Trade organization commissions research and strategy firm to delve into the future of the commercial production and post industry
Matt Miller, president and CEO of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP), has announced the publication of a comprehensive report on the commercial production and postproduction industry. Titled “Craft & Commerce: Opportunities for Marketing in the Motion Image,” the report was created for AICP by The Nucleus Group, a leading strategy and research organization. It’s being shared not only with the AICP membership, but also with the wider industry, including marketers and advertising agencies. It can be accessed and downloaded here.
“As our industry faces rapid changes in almost every facet of our business, an important part of a trade association’s role is to respond to current concerns, to think about where things are going, and provide actionable guidance to its members on how to navigate a changing environment,” said Miller about the initiative.
Described by Nucleus as a Depth of Field Guide, the resulting report provides insight and knowledge to clarify decision-making. Holistic and human-centered, the study “takes an in-depth look at where commercial communications is heading,” explained Nucleus Group founder and CEO Elizabeth Talerman. “The focus of this work was to support industry evolution and illuminate the opportunities that abound when partnering with brands and agencies.” Critical industry insights included in the report are immediately actionable:
–As creativity connects directly to accountability, demand increases for those who tell connective stories that produce results.
–With a demand for more marketing content across more platforms than ever before, the choice of partners brands can turn to has greatly expanded.
–Brands are seeking commercial content producers to support them in traditional filmmaking, experiential, branded entertainment and social commerce.
–Brands expect their production partners to embrace all technology available, including data and AI.
This endeavor was initiated late last year by Lisa Mehling, president of Chelsea, and chairperson of the AICP National Board at the time. “AICP members were seeking guidance and advocacy from our leadership amidst an extremely turbulent time for the industry,” Mehling explained. AICP engaged The Nucleus Group to conduct an independent study to address fundamental questions regarding the industry’s current and future state. “Their research expertise and familiarity with global marketing, ad agency dynamics, and media technology uniquely positioned them to provide a clear assessment of where our industry stands today, what are our competitive advantages and where the likely opportunities lie,” she added.
Tabitha Mason-Elliott, partner at BARK BARK and current chairperson of the National Board, concurred. “My reaction to ‘Craft & Commerce’ was one of both affirmation and anticipation,” she stated. “Change is a constant and inevitable force in our industry, and it’s crucial that we arm our membership with the knowledge and tools needed to stay ahead. This report does exactly that by clearly outlining the shifts and identifying the gaps.”
The title of the report grew out of its conclusion that commerce and craft must coexist for advertising to be effective. The result of extensive research, in-depth interviews with leaders across all aspects of the industry and a confidential survey of AICP members, the report charts various evolutions within the industry and emphasizes potential pathways forward, or what Nucleus refers to as “Actionable Wisdom.” Its narrative storytelling approach includes detailed infographics and verbatim observations culled from both its interviews as well as from the survey of AICP members.
“The business is fundamentally changing in several key ways, which we elucidate in our study,” said Talerman. “It’s not business as usual by any stretch of the imagination, but we believe there are more opportunities now in this industry than ever before.”
In a time of rapid change, Talerman believes the report will instill curiosity and optimism in both industry veterans and newcomers–a hope that is echoed by AICP and its board. Added Mehling, “The Board’s decision to invest in the report underscores our confidence in our industry’s resilience, and its essential value to brands.”
TikTok and the U.S. Face Off In Court Over Law That Could Lead To A Ban Of The Popular Platform
TikTok faced off with the U.S. government in federal court on Monday, arguing a law that could ban the platform in a few short months was unconstitutional while the Justice Department said the measure is critical to eliminate a national security risk posed by the popular social media company.
Attorneys for the two sides - and content creators - appeared before a panel of three judges at a federal appeals court in Washington, where TikTok and its China-based parent company, ByteDance, are challenging the law that is forcing them to break ties by mid-January or lose one of their biggest markets in the world.
Andrew Pincus, a veteran attorney representing the two companies, argued in court that the law unfairly targets the company and runs afoul of the First Amendment because TikTok Inc. - the U.S. arm of TikTok - is an American entity. Another attorney representing creators who are also challenging the law also argued it violates the rights of U.S. speakers and is akin to prohibiting Americans from publishing on foreign-owned media outlets, such as Politico, Al Jazeera or Spotify.
"The law before this court is unprecedented and its effect would be staggering," Pincus said, adding the act would impose speech limitations based on future risks.
The law, signed by President Joe Biden in April, was the culmination of a years-long saga in Washington over the short-form video-sharing app, which the government sees as a national security threat due to its connections to China.
The U.S. has said it's concerned about TikTok collecting vast swaths of user data, including sensitive information on viewing habits, that could fall into the hands of the Chinese government through coercion. The U.S. also says the proprietary algorithm that fuels... Read More