As part of the new Platform brand we describe ourselves as “The media and technology communications experts”. This is because our work sees us create and deliver communications programmes for a broad spread of media and technology brands.

In this blog, I take a look at some of the diverse sectors we are working in today.

Advertising – Internet advertising revenue is projected to surge at an 11% compound annual growth rate through 2020, by which time it is expected to reach more than US$260 billion, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. Advertising is at a tipping point. Automation, attribution, advanced targeting and measurement have combined to enable online to now drive the evolution of the marketplace. Brands’ desire for improved efficiency in ad delivery means it’s inevitable that adtech will accelerate in importance – although recent TV upfronts suggest today’s ad models aren’t so broken they need to be re-built from scratch. Platform clients are already enabling advertising to break down its silo walls so that TV, online, social, second screen and mobile become increasingly integrated and deliver the ad performance brands are looking for.

Business TV – The business TV market is expected to be worth over $20 billion globally by 2020, figures from media convergence specialist ADB show. Innovative vendors are already providing TV as part of a greater entertainment and information offering in areas such as hospitality, healthcare, aviation, education and sports (in venues). Trailblazing business TV companies are able to bring video and interactive media to virtually any location outside the residential setting. While video is increasingly replacing static displays and signage as a way of providing information, entertainment and advertising outside the home, for our clients business TV is also about breaking technological barriers to transform commercial spaces.

Content – In the next five years 80% of the world’s global internet consumption will be video content, industry figures show, and online short video clips alone already generate 10 billion hours of viewing a month, Deloitte reports. It is not surprising then that the creation, curation, management and monetization of content have become some of the greatest business and technology challenges for media companies in the digital age. The sheer volume of video, proliferation of screens, availability of mobile devices and growth in new types of producers makes it so. We work with leading-edge companies that create and curate content and provide the technology, service and support necessary to manage, share and commercialize this abundance of material.

Data – Every day humanity generates 2.5 quintillion bytes of data and 90% of the world’s data has been created in just the last two years, IBM reports, while Gartner estimates half of companies invested in ‘Big Data’ in the past year. Data and analytics are firmly rooted as marketing, customer relationship management and business intelligence tools, so media, adtech and TV technology companies are now making good use of their own data capabilities. We help our clients frame their unique data expertise in subscriber relationship management, insight automation, customer outreach and other areas. The aim for clients is to show their own customers that data empowers businesses to better understand, target and engage audiences.

 Internet of Things – There will be 20 billion IoT devices installed by 2020 and $6 trillion will be invested in IoT solutions over the next five years, the research arm of Business Insider projects. Clearly the world will continue to see a proliferation of connected devices, as everything from car head units to TVs to washing machines to thermostats are becoming ‘smart’. A combination of electronics, software and sensors is turning both homes and workplaces into connected spaces – as well as hospitals, educational institutions and hotels. Our clients provide innovative enabling technology for the devices that make the IoT a reality. The upshot is the smart car and smart home are here to stay.

 Networks – Mobile operator group GSMA estimates that mobile data traffic is surging at a compound annual growth rate of 42% per user, with the ‘mobile ecosystem’ accounting for 4.2% of global GDP – over $3 trillion. Advancements in media and technology go hand in hand with the development of the physical networks that support this level of growth. We work with companies providing state-of-the-art infrastructure and network solutions that support broadcast capability, broadband provision, mobile content delivery and other related services. The continuing deployment of 4G along with the coming rollout of 5G ensure that high-speed wireless networks will power growth of innovative media and technology companies in the mobile space for years to come.

 Online video – Video on Demand is exploding worldwide, with research from Paywizard showing that by Christmas 2016 subscriptions to VoD services across the globe nearly doubled to 45% of consumers in just 12 months, with another surge projected in 2017. VoD has simply revolutionized the way people consume TV content, as fast internet access and mobile wireless capability have driven fundamental changes in viewing habits. Our clients are key players in the online television revolution, providing critical enabling technologies to digital content publishers and distributors – companies that are both challenging and complementing the traditional broadcast model. These new technologies are fundamental to the emerging video landscape.

Security – Video piracy is costing the film industry $6 billion a year, the US government has claimed. The exact amount may be a matter of ongoing debate, but there is no doubt that the digital age has presented video content owners and distributors with complex challenges in terms of piracy, fraud and secure delivery. Protecting proprietary content in a multi-device environment, across international borders – and with varying regulations governing intellectual property rights – is no mean feat. For many companies this has become a critical goal and our clients have proven solutions that help content providers achieve success in their fight against the content pirates and other scam artists.

 TV Everywhere – Since 2012, the average consumer globally has increased their viewing on mobile devices by four hours a week, while their weekly fixed screen viewing has declined by 2.5 hours, research from Ericsson ConsumerLab TV & Media Report 2016 reveals. The trend to multiple devices, screens and media channels has made anytime/anywhere access to personalized TV content a growing reality. TV doesn’t just sit in the living room anymore and providers’ capacity to make it a personal experience beyond the home is redefining the market. Our clients are at the forefront of technological advances making TV Everywhere increasingly seamless. They are seen as TV thought leaders – analyzing the marketplace, mapping the changing viewer experience and instigating next-generation breakthroughs.

Virtual Reality/ Augmented Reality – Deloitte Global estimates that virtual reality (VR) will have its first billion-dollar year in 2016, with about $700 million in hardware sales, and the remainder from content. The simulated world of VR and the partly-cyber world of augmented reality (AR), which overlays real events such as sports broadcasts with computer-generated elements such as 3D-enhanced replays, are still a relatively new frontier in the media space. Our clients develop breakthrough VR and AR technologies to allow content providers to offer new, immersive experiences to their target customers.

By working in these sectors we are constantly refreshing our expertise and bringing together years of experience in the media and technology space. If you operate in one of the above, or a related sector, and could benefit from the support of a global communications consultancy that really knows how to deliver for its clients, then give me a call today on +44 (0)20 74864900. I’d love to chat. Gay Bell.