Super Bowl XLVI

The first Super Bowl I can remember is Super Bowl VII -1973; Washington Redskins v. Miami Dolphins. I was 9. This game meant a lot to me for several reasons, not the least of which was the fact we lived on a military base just outside of Washington D.C. The Redskins were my team. I even made a clever sign that we hung off our front porch that said “Go Redskins. Skin the Dolphins.” My team lost that year and I was crushed.

A lot has changed since Super Bowl VII (green shag carpet, only three TV channels), but a lot hasn’t changed. The Super Bowl is still an enormously social event. I’ve already had employees request next Monday off as a vacation day. “Social” today, however, has taken on a whole new meaning. Harris Interactive recently found that 47% of smart phone users plan to use their phones during the game (Mobile Use To Soar During Super Bowl). I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that these people won’t be checking in with Grandma on Sunday. They are socializing with their friends and possibly using some new social app to do so. The question is: will these new social or second screen apps launch a true paradigm shift in television consumption and advertising or are they merely this year’s party game?

Let the debates begin!

Debate 1: Can any new social or second screen TV app unseat Facebook or Twitter in the race for our eyeballs whilst we watch TV? I say “nope”, especially if an app is simply a means to sell more advertising or in the end is really just distracting us from the big game.

Debate 2:  Assuming we do take the bait and try a new second screen app, what impact will that have on the advertisers who are spending millions on :30 spots? I say “who knows”. This is not to say that Nielsen doesn’t already have some formula in hand to calculate the speculated impact of some number times some other number that may tell us that people dinking around with their smart devices may not be paying attention to the big game but that doesn’t necessarily mean advertisers shouldn’t pay more for next year’s :30 second spot. Okay, “what?”. Reason tells us that viewers who are not watching TV are not watching TV and that consumers who are interacting with advertisers will likely buy more stuff. So, if advertisers sell more Doritos or trucks on Monday and can base that increase on real internet metrics they should feel pretty good.  Advertisers will drive innovation in this case and only those second screen apps that are truely unique and or hook into Facebook or Twitter will live to see next year.

Debate 3: Should we just take TV over-the-top of the Internet? Ah, “yes, Jack” – you may be saying – NBC is airing the game OTT. But given the network affiliate model here in the U.S., this is only the beginning of a protracted debate over who should reach all devices. In the end, the consumer is going to win. Sunday, at least in the OTT space, the local advertiser AND the local NBC affiliate are going to lose. My guess is that that won’t happen twice. 2012 is sure to be the year many of the lingering rights issues, from the Super Bowl to syndicated programming like “Ellen” gets sorted out. It’ll be the year when innovation drives negotiation and that the line between content creation and consumption becomes a little straighter.

Debate 4: Who’s going to win on Sunday?  Lots of people:  consumers, Facebook and Twitter, the advertiser who demands all screens (though maybe not until next year) and, of course, the NFL. That, I’m sure will never change.

Photo by: Carl Van Rooy Photography

NATPE 2012

I was reminded of two things yesterday:  1. take your shoes off before walking on the beach and 2. Hollywood is smart.  I’m in Miami Beach at NATPE (National Association of Television Programming Executives), the annual convention where content deals get made.  I’m past the sand in my shoes business, but I’m still stuck on the really simple idea that the more content is seen, heard and read the more money a rights-holder makes. Eyeballs equal money. Hollywood gets that.

When I contrast NATPE 2012 with my first NATPE in 1997 the evolutionary change is remarkable. Hollywood has awakened to the fact that content is created to be consumed over and over again, not put a shelf for admiration.  And, based on the presence of technology at NATPE, Hollywood has also figured out how to make money on their content. In a word, it’s the internet.

Here’s the new rub: SOPA/PIPA. Rights-holders need protection. Law abiding websites need protection. Legislation that protects all law abiding parties in this internet entertainment ecosystem is likely needed. I think Congress will figure it out, just the way Hollywood has figured it out.

The collision course between Hollywood and technology has been coming for awhile. I remember testifying before Congress with Jack Valenti, then head of the Motion Picture Association of America. It was clear to us then that Hollywood was preparing for change.

Of course, as you can guess, I’m all for content getting consumed over and over on the internet. We all make money. I also strongly believe in using technology to protect things that are mine or rights that I have been granted. Hollywood and Syncbak are going to work on this together, right now, in fact, at NATPE, as soon as I put my shoes back on.

Photo by: jodimarr

CES Day Four

The end is near. I can feel it. Our feet hurt. Day four at CES 2012. It’s approaching 7AM…again, and the place is empty. Today is a short day. The show ends at 4PM. By about 4:01 we’ll have the boxes out. Let the shipping begin. Time to roll up the sidewalks. Chaos reigns supreme as smiles give way to hurried panic as we all set out for home. Before that we’ll likely sit down as a team and ask the question, “Did we accomplish what we set out to accomplish?” For us, the answer is yes. We got ink. We generated buzz. In fact, the coverage we received far exceeded my expectations.

Tonight the countdown to CES 2013 begins. The future of TV beckons…

CES Day Three

My assessment of trade shows invariably follows the same path. On set-up day I say “this is going to be great.” On day one I say “isn’t this great.” On day two, I say “wasn’t yesterday great.” On day three I say “trade shows are hard.”

Your days start early and then, when all is said and done and the last person has left your booth, you get to go eat. Because many trade shows are in Vegas, you have to spend a little time paying your respects to the gambling gods. If you’re lucky, you get to your room with more than a ChapStick in your pocket. This year we are in “Eureka Park” which is part of my friend, CEA CEO Gary Shapiro’s, push to nurture innovation in America. It is all startups, most you’ve never heard of and likely never will. Still, the CEA’s focus on innovation is a good thing.

I am today, as most days, in the booth by 7AM. Other than the occasional security guard walking by, it is eerily quiet. I like that. It gives me time to think. I also tend to walk around and look for booth ideas. There are very few good booths, especially with smaller companies. I notice a lot of them don’t spend enough time thinking about messaging because I have no idea what they do. I have one simple rule of thumb. Virtually every person at a trade show will ask you the same question, “What do you do?” So, to really nail it at a trade show you need to cheat. Answer that question before they ask it. No matter how small or large your booth, make damn certain the messaging answers that question before it is asked. That way your conversations get off to a fast start.

Yesterday we had visits from a lot of potential strategic partners, which, along with generating press coverage, is why we are here. Interestingly, we had visitors from both CableLabs and Comcast so our messaging must be spot on. We are an Internet Television Company.