❝ With enhanced personalisation capabilities and deep recommendation services , the viewer should have the ability to create their own watch lists , favourites , bookmarks , and set their preferences to curate content custom to them .❞
❝ OTT operators nowadays have rich data about viewers preference , engagement and satisfaction , and the best use of that data is to tailor services to the segments of viewers .❞
July 2018
X-PLATFORM 25
and customisation : audiences with more control
and voice recognition .
Personalisation and customisation are key approaches in empowering media companies to navigate through today ’ s evolved media landscape . For instance , one strategy to differentiate an OTT service is to target content and messages that are different for each viewer , suggests Chris Wagner , executive vice-president of NeuLion .
He explains : “ To do so , the digital platform must be equipped with advanced personalisation services to give viewers the opportunity to fully customise their own experiences , which are catered to their own interests . This not only gives them full control of what they want to watch , when and how they want to watch it , but also drives them to consume more content for longer periods of time , giving the content owner more monetisation opportunities .”
In order to provide such experiences , big data is required to allow operators to better understand their audiences . Suggesting data as the “ secret sauce ” in enabling OTT service providers to attract and retain viewers , Wagner says that data will allow operators to evaluate their services and make informed decisions on content and marketing communications .
“ The data consists of customer profiles , subscription data , transaction data , methods of payments , external data from Facebook , Amazon and other sources , as well as quality of service and quality of experience metrics ,” he adds . “ These big data metrics , when pulled together , are critical for media companies to drive programming effectiveness , marketing tactics , audience initiatives and more , resulting in increased customer loyalty , lifetime value and higher conversation rates .”
Benedicte Guichard , head of marketing at Cleeng , agrees on Wagner ’ s point on the opportunities personalisation and customisation may offer , and elaborates : “ OTT operators nowadays have rich data about viewer preference , engagement and satisfaction , and the best use of that data is to tailor services to different segments of viewers . The one-fits-all model does not quite fit the new behavioural trends , where viewers consume content from various devices
❝ With enhanced personalisation capabilities and deep recommendation services , the viewer should have the ability to create their own watch lists , favourites , bookmarks , and set their preferences to curate content custom to them .❞
— Chris Wagner , Executive Vice-President , NeuLion
and platforms .”
Apart from providing greater clarity and insights into viewers ’ behaviour , she highlights that data also gives operators ammunition to tackle churn . “ Knowing exactly why subscribers left the service can help operators to improve their offerings through fine-tuning their content strategy , improve streaming quality and adjust marketing target ,” she adds . “ Retaining subscribers will then prove to be much less costly and more profitable in the long run . Every broadcaster that operates in the traditional and the OTT space invests a lot of resources and energy to reduce viewer churn . By minimising churn , operators obviously boost revenues , but also set the base for more accurate forecasting and design loyalty programmes .”
To help operators address this challenge , Cleeng developed Churn IQ , which enables media companies to address churn at all the stages of the customer journey , starting from log-in to payment and consumption and editing with customer care . This prediction and action solution is equipped with the ability to break down the causes of churn in three main categories — payment , engagement and satisfaction — empowering companies to utilise data to address issues at churn .
Today , the personalisation of a user ’ s experience is essential to retaining viewership . However , content catalogues have reached such large sizes that traditional browsing and searching is “ ineffective and frustrating ”, claims Marc Bruce , managing director , APAC and EMEA , of Encompass Digital Media .
He explains that navigational strategies that work well on mobile
and other interactive devices does not necessarily translate well to traditional TV environments . Additionally , terrestrial restrictions that limit a user ’ s ability to consume content based on device type or location also attribute to a poor overall experience and is a significant source of churn .
Therefore , he recommends media companies to pay careful attention to these aspects and other experience-related challenges to ensure they are adapting to the viewers ’ needs and extending the lifetime of the viewer .
“ Ultimately , the value proposition for media companies is to replace , maintain and grow subscribers by providing highvalue content to viewers when and where the viewer wants ,” says Bruce . “ As the number of viewing platform options grows , so does the viewer churn . The lifetime value of a subscriber is no longer measured in years but months . Content providers must adapt to this new normal by offering the right mix of viewing experience and personalisation at a price point that works for both the viewer and content provider .”
From a viewer ’ s perspective , the value proposition of personalised content is solving the problem of multiple choices and navigational challenges in traditional TV environments , he continues . “ Creating a similar , seamless experience with traditional TV interfaces and remote controls is becoming essential to improving a user ’ s overall experience .”
While retention may be the new acquisition , NeuLion ’ s Wagner points out that there is more to persuading subscribers to stay on that particular platform . He says : “ To acquire new subscribers , marketing efforts must be in sync with viewer preferences — not just personalisation , but also recommendations and advanced features that offer the viewer exciting ways to interact with the content .
“ With enhanced personalisation capabilities and deep recommendation services , the viewer should have the ability to create their own watch lists , favourites , bookmarks , and set their preferences to curate content custom to them .”
In today ’ s marketplace , he adds , OTT service providers have been offering viewers advanced personalisation features which , in turn , provide “ genuine ” viewer attraction and engagement , thus increasing customer retention .
❝ OTT operators nowadays have rich data about viewers preference , engagement and satisfaction , and the best use of that data is to tailor services to the segments of viewers .❞
— Benedicte Guichard , Head of Marketing , Cleeng
“ When a rights holder creates a personalised , interactive OTT experience across multiple devices , they see longer viewer engagement sessions , which ultimately increase retention ,” he concludes .
In addition to big data providing media companies the ability to discover patterns and trends of viewers ’ consumption habits , Encompass ’ Bruce highlights that metadata is another key aspect in driving personalisation and customisation technologies .
He says : “ Generating additional , accurate metadata about content is a key factor driving improvements in categorisation , thus matching viewers ’ habits and preference . While most metadata is editorially curated , the use of AI and cognitive services to derive implicit metadata by analysing the content is likely to form a key differentiator for personalisation . Such capabilities will allow for unexpected and non-trivial content matches that could lead to increased engagement .”
In addressing the delivery of content to multiple screens , Encompass Digital Media has utilised Microsoft Azure to power its CloudVOD service , a cloud-based video-on-demand ( VoD ) solution . The CloudVOD platform enables content owners , TV networks , OTT operators and other digital service providers to manage the VoD processing lifecycle .
Leveraging Encompass ’ automation technology and the flexibility of the cloud , CloudVOD is able to ingest and manage content files , transcode files into required formats , transform metadata into multiple formats , and package content with metadata and encryption . With this solution , content providers can focus on their core capabilities of delivering content to consumers , while CloudVOD manages the processing requirements and multiple technology standards inherent in OTT distribution .
“ CloudVOD is an underpinning service that processes content and its associated metadata to numerous formats that support the large and growing range of service platforms . Ultimately , multiscreen and multi-device delivery rely on a strong and flexible online video platform environment ,” Bruce concludes .