Industry Spotlight: The 'Who Is Who' of US Content Distributors
I've worked in advertising for 15 years, and it dawned on me at a networking event in Cannes that only my peers and competitors knew anything about an essential part of the industry - how creative spots actually get to their intended audiences once content is approved by brand and agency. The team at FSM have prepared an easy to view vendor comparison chart that depicts the main players in the USA, the extent of their US and global footprint, linear services they provide and also additional services available at each facility.
There has been a lot of movement in this market in recent months with acquisitions, mergers and buyouts, plus the expansion of digital footprints to allow a more global solution to clients. It is largely agreed that delivery of spot content will soon become a commodity – we can clearly see that this has happened in the USA over the years with the rates of HD and SD spots having dropped dramatically to almost nothing. This is a pattern that has been replicated in other digitally dominated markets too – Europe and most recently Brazil. Asia is still largely tape-based but there are two main vendors who have broken through this barrier to offer a digital solution in both South East and Far East Asia, (Adstream and IMD).
The additional services that vendors provide continue to set them apart from their competitors. Plus, despite the threat of automation taking over and killing parts of the industry, customer service and human relationships in spot distribution is still thriving and does not look like it will die anytime soon.
We have seen that the advancement of technology in our personal lives has had a huge impact on what clients now expect from a digital delivery platform. It is no longer a simple upload a spot, add meta data, select networks per the media buy and send. No. Users are now expecting a more Amazon, Instagram, Snap Chat or Spotify type feel to these ordering and asset management platforms. For example, simple yet comprehensive search engine capabilities, easy public and also private sharing functions, watermarking, trackable orders and asset, instant intricate report functionalities based on selectable criteria. All at the touch of a button with limited human interaction and available on ALL smart devices. This has been a challenge to many companies but as technology advances, many of the leaders have been able to develop these smooth user interfaces per the clients’ expectations.
In the past, these requests were met with a reluctant ‘no can do’, by vendors, BUT with the increasing competition and more available advanced technology, B2B companies are being forced to evolve at a quicker pace. The ones to watch are the smaller companies in emerging markets with no legacy issues and with access to the latest and greatest technology and talent.
All listed vendors were contacted and agreed to participate in this comparison. If you would like more information on this segment of the market, or on a particular industry service listed on this chart, please contact FSM directly. Note, all vendor contact details are available online should you wish to reach out directly to any of the companies listed.
Emmelie Forsyth is business development director at Foresyte Media
