As they enter the growth stage of their industry, IPTV operators are moving past their underlying network capabilities and are focusing on real and value-added benefits for their customers. Telco-IPTV operators’ future success will be determined by a wide range of internal and external factors while they manage the expansion stage of their offerings and find their investment needs shifting as they target both existing and prospective customers.
“In the current economic climate, allocation of capital and resources is becoming a difficult proposition for all IPTV operators as they consider more fiber and back-office investments,” says ABI Research principal analyst Robert Clark. Because of local pay-TV cultures, regulation and infrastructure differences, and the trend towards Multi-Play, web-based and interactive services integration, success for IPTV operators will be determined by their upcoming investment decisions.
“Broadband, mobile, online gaming and storage, and home networking, in addition to the professional and technical services support that can be required to deliver Multi-Play offers seamlessly, are becoming intricately tied to IPTV operators’ success,” adds Clark.
IPTV combined with Multi-Play is reaching a stage where content and service options still matter most, but as network offerings and device options proliferate consumers are also weighing the cost, value and ease of implementation in the home. Operators are only now beginning to offer IT support services to resolve in-home and self-service installation issues raised by subscribers.
ABI Research’s recent study, “Global IPTV Markets” (www.abiresearch.com/products/market_research/Global_IPTV_Markets) discusses IPTV’s current and future development in detail, covering key IPTV operators and vendors on a global basis. It looks beyond early stage network and head-end build outs and focuses on operators’ infrastructure investment decision-making. It includes forecasts for IPTV subscribers and revenues and IPTV set-top box installed base and shipments, and profiles the primary IPTV operators by world regions.
This report forms part of the Multi-Channel Video Research Service (www.abiresearch.com/products/service/Multi-Channel_Video_Service), which also includes other Research Reports, Research Briefs, Market Data, Online Databases, ABI Insights, ABI Vendor Matrices, and analyst inquiry support.
ABI Research is a leading market research firm focused on the impact of emerging technologies on global consumer and business markets. Utilizing a unique blend of market intelligence, primary research, and expert assessment from its worldwide team of industry analysts, ABI Research assists hundreds of clients each year with their strategic growth initiatives. For information, visit www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.
Contact:ABI Research Nicole Fabris 516-624-2542 pr@abiresearch.com
Sonic Branding For Social Media: Engage, Align, Connect
By Chad Cook -- With more than five billion people accessing social media daily, savvy brands understand the importance of cultivating a strong social identity. They devote massive resources toward brand awareness, audience targeting, content strategy and community engagement. Yet, while they know that social platforms are critical to boosting sales and attracting new customers, many neglect one of the most effective tools for connecting with consumers: sonic branding. Marketers often associate sonic branding with catchy mnemonics used by big brands like McDonald’s, Netflix and Intel in their advertising. But that is a very limited view of what sonic branding is and what it can do. Sonic branding is a way to build awareness and stimulate engagement across all touch points, from advertising to broadcast digital, in-person and social. And it’s not limited to members of the Fortune 500. Brands at all levels can benefit from a sonic identity that is memorable, engaging and reflective of its core values. Sound has been scientifically proven to be deeply tied to memory and emotion. There’s a reason that certain songs stick in your head and bring back memories formed years or even decades earlier. So, it’s surprising that sonic branding is often an afterthought in marketing plans. That is especially true in social media marketing. Faced with tight deadlines and strained budgets, creative teams are often tempted to select music for their content simply because it “fits.” Unfortunately, that may result in content that is in tune with what’s trending but is out of tune with brand identity. Effective sonic branding, by contrast, requires thoughtful strategic planning,... Read More