felice with a commission on sales generated from products within the content that she develops. When to use this? This model requires strong, quality, focused and returning traffic. In order to capture returning traffic, content needs to be updated regularly. The tagging of products within the video could be time consuming as well. Currently the technology is emergent with a few players 2. Augmented Reality (AR). This is a new trend where users can integrate real world settings or existing content with digital layers when revealed show additional content or promotions. The content looks like any other content but when viewed through a special mobile phone app shows the new content, that otherwise is invisible to non app users. By creating augmented realities in content, additional revenue can be generated by providing advertisers a platform to create create their own unique offers and promotional material within the content

CASE STUDY 4: Primitive Technology Topic: Narrative-free videos documenting a man building a primitive huts and tools from scratch Platforms Used: YouTube, with details blogged on WordPress Subscribers/Viewers: 1,750,043 subscribers • 78,867,962 views as of June 24, 2016 Why they’re interesting: Simple, inexpensive video content from a man who is simply passionate about what he does. And he has gained significant notoriety (and potentially ad revenue) for it.

CASE STUDY 3: Hydraulic Press Channel Topic: Edu-tainment, pressing different objects in a hydraulic press Platforms Used: YouTube Subscribers/Viewers: 1,270,170 subscribers â&#x20AC;˘ 119,563,624 views (as of June 24, 2016) Why theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re interesting: This channel gained overnight success this spring after a Redditor posted a link on the videos subreddit. Captivated viewers immediately starting sending stuff to be crushed, from motorcycle engines to diamonds. Revenue is generated by selling t-shirts.

COSTS The opportunity at hand provides new horizons with which to transform from an old model of production to an emerging one,profitably. As with any ‘screenbased’ project and one that has end users (viewers), production and marketing are key investment costs (see figure 4.5) that require consistent and ongoing funds. With a high calibre of production along with the marketing strength for driving traffic to key properties, the potential for market success increases significantly.

All roles can be filled on a contract and as needed basis. However having a reliable and dedicated team will increase efficacy. Moreover, it is possible for Felice to do some of the social media work herself, provided that she upgrades her skills (see Appendix A). In any case, it is advised to maintain a coherent and consistent team over time that embeds and shares the knowledge of the company’s production and marketing activities.

Resource

Purpose

Cost*

Duration

Production Staff

To develop long form content and to edit content to social media platform guidelines

Videographer: $4000/ month Motion graphics animator: $4000/month Creative/Graphic Designer: $4000/month

Immediate, Continuous

Social Media Strategist

To deploy and promote content on social media platforms

1 person: $4000/month

Immediate, Continuous

Social and Digital Analyst

To monitor trends for new content topics, to measure performance of key topics across platforms, and to report on insights for additional content viewer behavior

1 person** $4000/month

2 to 3 months after launch, Continuous

Online Advertising (absolutely critical)

To drive traffic to the media properties through search engine marketing, social media ad and promotion placement

Resourced on an as needed basis

Immediate, Continuous

Figure 4.6: Shows potential costs

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Summary The media industry is in a state of constant evolution, and this constant change placed Felice Goricaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eureka in a precarious position. However, there is an opportunity to use this state of change as a source of constant inspiration. Beyond the Hashtag monitors trending events and turns them into a teachable moments. By harnessing Feliceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love of educational, evergreen content, and her production and leadership experience. This proposal has great potential for Felice to find success in a noisy, ever evolving digital media environment while staying true to her beliefs. The process of identify, create, communicate, learn, and profit (revenue) is repeatable, an iterative cycle to quickly integrate learning and value back into the business.

Ide n

y tif

Crea te

ITERATION PROCESS Re

Communicat e

SET-UP

L e ar

Figure 4.7: Diagram of implementation process

Appendix A LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES Brainstation: http://www.brainstation.io/course/toronto/digital-marketing Brainstation offers a wide variety of technical course upgrades to a diverse group of students. Their intensive Digital Marketing course provides an experiential learning environment with outcomes focused on, digital campaigns, analytics, customer segmentation, social, email marketing, brand-building. University of Toronto: http://learn.utoronto.ca/courses-programs/business-professionals/ certificates Has a wide range of marketing, communication and digitally focused course to be taken to widen knowledge base or build towards new certification. iab.Canada: http://iabcanada.com/courses/integrated-digital-marketing/ This Integrated Digital Marketing course looks to break down the process of digital marketing, a variety of online and mobile platforms and how they can be used together. Curriculum covers, search, display, programmatic trading, mobile, social, etc. and is the most popular course iab offers. Red Acadamy https://www.redacademy.com/toronto/courses/ Digital Marketing Foundation is designed for professional seeking practical skills need to develop a digital marketing strategy. With a 6:1 student ratio, the industry professional teacher will teach how to create, track, acquire customers, how to leverage existing data to increase ROI in line with online content strategy. You will also become Google Adwords and Analytics certified. OCAD University http://www.ocadu.ca/academics/graduate-studies/interdisciplinarymasters-in-art-media-and-design.htm Interdisciplinary Master's in Art, Media and Design (MA, MDes and MFA) Drawing experienced artists and designers from around the world, encouraging them to investigate and produce works that combine art, design and interdisciplinary academic study to create new forms of visual and social research and creative production. 42

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REVENUE STREAMS 1. Content is free (note: no ad revenue to support the model) 2. Grant money (note: uncertain and infrequent) 3. Ad revenue based on traffic (Note: minimal, due to low viewership, our estimate is 25¢ per month maximum)

COST STRUCTURE

1. Her labour, web hosting, interns, maintenance for site, legal fees, Algorithm maintenance (note: absent, but necessary) 2. Her labour, web hosting, Computer hardware, operation fees 3. Web hosting

1. Views on lifestylegoddess. tv, newexplorer.tv (note: low awareness, sites not indexed by search engines) 2. Grant applications (note: time consuming and not guaranteed) 3. Eureka’s websites (note: viewers low)

1. Viewers (note: extremely low viewer/subscribership) 2. Grant providers (note: finite resources available) 3. Advertisers (note: currently uncertain of provider)

1. None (note: no social media) 2. Requires personal networking 3. Automated, passive and no direct relationship

CHANNELS

1. Niche, “evergreen” video content (note: content is lacking quantity and variety) 2. Female Canadian producer with experience (note: for culture and technology specific grants) 3. Audience/Viewership through branded web destinations

CUSTOMER SEGMENTS

CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

1. Site, her knowledge/labour, content, facilities, student assistance, algorithm, (note: missing SEO specialist) 2. Professional experience, network, knowledge of grants/ finance, facilities & equipment 3. Site/hosting, content, (note: missing SEO and PR/ marketing)

1. Site development/ social/ maintenance and software product management, new content uploading (note: all currently minimal) 2. Grant writing, networking, reporting 3. SEO (search engine optimisation) to drive traffic to site, monitoring site metrics, new content uploading (note: all currently minimal)

1. Gorica Productions, external content producers 2. Felice’s Professional network 3. Ad service providers (note: low quality ad provider)

VALUE PROPOSITIONS

KEY RESOURCES

KEY ACTIVITIES

KEY PARTNERS

EUREKA: CURRENT BUSINESS MODEL - MULTI SIDED + LONGTAIL

Appendix B

Appendix C

BEYOND THE HASHTAG: CO-OPTING HASHTAGS TO CREATE EDUCATIONAL KEY PARTNERS

KEY ACTIVITIES

VALUE PROPOSITIONS

1. 3rd party content creators

1. Setting up (initial brand and team building); identifying, creating and editing content; communicating and engaging with viewers; learning from response; monitoring shifts in industry

1. “Engaging content that matters”: interesting content on a variety of social platforms that goes beyond the headlines

2. Network 3. Ad platforms (e.g. Google AdWords)

2. Networking, writing grants, measuring impact 3. Content production (see 1 above), pitching ideas to advertisers

KEY RESOURCES 1. Equipment, studio resources, production team, social media team (strategy, SEO, etc.), preliminary brand development, analytics tools 2. Personal experience, networking skills, grant writing expertise and industry connections 3. Site, brand and social media channels

COST STRUCTURE 1. Salary for content production staff, web hosting, marketing, potential licensing of 3rd party content, preliminary brand development 2. Labour 3. Labour, Indirect, through content production activities

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2. Positive social impact (SROI), with Canadian Content potential 3. Access to captive audience on a variety of social platforms using traditional and progressive methods

L CONTENT FOR SOCIAL PLATFORMS CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

CUSTOMER SEGMENTS

1. Awareness from hashtag “co-opting” on various platforms. Retention from fresh content, subscriptions, likes and reposts. Engagement from conversations on platforms

1. Users of various social platforms interested in edu-tainment that goes beyond the headlines 2. Grant Providers 3. Online marketers

2. Personal, direct 3. Automated short term, potential of personal, direct long term

CHANNELS 1. Social media platforms, landing website 2. Grant applications 3. Social media platforms, landing website

REVENUE STREAMS 1. None in short term, potential crowdfunding in long term. Indirect revenue from advertising 2. Grant money (short term only) 3. Payment to place ads in content (see “Revenue Potential” for options)

References 2016 Entertainment & Media Industry Trends. (2015). Retrieved May 2, 2016, from http://www.strategyand.pwc.com/perspectives/2016entertainment-media-industry-trends Accenture Outlook (2013). Five insights into consumers' online video viewing and buying habits. Retrieved June 17, 2016, from https://www. accenture.com/us-en/insight-outlook-five-insights-into-consumersonline-video-viewing-buying-habits DeGeneres, E. (2016, March 2). [If only Bradley's arm was longer. Best photo ever. #oscars]. Retrieved June 25, 2016, from https://twitter. com/theellenshow/status/440322224407314432?lang=en DeMers, J. (2015, August 13). 7 Social Media Platforms That Could Explode Before 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2016, from http://www. forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2015/08/13/7-social-media-platformsthat-could-explode-before-2016/#156222cb41af Eureka Productions Inc. (n.d.). Retrieved June 10, 2016, from http:// www.eurekaproductions.org/ Green, K. (2016, March 21). Evolution of Netflix. Retrieved June 9, 2016, from http://www.engadget.com/2016/03/21/evolution-of-netflix/ Gorica, F. (1999). Canadian television financing: The buck starts here. Scarborough, ON: Centennial College Press. Gorica, F. (2016, May 18). Client Meeting [Interview]. Gorica, F. (2016, June 9). Client Meeting [Interview]. Gorica, F. (2016, June 15). Client Meeting [Interview]. Hanna, R., Rohm, A., & Crittenden, V. L. (2011, May/June). We’re all connected: The power of the social media ecosystem. Business Horizons, 54(3), 265-273. doi:10.1016/j.bushor.2011.01.007 Hainey, M. (2016, June 13). The Man Who Greenlighted ‘Game of Thrones’ on Television’s Future. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 17, 2016, from http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-man-who-greenlightedgame-of-thrones-on-televisions-future-1465827910 Harris, S. (2016, April 08). Cable cord-cutting numbers soar in Canada thanks to Netflix, high prices, says report. Retrieved June 02, 2016, 46

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from http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/cable-costs-cord-cuttingcanada-netflix-1.3525949 Hoelzel, M. (2015, July 29). UPDATE: A breakdown of the demographics for each of the different social networks. Retrieved June 24, 2016, from http://www.businessinsider.com/update-abreakdown-of-the-demographics-for-each-of-the-different-socialnetworks-2015-6 Hunt, E. (2016, June 15). Ello, is anybody there? Alternative social networks abound for the peachy-keen. Retrieved June 24, 2016, from http://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jan/16/ello-is-anybody-therealternative-social-networks-abound-for-the-peachy-keen Kott, L. (2014, November 30). For These Millennials, Gender Norms Have Gone Out Of Style. Retrieved June 25, 2016, from http://www. npr.org/2014/11/30/363345372/for-these-millennials-gender-norms-havegone-out-of-style Litsa, T. (2016, April 14). 12 valuable marketing lessons from Snapchatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success. Retrieved June 24, 2016, from https://www.clickz. com/2016/04/14/12-valuable-marketing-lessons-from-snapchatssuccess Meeker, M. (2016, June 1). 2016 Internet Trends Report. Speech presented at Code Conference, Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Retrieved June 2, 2016, from http://www.slideshare.net/ kleinerperkins/2016-internet-trends-report Osterwalder, A., Pigneur, Y., Clark, T., & Smith, A. (2010). Business model generation: A handbook for visionaries, game changers, and challengers. Segran, E. (2016, May 3). Netflix Knows Which Pictures You'll Click On--And Why. Retrieved June 09, 2016, from http://www.fastcompany. com/3059450/netflix-knows-which-pictures-youll-click-on-and-why Thompson, B. (2015, March 18). The Changing - and Unchanging Structure of TV. Retrieved June 02, 2016, from https://stratechery. com/2015/changing-unchanging-structure-tv/ Twitter introduces 140-second videos, Instagram says user base now at more than 500 million. (2016, June 21). Retrieved June 24, 2016, from http://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/twitter-introduces140-second-videos-instagram-says-user-base-now-at-more-than What to Tweet. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24, 2016, from https://business. twitter.com/en/basics/what-to-tweet.html 47