In a challenging ecosystem for content creators, We Are Amnet brought together some leading sector players from a range of industries in an online event and asked them how they keep pace with consumer expectations, while producing content that converts.
The event was hosted by Stef Sokolowski, Managing Director of We Are Amnet, The Americas. Stef was joined by Anil Noorani, Managing Partner of TKM Consultants and We Are Amnet’s global growth and strategy partner, and guests from industries ranging from pharma to travel, whose creative production models differ widely. Sharing their insights and experiences were:
Navi Singh – Senior Manager, Operations, Influencer Program at Wish
Marie Philemon – Director of Creative Operations at Norwegian Cruise Line
Puneet Srivastava – Head of Digital Content and Services Lab at Roche
Jim Schmidt – Senior Creative Director at the International Monetary Fund
The event began with questions on how the industry has changed as a result of the pandemic. With responses mentioning that, with omnichannel access taken away, the focus moved even more onto content, it became clear that ‘snackable content’ was already becoming commonplace, leading to the success of platforms like TikTok. Larger projects like rebrands are, however, under way once again.
The discussion then moved on to talent, with the panel being asked if retention is an issue. Based on their feedback, this has been a challenge to content creators for some time, and certainly isn’t solely down to the so-called Great Resignation. It is, according to more than one response, especially hard to find production talent.
“We’re having the biggest issues retaining production talent.” Navi Singh
This is where offshoring plays a critical role in producing content at scale, as the offshoring model can fill that gap quickly and effectively. More than one participant reported that finding the right model of in-house and offshore production, and in-person and hybrid working, isn’t easy; tech has disrupted the production process, placing more pressure on content creators to optimise their processes.
Where, then, are the key areas of investment in producing content at scale? Roche, for example, is building in-house capability across different geographies in a drive for quick response. Norwegian’s team keeps new creative projects – the so-called ‘big idea’ projects – in house, while offshoring the more consistent work. There was general agreement that a strong partnership with a production house is important, evidenced by the IMF offshoring content production during the pandemic, leveraging the advantage of local talent where in-country relevance was a key consideration.
“The tech is evolving faster than it can be adopted unless we think differently.” Puneet Srivastava
The traditional model of siloed creative and production teams no longer works. All the contributors agreed that building relationships between creative and production teams is critical, with brand consistency and accurate personalisation a particular challenge.
Questions were then taken from the online audience, before a quick-fire exchange that covered everything from the challenges of building and maintaining culture in a hybrid work environment, to how AR/VR and the metaverse are affecting the consumption of content.
To demonstrate just how difficult it is to achieve penetration in a consumer landscape overwhelmed with content, all four of the guests agreed that the market is already saturated to the point where it’s difficult to have any meaningful impact. A strong sentiment to end a fascinating event where voices from the front line of content creation were heard.
You can watch the full event here, and stay in touch for comprehensive insight into the current state of content production in We Are Amnet’s 2023 Benchmark Report.
