Trending is one of those new, social media enabled words that actually serves a purpose. Before Twitter all we could really say is that a lot of people were all showing interest in something. Now that can be phrased to become a lot more succinct, which is obviously useful when you only have 140 characters to play with.
Public relations agencies in Manchester, Malaysia, and everywhere in between have to think about these trends every day. Whether it’s ‘unnamed’ footballers falling from grace, PlayStation’s ongoing security nightmare, or Beyonce on American Idol. But today there’s something a little less scandal and popcorn based on the menu, as the world and their dog seem to be talking digital futures.
It’s no surprise, given the subject is rarely far from the lips of anyone vaguely associated with the media. But over the last week or so it seems like some pretty important job titles have been making some relatively important statements, suggesting a collective decision has been made to start putting money where before there was merely hot air.
First up there’s David Abraham, Chief Executive of Channel 4. As Media Week reported on Tuesday, the chap in question gave a talk at the Royal Television Society recently, and claimed his network would be adding a ‘fourth dimension’ over the coming years, looking to exploit all available technologies in the process, and deliver a more personal experience to viewers. The plans will, of course, also aim to encourage advertising revenue through innovative business models, with those in the driving seat looking to build on the 12.5 per cent year on year ad growth C4 announced recently.
And then there’s the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport- Jeremy (we still remember BBC-gate) Hunt, who has proposed a new Communications Bill. The review period began last week, as the government tries to gain a better understanding on what the UK needs to guarantee sustainable growth within its digital and content industries, with deregulation another hot topic. A Green Paper will be published by the end of this year, followed by consultations with a view to drafting the White Paper by April 2013.
Whether they find that most British media outlets believe the country needs more large-scale ownership deals, such as BSkyB, remains unclear, but this is certainly a more positive approach than has previously been taken when it comes to future-proofing these increasingly volatile business sectors. If one thing is for sure, it looks set to be a busy few years for Ofcom.