Effective entertainment marketing is now video, but shorter
Andy Marken November 27, 2023
0 Comments
It was great the way her mind worked. No guilt, no doubts, no fear. None of my specialties. Just the shameless pursuit of immediate gratification. What a capitalist. Joel Goodson, Risky Business, Warner Bros, 1983
A few weeks ago, our son said it must have been rather dull growing up in the old days (60s/70s) because folks didn't have the internet or mobile phone to instantly be able to text someone and watch long and short form videos, play games whenever you wanted.
We left out all the sordid details of all the trouble young boys/gals with hormones screaming could get into growing up in middle America and gave him the G-rated version.
Didn't want to give him any ideas.
Figure he'll learn fast enough on his own.
Actually, that's what bothers us a little.
He and most Gen Alphas/Gen Zers were born with a smartphone in their hand.
Today 98 percent of them own (and use) a smartphone.
But according to a recent CNBC study there is a retro trend emerging for mobile communications devices.
They say that many are reverting to less smart phones much like your and our early flip/slide phones.
It's a little difficult for us to believe that anyone would abandon all of the features, capabilities and benefits.
Really? Seriously? Next thing they'll want to see are phone booths on every other corner.
Source - Atlas Obscura
Speaking of phone booths, we showed our son actor/producer John Putch's fantastic indie film project, Mojave Phone Booth.
He thought it was cool because he couldn't recall ever seeing a real live phone booth.
Today he's not alone.
Thanks to the global internet over half of the world population, 5.2B people, have internet connectivity.
Sixty-eight percent of the population (5.5B) use mobile devices for almost everything - work, entertainment, play and constant communications.
That anywhere, anytime, always connectivity opened the gate for today's streaming video services.
The smartphone is the primary entertainment viewing screen for people in emerging markets and Alphas/Gen Zers everywhere. The younger generations do watch some long form videos (films/shows) on the big home screen, but a lot less than streaming services would like to see.
Source - Hub Research
Screen Time - For the younger generations, smartphones are not only their key to staying in touch with others but they are also their main source of information and entertainment.
According to Hub Research, most Gen Alphas/Gen Zers spend a fifth of their screen time with the TV but most of the time is spent with their smartphone on their social media apps, short videos or playing games.
While only 91 percent of 13-14-year-olds have smartphones, 98 percent of the older Gen Alphas and Gen Zs use them almost constantly.
The fact that it's a phone is almost incidental.
Source Ericsson
Static Voice - People still talk and even occasionally on their phones but they are primarily used for digital communications and video information/entertainment.
Voice communications has remained almost flatline since the devices first gained popularity.
With all the information and video available online the younger generation want to stay in touch and communicate but not necessarily talk.
There's little indication that the trend will change.
After all, texting is so much easier
For the content creation industry one of the ominous Hub findings was how little time these generations spend with professionally prepared entertainment.
Source - GameDev Reports
Social Entertainment - YouTube, TikTok and similar video content sites are becoming key information/entertainment locations for the younger generations while professionally prepared content is of less interest to them. Playing and watching video game activity also continues to keep them involved.
Teens are on the internet daily (97 percent) with almost 46 percent constantly online and 48 percent several times a day.
According to the latest Morning Consult research, 48 percent of females are online constantly compared to 43 percent of males. Black and Hispanic respondents (56 and 55 percent respectively) are more likely to be online than their White contemporaries.
When they do watch professionally prepared entertainment their prime content sources are Netflix, Amazon, Disney and Apple TV (70M iPhones were shipped last quarter).
However, streaming entertainment is well behind online UGC (user generated content) video and social media for them.
Social scientists suggest that this viewing/entertainment habit is becoming so ingrained that it will be a significant part of their entertainment consumption even after the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes.
Studios and theaters may look at the statistics and say that this doesn't affect them except for the open-ended question, why go to a movie when they can get instant entertainment gratification with a few clicks of their smartphone and it's free?
While the strikes may have impacted the ability of streaming services to launch fresh, new content to attract and retain subscribers many of them are leaning into the self-created content services - YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, etc. - to keep the younger generations interested in their content/services.
November 27, 2023Boris FX Brings AI-Driven Creative Plugins to Post ProductionIt seems as if artificial intelligence is sweeping through our lives like
November 27, 2023I bought a Stream Deck for After Effects, should you?I decided to spend some of my hard earned your generous donations
They have been posting past highlights, select edited library content and unscripted show/project clips with reasonable success.
While social media reviewers and influencers aren't members of the unions - m
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
13/11/2026
The UIM E1 Series wraps its third season this week with the Bombay Sapphire E1 Miami GP, Nov. 11-14, on Biscayne Bay at the Miami Seaplane Base on Watson Island...
13/11/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
13/11/2026
Singer-songwriter Benson Boone will headline entertainment for the Discover NHL Winter Classic between the Utah Mammoth and Colorado Avalanche at Rice-Eccles St...
13/11/2026
Blackmagic Design has announced the Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone, a 7th order ambisonic microphone array that captures spatial audio for immersive video prod...
13/11/2026
SMPTE has announced that The Studio B&H and Riedel Communications will provide the video infrastructure and communications technology for the Solutions Hub at t...
13/11/2026
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) has announced the theme and program focus for the 2027 HPA Tech Retreat, which takes place Feb. 14-18, 2027, in La ...
13/11/2026
Football Manager 27 Touch is available on Apple Arcade starting today. The game ...
13/11/2026
MotoGP has announced a two-year media rights agreement with ESPN covering the Un...
13/11/2026
Apple Sports, the free iPhone app, has added the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to its lineup of supported sports, in time for Saturday's UFC 334. The...
13/11/2026
The NBA and Fanatics Studios, the joint venture between Fanatics and entertainme...
13/11/2026
ESPN held its annual EDGE Innovation Conference last night and offered up an ove...
13/11/2026
Regional sports network gives Ithaca College, SUNY Cortland students a platform to thrive
One of the biggest games in Division III college football will be pla...
13/11/2026
Studer-inspired 500-series PWM compressor unveiled
The HLabs range already includes a couple of Studer-inspired offerings in the form of the PRE169 and EQ16...
13/11/2026
Download Now!
To view the white paper, please enter the following details:
--
First Name* First Name
Company*
Country* Please select your countryA...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Blue Lucy, the workflow orchestration and integration platform for broadcasters, rights owners and localisation companies, today announced an integration with c...
13/11/2026
Krotos announces Black Friday offers on Studio Pro and Studio Max
Brie Clayton November 12, 2026
0 Comments
First-year annual plans start at US$195.99...
13/11/2026
Blackmagic Design Announces Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone
Brie Clayton November 12, 2026
0 Comments
New 7th order ambisonic microphone with 108 MEMS...
13/11/2026
Meet the Berklee Student Setting Planetary Motion to Music With his compositional platform SoniKosmos, Javier Roqueni aims to make the universe the ultimate i...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , er...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , er...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Amagi, the media industry cloud company, today announced a partnership with Golden Times Media Technology (stock code 920021.BJ), a Beijing-based media and tech...
13/11/2026
CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB), one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world, together with its Malaysian partner, Cedar ...
13/11/2026
SMPTE, the home for media professionals, technologists and engineers, today announced that The Studio B&H and Riedel Communications will provide the video infra...
13/11/2026
iWedia, a global leader in connected TV software solutions, will present its software-first approach to DRAM optimization at Android TV APAC Summit 2026 in Bang...
13/11/2026
Beginning today, November 13, Apple HomeView is available for purchase at Apple Store locations, on the Apple Store online, and in the Apple Store app in select...
13/11/2026
From pediatric research to smart hospitals, AI is helping care teams spend less time on routine tasks and more time with patients.
Health systems and startups...
12/11/2026
Industry leaders examine how Dynamic Media Facility, Media eXchange Layer, and c...
12/11/2026
The junior Tar Heel is embracing the technical and creative challenges of live production while emerging as a leader and mentor in the control room...
12/11/2026
Gracenote, Nielsen's content intelligence business, has released its fifth a...
12/11/2026
RTL Deutschland will bring the NHL to free-to-air TV in Germany starting Nov. 30...
12/11/2026
Clear-Com supported On Air 2026, a 24-hour student-led broadcast connecting 45 u...
12/11/2026
uniqFEED has opened a Remote Operations Center (ROC) in Madrid, Spain. It is already operational, delivering virtual advertising for LaLiga matches. The ROC is ...
12/11/2026
Disney, ESPN and the NBA will present Dunk the Halls, the third real-time animated NBA game using Sony's Beyond Sports data visualization technology, on Chr...
12/11/2026
Van Wagner has launched Van Wagner RELAY, a digital platform for official athlet...
12/11/2026
Deal brings together two of the industry's most established graphics brands and significantly expands Vizrt's footprint in U.S. sports and regional broa...
12/11/2026
Euro TV Production GmbH of Austria has upgraded its outside broadcast vehicle with Lawo technology. The mc 36 Classic console in service since 2019 was replaced...
12/11/2026
Tagboard has launched Spark Resize, an AI-assisted tool now in beta that takes an existing graphic and produces a new version for a different aspect ratio or sc...
Effective entertainment marketing is now video, but shorter 
