Recently JW Player co-founder Brian Rifkin spoke on the “What’s on Now?” panel at the LDV Vision Summit . This two day conference in NYC covered how trends in computer vision, deep learning, and technology are shaping the video publishing industry.
I found some key takeaways for publishers looking to grow audience and build revenue:
Don’t fear the bots: As the ‘AI revolution’ makes its way into our homes, phones, and screens, publishers taking advantage of automated curation, optimized ad tech, and other human-in-the-loop technologies can simplify decisions around what to publish and how to monetize most effectively.
Augmented and Mixed Reality Arrive: The ever popular (and sometimes perplexing) Pokemon Go might be written off as a fad but consumer acceptance (along with Snapchat’s filters & soon-to-be commodified smartphones with depth sensors) means that a killer video specific AR/MR application is likely just over the horizon.
Branded Content & Viewer Empathy: The best branded content creates empathy with the audience in a way that transcends product placement. “Taking the word branded out of content” and just telling great stories is how winners in the medium will succeed.
Adapt to your Audience: Don’t be constrained by the content formats and experiences of the past. Successful publishers will embrace the 10-second ad format, the vertical screen first experience, or the next-to-be-discovered platform. Don’t force consumers to do it your way.
The Data Services team at JW Player is looking to help publishers navigate these trends in technology by building easy-to-use tools like Recommendations and Analytics.