Briana McElroy

Embracing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Digital Content Industry In today's interconnected world, the digital content industry plays a pivotal role in shaping our perceptions, beliefs, and values. As creators, distributors, and consumers of digital content, we have a responsibility to ensure that our media landscape reflects the rich tapestry of human experiences and identities. Why Diversity Matters Diversity in digital content encompasses a wide range of dimensions. Embracing diversity allows for the authentic representation of different communities and perspectives, fostering empathy, understanding, and cultural appreciation among audiences. Equity and Accessibility Equity in digital content refers to ensuring fair and equal access to opportunities, resources, and platforms for all creators and audiences. This includes addressing systemic barriers that prevent marginalized communities from participating fully in the industry, such as lack of access to education, funding, technology, and representation. Inclusion and Representation Inclusion involves creating environments where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives and talents. In the context of digital content, inclusion means actively seeking out and amplifying diverse voices, stories, and experiences across all genres and platforms. This includes behind-the-scenes roles such as writers, directors, producers, and executives, as well as on-screen representation in front of the camera. Representation is a key component of inclusion, as seeing oneself reflected in media can have a profound impact on self-esteem, identity formation, and social belonging. It is essential for the digital content industry to strive for authentic and nuanced portrayals of diverse characters and communities, moving beyond stereotypes and tokenism to create multifaceted and relatable representations that resonate with audiences. Challenges and Opportunities While progress has been made in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the digital content industry, significant challenges remain. These include entrenched biases, systemic inequalities, and resistance to change within organizations. However, these challenges also present opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and leadership. By embracing DEI as core values and integrating them into every aspect of their operations, companies can drive positive social impact while also achieving business success. Conclusion In conclusion, embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion is essential for the digital content industry to fulfill its potential as a force for positive change and social progress. Together, we can build a future where everyone's stories are heard, valued, and celebrated in the digital realm. #digitalcontentagency #contentcreation #filmproduction

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🏔 Paramount Global is officially merging with the production company Skydance. On its first investor call following news of the merger, the company unveiled a new logo as part of a presentation to investors. It reads more like the launch of a private equity firm than an entertainment company. The new logo uses Paramount’s legacy mountain motif and circle of stars, but replaces the media company’s script wordmark with a new serif version that gently arcs with a curved line underneath. It’s set in what appears to be the same font and arrangement as the Skydance logo. The traditional all-caps serif and thin strokes, when paired with its royal blue background, creates a wordmark resembling those in corporate consulting and investing, like McKinsey or Citadel, rather than other entertainment companies and streaming services, which largely use script or sans serif type. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gZVyBzRk

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The recent town halls with Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on Univision generated 100 million impressions on digital platforms within a few days, as our CEO Daniel Alegre highlighted in the earnings call this week. This is an astounding number in an extremely cluttered political ecosystem and reflects the tremendous interest the Hispanic population has in the upcoming presidential elections—a community playing a decisive role in choosing the next US president. ➡️ 73% of viewers said that they became more likely to vote after watching the Harris town hall, while 64% said the same after watching Trump's town hall, according to TelevisaUnivision's polling results. 🎯 Some insights from the digital content strategy: 🎯 1️⃣ Multiplatform streams: The audience wants to connect and share. Allowing them to experience our content simultaneously and have their own discussions live on their preferred platforms and devices elevates premium content into a tentpole event. We have seen this already with our entertainment award shows, and it has proven to be as effective for political properties. 2️⃣ Connected TV (CTV): People love their TVs and the experience of watching content on big screens in their living rooms. Those who say TV is dying are wrong; the way people watch TV is evolving. Our successful streaming platform ViX is a fantastic example of that. We recently released the 24/7 Noticias Univision channel on ViX to YouTube. The performance has been great, and consumption is growing exponentially. What better way to serve and inform our audience in a high-stakes moment like the one we live in today, grow our digital footprint, and open a window to our premium content than by bringing the best of our news content to the platform that accounts for the largest TV viewership in the US? 3️⃣ Bilingual content: As our audience grows more diverse and our content more global, we have seen an opportunity to expand our reach by making it easier to enjoy our content offering for those whose first language is not Spanish. The latest AI technologies are making it possible to implement multilanguage experiences in our digital productions at scale, relatively fast, and without incurring significant costs. This is still a work in progress, and the tech is not perfect yet, but both town halls have Spanish and English versions, not only for the broadcast but also for the clips and the metadata. Kudos to all who made those town halls possible and to my team for their dedication and laser-focus mentality. You are the best! Jose Gonzalo Esther Poveda Carolina Astuya Alfredo Ochoa

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We're excited to share that our panel, "How to Pivot From the Audience You Have to the One You Want," is up for consideration at SXSW 2024! Would love to have your support for this panel from you and your friends, family, co-workers, etc….My publicists are making me do this and I can’t have them mad at me….. Steps:  1. Sign Up here: https://lnkd.in/g4sYT7hU - Create an account on the SXSW Panel Picker website. No payment is required. - Put in email & password. 2. Voting Process: - Go to the SXSW Panel Picker website - Look in the menu bar and go to “Search Proposals" - Search for the panel titled: "How to Pivot From the Audience You Have to the One You Want" - Cast your vote by clicking the "Vote" button. Deadline: August 18, 2024. Thank you for your support! https://lnkd.in/g4sYT7hU #SXSW2024 #AudienceGrowth #Vote #Keepingmypublicistshappy

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As TV news audiences shrink, TV programmers are cutting newsroom staff to stay afloat. This could be the perfect opportunity for Netflix to renege on its last banned genre: news. https://lnkd.in/g84FMjBM

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Broadcast codecs in dog years: *MP2: 217, MP4: 161, HEVC: 77, VVC: 28

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Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios’ latest move into live news coverage, including streaming the night of the upcoming presidential #election, is another significant blow to traditional broadcasters, who are already struggling to retain viewers. Many have shifted to on-demand and streaming platforms, leaving broadcasters fighting to stay relevant. Streaming services, which once focused solely on on-demand #entertainment, are increasingly expanding into live programming, such as sports and now breaking news. Prime Video's election coverage could mark the first significant foray into live news programming by a major standalone streaming platform, primarily known for films, scripted originals, and reality shows. By integrating live news, #PrimeVideo is positioning itself to compete directly with broadcasters in a domain historically dominated by cable networks during pivotal events like elections. This shift underscores the broader trend of streaming platforms evolving into full-service #media ecosystems. With live content becoming a key differentiator, it is becoming harder to see how traditional broadcasters will maintain their foothold in this space. As more viewers demand dynamic, flexible viewing experiences, live programming offers streaming platforms an edge, helping drive subscriber engagement and retention. It's likely that other major digital platforms will follow suit in the near future, further accelerating the shift away from traditional broadcasting models. In essence, this move is both a strategic evolution and a glimpse into a future where streaming platforms dominate not only on-demand entertainment but also real-time events, marking a potential endgame for traditional broadcasters and cable. https://lnkd.in/gD9y9pVE #LITrendingTopics #StreamingWars

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Comcast's recent announcement of the StreamSaver #bundle with Peacock, Netflix and Apple TV + , marks a significant step forward toward "Cable 2.0" in the streaming industry - where streaming wars are moving from platform vs. platform, to bundle vs. bundle. The new offering, set to launch next week, packages Peacock's ad-supported premium tier with Netflix's basic ad tier and Apple TV+ for $15 a month, yielding savings of around 35% compared to subscribing to these services separately. Bundling provides consumers with a comprehensive entertainment package at a more manageable price, addressing the financial constraints many face when choosing between multiple streaming services. This approach mirrors the traditional cable bundles, making it easier for consumers to access a wide range of content. Media companies are under pressure from investors to scale their streaming services and achieve profitability, while also facing stiff competition from tech giants like Amazon and YouTube. These proposed ‘mini bundles’ not only offer a more reliable revenue stream for companies but also helps mitigate the issue of subscriber churn, which has been a persistent challenge in the industry. The entertainment industry is in a transition, with rising content costs and market saturation driving prices higher. Bundling services not only provides a more reliable revenue stream for companies but also helps stabilize the market by offering consumers more value. Unfortunately, this also means the end of the ad-free, a la carte offerings that many consumers have come to enjoy, as the focus shifts towards comprehensive bundles that limit flexibility but enhance overall value. #LITrendingTopics #StreamingWars #Bundling #SubscriberChurn https://lnkd.in/esZpwnEJ 

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If you’re in the music industry you need to know about streaming 2.0 and what UMG is pushing for. Will these features be negotiated across the board or will only majors have access?

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From WrapPro -- the headline-- Latino Audiences Are the Secret to ‘Godzilla x Kong,’ ‘Bad Boys 4’ and ‘Inside Out 2’ Box Office Boom. Below is a link to the article which requires a password but Ive included the most important talking points. It falls into the "No, sh*t, Sherlock" category but never a bad idea to remind ourselves... Latino and Hispanic moviegoers are helping propel big-budget movies to box office success — a welcome shot in the arm as the 2024 box office struggles to come back to life following a pandemic and two crippling labor strikes. Recent tentpole releases like “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” and “Inside Out 2” (fresh off a record-breaking opening weekend) have all seen significant numbers of Latino and Hispanic moviegoers. They are disproportionally higher ticket buyers than other demographic groups because they tend to go to movies in larger groups of family and friends, according to research from management consultant McKinsey. Case in point: “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” the latest and now most successful entry in the MonsterVerse franchise at $571 million worldwide, counted on Latinos and Hispanics for 35% of its audience, just behind Caucasians at 36%, with Asian/other at 18% and Black viewers at 17%. The film played well across the board, with men making up 62% of ticket buyers, but the Hispanic and Latino audience was a defining factor in some areas, according to data from Warner Bros. “Going out to the movie theater with a group of your friends and family in that communal environment of the movie theater is something that has traditionally been a big part of the entertainment diet of the Latino audience, and that’s fantastic for theaters,” Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore senior media analyst, told TheWrap. “Selling one ticket at a time or two is one thing, but being able to have an entire family or group of friends and family go to a movie theater, that’s gold at the box office.” It’s not just action movies capitalizing on Latino turnout. Family films play huge with the demo as well. Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” drew a 36% Latino and Hispanic audience on Father’s Day weekend, a higher share than any Pixar film outside “Coco.” The sequel’s ability to resonate with the demo is translating into boffo ticket sales and great walk up business. The Pixar sequel scored a whopping $155 million during opening weekend, the second-highest North American opening for an animated film ever. It’s so big, it’s already put the box office ahead of schedule on its road to recovery. “For the Latino audience, it’s the tradition that holds for many families of all backgrounds, but certainly we’re seeing in the demographic data and in the numbers that the Latino audience is very, very important to the bottom line for movie theaters and for Hollywood,” Dergarabedian added.

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Good report from Variety on #generativeAI in the film and TV industries. One intriguing tidbit was how big an effect people think AI will most likely have in certain areas of the industry: the top three are search and discovery, video analytics, and localization. Content creation was further down the list. It's also got a good outline of the state-of-the-state, as well as an overview of attitudes toward the tech from a number of different parties.

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Start preparing your submissions!

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Over my 20 years at record companies i have been asked for countless ticket request here are my top 15 complaints 1.  I love when you say Oh, I will pay for them. I hate to break it to you You’re Goddamn Right You’re Paying for them. 2.  NO I cannot get you a deal on tickets. What kind of deal are you looking for???? Tickets cost what they cost. There is no discount 3.  Don’t ask me what the tickets cost. LOOK IT UP. It is your job to know what you are asking for. If you ask me to get you tickets, you can safely assume I am going to pull the top tier P1 tickets. That means whatever the highest price is and add another $150 to and that is what it costs. 4.  If you ask me for tickets and I go through all the trouble to get them for you and now you find out that the tickets are $300.00 per ticket and then say,  "Oh never mind I did not realize they would be so expensive". Pull that move and you will move to the head of the line on THE LIST 5.  YES, you asking me to get you tickets is a massive pain in the ass. 6.  Oh you want 9 tickets all in the front row .... Yea if you think you’re a dick for asking for 9 tickets go with the feeling. 7.  Don’t call me every day because your credit card has not been charged yet. If you don’t like the way I am doing, you a favor please go to Ticketmaster they will charge your card right away. 8.  Call me at the last second to change the name on the tickets or the dates will get you added to THE LIST. 9.  NO I am NOT going to call the promoter to get you a "Deal" on your tickets. Please see line 2. What kind of deal do you think you can get…Dumbass. 10. If you give me a credit card that is maxed out, cancelled or your card is declined you have now just made THE LIST. That’s it, you have blown it...No I don’t want to hear the excuse. You have made me look stupid and now I have to do double the work to fix it. 11. NO, there are no backstage passes with these tickets and NO there is no VIP parking for you either. 12. If you are buying tickets for your best friend’s next-door neighbor’s cleaning woman's cousin’s daughter who is just the biggest Justin Bieber fan, Please DONT CALL ME. I will get tickets for YOU because you are a friend once you get 2-3 people removed, I want no part of it. 13. Parking is YOUR problem. I have done everything for you. Figuring out where to park will be your problem. Put a crowbar in your wallet and pry out a $20 and park. 14. Remember the phrase THANK YOU.     When it is all done and you have your tickets and you have enjoyed the show, a simple Thank You goes a Looooooong way. Everyone will bust my balls for tickets with countless emails and phones calls, but do they ever say Thank You!  NO, THEY DONT If you pull that move more than once and guess what you make THE LIST. 15. If you have not emailed, texted or spoken to me on the phone in the last 6 months DO NOT call and ask me for tickets. If you can’t even maintain a basic friendship do not come around asking for favors.

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Please join us this Friday, April 26th, at 10 am PDT for a special episode of Virtual Producer! We'll be chatting with Bryan Pratte about Hallway, creator of Avatars supercharged with artificial intelligence. Please reserve your spot on the event page now and join us live! You can answer questions, network and comment, and we'll reply live during the show. If you're at all interested in the possibilities of AI, this is the episode for you. And here's the event link for more details: https://lnkd.in/gyHT8nEn #virtualproduction #linkedinlive #generativeai #artificialintelligence

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Did you know that TV viewers were 6% more likely to engage with ads during #SNL’s just-wrapped season 49 as compared to the broadcast primetime TV average? That's a big deal for a late night show on Saturday nights. To boot, ads aired during SNL were over 2x more effective than other late-night broadcast programming since season 49 made its mid-season, post-strikes debut. Now, NBCUniversal has announced advertisers including Allstate, L'Oréal, T-Mobile, and Volkswagen of America, Inc as season-long sponsors for the program’s golden 50th. SNL fans can expect a significant advertising push from the quartet this fall, culminating in a live, three-hour primetime special in February. SNL is a clear testament to the impact of live, tentpole programming in captivating consumer engagement and delivering business outcomes for advertisers. More from our friend Wayne Friedman in MediaPost. https://lnkd.in/ead2-dPt Oh, and happy 50th SNL! 🎉

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