Can you explain Mediacorp ’ s content strategy as you balance the needs of both your traditonal linear platform and Toggle , your over-the-top ( OTT ) interactive service ? CheeK : Today , audiences are consuming news to entertainment content on various platforms , anytime , anywhere . Increasingly , the dichotomy between what is ‘ digital ’ or ‘ traditional ’ content is blurring . Consumers are not merely snacking on short-form content on their mobile devices while waiting in line for coffee , but they are also consuming long-form content and even bingeing on drama series . Such content that used to be consumed on ‘ traditional ’ platforms like TV , now works equally well online and even on mobile devices . With more consumers accessing content online , some of our content such as Toggle Originals are produced to premiere on Toggle first , followed by telecast on TV channels .

Mediacorp is focused on providing the best content for our audience on multiple platforms by understanding their needs . Data and insights from our customer insights and analytics team , as well as from digital platforms such as Toggle and feedback obtained from social listening , give us valuable information on our audiences ’ preferences and consumption patterns . These insights have helped us to fine-tune our creative concepts and aid in our decision-making to greenlight a project , allowing us to create

CheeK , Mediacorp ’ s chief content officer , who is presenting at the OTT-How to Win This Battle conference track today , explains why content remains king , even as new technologies continue to emerge .

content that is current , engaging , relatable and innovative ; as well as how and where to ‘ serve ’ it to our audiences best .

How do you see the future of content and how technologies help to contribute to the content creative space ? CheeK : Today , the democratisation of content creation is gathering speed like never before . With the increased ease and capability to quickly and effectively distribute content at our fingertips , creators can reach their targeted audience faster and more accurately . The demand for fresh and engaging content also increases as consumers clamour

for quick and accessible content . The competition among content creators to be the first to serve consumers and create content that ‘ pops ’ intensifies — Stand out or lose out .

Technology certainly helps to ease the mode of distribution and content creation to better serve our audiences . It will free content creators from a lot of mundane matters and allow them to focus on being creative and take on multiple projects . Capable showrunners will be able to take on multiple projects and excel at them . It will also put the capabilities and tools into the hands of anyone who wants to tell his / her story and translate it into video content .

I foresee artificial intelligence ( AI ) or machine learning to play a significant role to help and aid in the creative content space . As it is , this technology is already available in the non-scripted / journalism space . The Washington Post has been using Heliograf to create reports ; Associated Press and Yahoo use tech to create reports ; Forbes and ESPN are using Wibbitz to create video content from text .

In the feature film space , IBM ’ s Watson created a full theatrical trailer for the film Morgan . It is not much of a stretch to see how AI will get into the narrative / storytelling space and start creating first cuts of trailers , dramatic episodes and then full-length scripted content .

Mediacorp is also looking into the future by exploring the plausibility of vir-

tual reality ( VR ) content . For a terrestrial broadcaster , how can you make VR work for you and what role can you see VR playing in the long-term content strategy of Mediacorp ? CheeK : VR and VR content is an exciting emerging technology / medium that is still , at the moment , best enjoyed through headsets with a good pair of head / earphones . There is still a way to go for VR to be in the broadcasting environment in the traditional sense . In the end , this might not need to take place at all . The TV monitor , as we know it , might evolve into a headset or a wearable display unit in the future , allowing users to enjoy VR content in their own time and space .

Mediacorp , as a multi-platform media company , is well positioned to take advantage of this technology . We also have a rich group of creative talents to tap , because technology aside , there is still a need for creative people who can use this medium to tell a story .

Our creative teams have been experimenting with VR / 360 cameras in some key programmes such as OK Chope and Star Awards since last year . We have found a degree of comfort with this new technology / medium and will create a number of programmes for our Toggle platform this year . With an average of 1,500 hours of entertainment content produced in a year in four languages for multiple platforms , VR content will certainly be a part of this repertoire .