After weeks of frantic planning, several hours of furniture rearranging and many sleepless nights, the day of Xpand Your Mind, Xpand Your Network – IPTV landed! What was Xpand Your Network, Xpand Your Mind – IPTV? A small gathering of reputable professionals, in a relaxed environment, with fantastic presentations from key industry figures, followed by a few well deserved Sauvignon Blanc’s!
The first of five fabulous presentations kicked off with the brilliant Marque Owen, Director of Video Content at TedxSydney. Marque is a former media and IP lawyer, before moving into film, television production and management. He has since had an incredible career having created Aurora, The Community Channel on all Australian STV platforms, he then managed content and IPTV channels for Telstra and later took the role of Executive Producer, Innovation and Creativity. Marque had the audience’s full attention as he passionately spoke about the importance of ‘Story’. “There is nothing you can’t understand, when you know its story. There is nothing that you can’t like, when you understand their story” Story is a fundamental part of life. Good storytelling via great delivery systems, is good marketing. The stories we tell, and the way that we tell them, are crucial to life and business. IPTV is a great delivery systems, to get your story out there!
Marque Owen Director of Video Content TedxSydney.
Some see Social Media as the enemy…this is not the case. Social Media is IPTV’s partner. You are able to listen to the stories about your brand and your audience – allowing you to provide them with a story they want to hear! And when you provide them with a good story, these people will spread your story for you. Because they’re now fans. Brand fans. And now they own the story. Story is the only way to intrigue, engage and captivate your audience.
Second in line – the remarkable Craig Blair , CEO of Zeebox Australia. Craig is a serial entrepreneur and investor has spent the past 14 years building and investing in some of the leading digital media and technology businesses in Australia. Most recently as Executive Director of netus, a News Ltd-backed technology investment company where he led the launch of Allure Media, WayFair, The Video Company and Tantalus Media. Now holding the reins for Zeebox Australia. Craig spoke enthusiastically about Zeebox, its ever changing features and creating a truly integrated approach to second screen TV experiences. Zeebox have created and continue to develop their universal application, which ‘spiders’ the TV world, targets interest groups and acts as a conversational tool. Here are just a few amazing features to Zeebox:
Do you ever lose your TV remote? Fear not… Zeebox also acts as your TV remote. (potential relationship killer?!)
Craig Blair CEO Zeebox Australia
Think of yourself sat at home watching a TV ad of a gorgeous new Audi, Zeebox will then serve you a real time ad experience – leading you through to your local dealer to book a test drive!
Just heard a song you have instantly fallen in love with, couldn’t unlock your phone quick enough to Shazam it…fear not – you can simply download it straight from Zeebox.
Up comes the inspirational Stephen Hunt, Managing Director of TubeMogul. A proven new media professional with experience in commercialising and strategising a variety of high-profile transactional websites and content driven media platforms. With a passion for effective management, online entertainment and the changing dynamics of new media he currently heads up TubeMogul. For those of you that don’t know who TubeMogul, they are the only video marketing company built for branding. By integrating real-time media buying, ad serving, targeting, optimization and brand measurement into its PlayTime platform, TubeMogul simplifies the delivery of video ads and maximizes the impact of every dollar spent by brand marketers. Stephen spoke in detail - persuading a target audience, at scale, with brand ads, is becoming more difficult. TV still works, but consumers are migrating to digital/mobile/social. TV builds reach with a surplus of volume, whereas online can hold frequency, reducing wastage.
Stephen Hunt Managing Director Tube Mogul
In seeking to keep up with the changes in reaching a more fragmented audience, the process for planning, buying and reporting is messy. The flow of information is chaotic at best – 1000’s of emails, calls, faxes, etc. to start campaign; even more for optimization, analysis and billing… TubeMogul make it simple!
Glasses refilled, audience all ears… welcome Adam Good, Director of Content and Digital Media at Telstra. Adam Good has had an incredible 25 years international industry experience specialising in digital media, interactive content development, advertising, publishing, film, television and technology. The bold message Adam had is simple. the way we interact today is being revolutionised! Although things that make us human will never change - the ways that we connect will… We engage everywhere. Innovation and immersive technologies are making life easier – making you feel like your at home, when your at work; work when your at home. Shopping will become more social, more interactive, more engaging. Interactive entertainment will take on new dimensions creating more interactive experiences to take us to the heart of the action!
Adam Good Director of Content and Digital Media Telstra
Listening to customers, using data and predictive analysis like never before in order to personalise your message by time, location and context – personalising each experience! Adam is leading the way of change for Telstra Media…new products , new services for the revolutionised tomorrow.
Last but by no means least – Wilson Applegarth, previous Commercial Director of Movie Networks, now freelance consultant. Wilson is a strategic and corporate development specialist - MBA qualified with 13 years’ experience in strategy, commercial and business development roles in the media industry, both in Australia and the UK, with particular experience in the Television (including Pay, Free to Air TV and Public Service) and Digital Media sectors. Wilson had one poignant question - When will IPTV become mainstream in Australia? By mainstream Wilson means when everyone in his soccer team knows what it is and similarly when your non media industry circle of friends have an understanding of what your talking about when mentioning IPTV!
….the evidence suggests it will get there soon, 2015? 2016? 2017? Or longer? Its anyone’s guess!
Wilson Applegarth Consultant Movie Network Channels
So who’s in the running? You’d think that Fetch and Quickflix will continue to build their subscriber bases, Foxtel will launch their standalone SVOD service – Foxtel Play , Telstra will finalise their SVOD content offerings building on its recently announced push to acquire content shortly after it has first been screened overseas (e.g. House of Cards) Optus have been exploring options but will they do much beyond meTV in the immediate future?...it’s safe to say its going to be an interesting 12 months!
Xpand Your Network, Xpand Your Mind - IPTV
I can’t thank Marque, Craig, Steve, Adam & Wilson enough for playing a huge role in making the day a complete success!
I would also like to thank each of you that came along from Yahoo!7, Aceedo, Irdeto, IceTV, Switch Media, ABC, News, Google & UTS
See you all for Xpand Your Network, Xpand Your Mind - IPTV Part 2!! E:
[email protected] M: 0432 870 801 T: @XpandMichelle L: au.linkedin.com/in/michellekegg
