Key Takeaways from The Media Insights & Engagement Conference

The Media Insights & Engagement conference was held this week in New Orleans, and we heard some consistent themes that are impacting the media industry. Here are a few of the highlights:

Storytelling is essential in delivering emotional resonance, and helping consumers identify with a brand, content or campaign:

• There were many talks on the power of storytelling. The need for authenticity was loud and clear. Consumers desire something that resonates with them, even at the detriment of production quality.
• In ESPN’s presentation—Harnessing the Power of Storytelling in Sports—relatability was the number one driver of engagement with sports content. Audiences need to care about what they are watching, and strong character development can help the content be more relatable. The other top drivers including being substantive (where the audience learns something new), emotionally provocative, humorous, and conversational.
• Building on the importance of humor, Disney Channel’s Lisa Dracolakis and our own Erica Carranza presented “LOL 101” about the importance of humor in kids’ content. Humor is the number one predictor of kids liking a show, and the more “types” of humor (like visual, verbal, gross, mean, awkward, ironic, inside jokes, etc.) you can layer into content the funnier, and more engaging the content will be.
• Evoking nostalgia is also important for content, as Warner Bros. spoke about in their presentation on “The Paradox of Choice.” With all the choices consumers have for streaming content today, the more choices they have, the more likely they are to choose something very familiar to them. With today’s socio-political climate, consumers also want something comfortable that can allow them to escape from their reality. Nostalgia plays a role in this, as movie and TV studios continue to revive and reboot hits from the past to keep their fan base interested and engaged (like Star Wars or The Hills).
• As A&E Networks spoke about in “The Great Divide” as the country becomes more divided, Tribe Identity is on the rise as consumer look to relate with others like them. Prudential and Urban One’s “Legacy Lives on” campaign is a good example of influencing the Tribe Image of a brand in a positive way with their key demographic: African American millennial women.

Disruption is forcing the media industry to always be thinking 10+ steps ahead:

• The media industry is changing at a rapid pace, with more content, streaming services and platforms than ever to choose from. Disruption in the space is the new norm, and media companies need to be constantly innovating to keep up with their consumers.
• Gen Z is also watching and consuming content in different ways than ever before. Hub Entertainment Research spoke about how watching gaming is becoming the new “watching TV” for many of them; whether that is watching others play games, watching tutorials or watching live e-sports competitions. It is also how many Gen Z’ers communicate with each other – directly within gaming platforms. It provides them with social connection, as face to face interaction is no longer the predominant form of “hanging out with friends.”
• A Futurist from Paramount Pictures spoke about the next frontier of AR/VR in gaming. It’s only a matter of time before the “screen” becomes one of us, as AR/VR technology continues to improve at a rapid pace and Tech giants continue to invest billions of dollars in the space to not be left behind. He encourages established companies to “think like a start-up” as the same old way of doing something won’t last forever. They need to anticipate what’s next.
• As audiences shift towards greater video consumption and screen time, survey research needs to shift too, meeting these younger consumers where they are most comfortable. Many presentations included user generated content, with selfie-type responses directly from respondents. These not only provided rich insights but helped bring the voice of the consumer directly into the boardroom.

And while there were many discussions at the conference around a clear divide in the US today, Suzanne Persechino who gave the aforementioned A&E Networks presentation said it best: when all else fails, it’s moments like this in media that can unite everyone together…