Strategic Relationships

Still holding fast to the vision of what this new media can be. Closed networks -- be the delivery be through IP or cable or wireless or some other technology -- must carry content that keeps people watching. For the most part, I ain't seeing it and wanna know why?

Because the people making the investment and building the networks are not trained to create "entertainment." Mostly these are advertisers trying to push product, which they do very well. Or merchandisers who have Adobe Photoshop or a Flash program. Or its a hardware/software company who -- in order to get the deal -- agrees to program the network.

Very few people are looking to bonefide entertainment producers to program their networks and even if they were, it would be difficult to find any. Wanna know why?

Right. Not enough money flowing yet to attract them. But guess what? They's a comin'. And when they do, it will be the wild west all over again as another "solutions-oriented" team of professionals jumps in the fray -- next to the guy selling his "state-of-the-art" delivery system, the guy with the best mounts and brackets, the guy with the best screens, the marketing team who is hellbent on the programming loop being under fifteen minutes, the Owner of the place who just wants revenue generated, and the aggregator who is trying to sign up the network so's he can sell ads for it.

Rarely are all these people on the same page, and none of them has the lead and all of them think they do... It is the primary reason networks fail (read: lose money).

The answer?

Strategic Relationships.

I hear all the time this idea of agnosticism when it comes to systems. We have decided to align ourselves with an industry leader and become an add-on to their offerings. We provide "targeted entertainment". That is our core competancy. I do not want to choose a Peerless mount or a Planar screen; I don't want to go out and pitch media buyers in order to get national advertisers. I just want to create content that connects so that when all those decisions are made, people have something worth watching on the screens.

We are finding companies who are like-minded and stealth enough to move quickly into this new paradigm, who know the value of entertainment when it comes to "hits" and who also stick to their own core competency. Assembling people who are the best at what they do is a skill in itself. Cultivate it. And watch your business grow.