Technology redefining viewing habits

New forms of technology such as video games, broadband Internet access, high definition television and personal recorders are re-defining the viewing habits of people. These were the broad theme of the presentation on ‘New Media & Entertainment’. While broadcast TV and network schedules are losing prominence, consumers are opting for online content, on demand VCD’s and DVD’s, music and video on the wireless in addition to news bytes were the broad conclusions. The new age consumer will therefore be one who accepts or rejects advertising, depending on his interest and he is being equipped by instruments such as the Tivo to make a choice on the kind of content he views.

Mitch Lazar, vice-president (wireless & emerging technology, Turner Broadcasting System, International), said, “News dissemination has to be completely re-thought and re-worked. Individually targeted news will be the way out for tomorrow and organizations, which are still complacent and unyielding will be swallowed up. With On–Demand TV, the consumer will decide what to watch and when to watch. For instance, there would be a separate remote control for kids called Kids-Omote which would only cruise through junior channels. The fact remains–and it must be accepted by advertisers and content providers alike–that monolithic blocks of eye balls are gone.”

“Around 3 million US homes have Tivo today, and it puts the consumer in the drivers seat. He can reject advertising that he doesn’t deem fit. Soon, you would have similar technology for other platforms. Advertisers and content providers would need to profile and target their audience carefully, because in the future most of what’s not required would just be put in the bin,” said Lazar.

Quentin Staes Polet, Digital Media leader, Asia Pacific-IBM Global, said, “Just as the web has made every existing company a publisher, the use of digital content and distribution over broadband networks will make every organisation a broadcaster.

This age is about convergence of technologies. Current efforts are towards converging fixed and mobile services, home connectivity services and media home gateways. The next major shift is towards ‘network marketing’ rather than push marketing, since it is all about a mish-mash of technologies, each aiding the other.”

Meanwhile, Anupam Mittal, chairman & CEO, People Group, said broadband has gone up from 30 million in 2002, to 200 million in 2004. Further, 11 percent of the time spent on Internet movies has gone up to 21 per cent. In addition, 33 percent of time spent on television has dropped to 24 percent.

“With all these developments, the consumer’s desire to control media would increase. Direct marketing, may assume more importance in addition to tailor-made forms of communication such as 2 minute movies on the mobile phone. Advertisers will have to think Internet and digital like never before, and tailor their target audience a lot more effectively,” said Mittal.

Meanwhile, Navendra Bhandari, Asia-Pacific regional manager, Solutions Enabling Group, Intel puts across the point that content for the future will have to be premium, without which it would be rejected in a jiffy.