Native Americans famously put their ear to the ground so they could detect the vibration of an incoming horse-riding enemy far in advance of being sighted.
Similarly, are there things that you need to be aware of, incoming waves that could affect your work in the near future?
Awareness is the first step to being prepared. By making the necessary changes, you can be ahead of the curve, and ready to deal with any challenges that may be coming your way. Being prepared also gives you an advantage over the competition -- while they are struggling to cope with change, you are powering ahead towards the next big thing.
We talked to advertising industry insiders and consulted various reports and publications, and found four of trends that pose both a challenge and an opportunity to TV advertising production houses and studios.
1) Subscription-based/Cloud-based production software models
While Adobe’s decision to jump to a subscription model with its Creative Cloud products was controversial to begin with, many in the advertising production industry have since embraced this.
Overall, the feedback has been that it is now cheaper to access production tools under the new model, and the monthly charge is much easier to budget for, as opposed to having to stump up a few thousand dollars every few years.
With frequent patches and updates, the subscription model also gives the user the edge by ensuring they always have the latest tools at their disposal. In terms of software-based features, it’s the equivalent of always being on the cutting edge.
2) Competition from the bottom
Easier access to high quality cameras and production-grade software means some clients and newer players in the industry may undervalue the services you provide.
Be prepared to defend your position: what added value do you bring to the table with your experience, technical expertise, connections, efficiency and creative vision?
What new capabilities can you add to separate yourself from the competition? If you want to learn more about some of the things you can do to differentiate yourself from the competition, check out our blog post "Are You a Broadcast Advertising Production Meerkat?".
3) Shift to HD
Yes, there are HD broadcasters out there taking HD material. But many broadcasters still air in SD, and require material delivered in SD. This has led to the current situation where there is a mixture of SD and HD requirements.
However, increasing concerns by stations over issues like frame blending, especially in the case of analog or SD material shot in a different region being converted to higher framerates, may at last prompt many broadcasters to move over to HD.
Along with the natural progression of technology, this may prompt a shift in delivery requirements to HD in the next few years. Be sure your workflows, bandwidth and production tools are in place to allow you to deliver HD material.
4) Shift to asset-based thinking
Increasingly, advertisers and agencies are thinking of advertising material as content. Instead of TVCs, web-based pre-roll video ads, print ads, and banner ads being separate productions, they are thought of as a continuous spectrum of content that has to be delivered to consumers over the course of unified campaigns.
This means you should have robust content and asset repurposing capabilities in place, and be ready to work with other stakeholders, like the digital team in an agency, in order to deliver outcomes expected by clients.
Conclusion
Broadcast advertising has always been a pretty fast-moving industry. New technologies emerge every few years that promise to make work faster and more efficient. At the same time, we have to deal with a fast-changing media landscape.
It's important sometimes to stop and consider the wider strategy and your next move. What waves of change are gathering at the horizon, and how will you prepare for them?
To find out just how much broadcast production has changed, view the free eBook; 70 Years Of TV Advertising Production for further information.
Written by Isaac Leung for Dubsat.com & has been syndicated with permission.
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