1) The expansion of what I call the Open Media Environment. Its been a long road getting to something that is really emblematic, but in 2016 I think we can say its a real thing.
The first step towards the Open Media Environment was the advent of video-over-internet. Now we’re streaming 4K. This has enabled website-as-media-server, and the brand as a content network— content-based enterprise strategies that are far richer, high-fidelity expressions.
But what really energizes me is seeing our work woven into the very fabric of our client’s products and services. The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas was probably DK’s most visible expression of that, where the content and the hotel were absolutely inseparable. Nevertheless, it was our main titles that foreshadowed a content/product dynamic that lead to the Cosmopolitan. Six Feet Under, Dexter and True Blood main titles radically expanded the meaning of those franchises before the viewer saw frame 1, episode 1. That same dynamic transformed the business outcome for a casino hotel.
2) As a result of what I call the Open Media Environment, we are engaging clients with more diverse corporate roles and responsibilities. “Chief Experience Officer” or “Director of Product Affinity” and even CEOs– better describes our greatest allies. The best news is that our assignments are substantially more ambitious and transformational for our clients’ enterprises.
But that change cuts both ways. Our call to arms has become less clear because we are challenged to find our best fit in a much more complex corporate environment. We started as an extension of the traditional ad agency creative and production departments. Now it’s not that simple. The agency world has become more opaque and complex. And while our client roster includes direct-to-client engagements, finding the right partner has become increasingly challenging.
