Strategy
A goal without a plan is just a wish.
—Antoine de Saint-Expury
Investors and sponsors have traditionally looked at the package of a property in terms of its demographics, star power, numbers, and a host of other conventional metrics… but, increasingly, online and mobile strategies are assuming a greater importance. Audiences will never stop consuming entertainment, but as the vehicles by which they do so become more diverse, so too must advertisers’ focus if they hope to continue to capture the same market. The more your strategic objectives reflect this trend, the better positioned you will be to meet the changing needs and concerns of your backers.
… which is a very long-winded way of saying your backers are going to be interested in your digital strategy.
Your property’s stage of development will dictate the type of strategy you craft. From small self-financed proofs-of-concept to larger undertakings involving the major Canadian funding agencies, digital strategies come in all shapes and sizes. And mapping out the correct strategic roadmap — one that points directly to those goals you have already established — is no small task.
Let’s say for example, that you have a new property beginning its first season on air and your goal is to use new media to maximize the viewership for the premiere. Your digital strategy could involve:
1. identifying similar shows being aired by your broadcaster and trying to convert those fans to your property.
2. a partnership with an existing third-party social network or online community whose membership is largely drawn from your show’s demographic.
3. the creation of teaser content to start to build a rapport between fans, actors and creators before the first episode ever airs.
There are any number of other options you could pursue, either separately or in tandem. And the list of options will change from year to year as digital audiences migrate to new platforms and experiences… that WordPress blog from 2006 probably doesn’t look so shiny anymore. So how do you develop a list of possible options and evaluate their pros and cons?
This is where your strategist comes in.
What is a digital strategist?
Like digital strategies, digital strategists come in all shapes and sizes. A strategist can be an external consultant whom you hire on an as-needed basis to brainstorm or write proposals or they can be an integral part of your new media team, sticking with the project from inception to launch.
The one thing all digital strategists worth their salt have in common is the ability to conceive the best possible plan for you, one that will result in achieving the new media goals you have set out for your production. And one that will do so within the constraints of time and budget.
How to pick a digital strategist
Like any key hire, this decision is more art than science… and made a little trickier given that this person is very much the scout you’re trusting to take you through territory that, to you, might well be uncharted. Here are a few qualities to look for:
1. Experience — you want someone who has been there, done that, and has the t-shirt to prove it. And it’s not just how long they’ve been dubbing themselves a strategist: it’s at what level, in what markets, and with what degree of focus. Bonus marks for anyone who has successfully navigated a digital project through one of the major funding agencies, from proposal writing to post-mortem.
2. Documentation — this may sound like a weird one, but ask to see actual examples of their work. Proposals, pre-production documents, style guides… it’s all good, provided that it is material created with an expectation that it would be acted on by funding bodies, technical teams or designers.
3. Connections — as the project progresses, you may well be counting on this person to help you bring in partners, consultants and outside experts. Take a ruler and measure their rolodex: size counts.
But bear in mind that proximity is less important: someone who has just arrived from Los Angeles might not have a wealth of local contacts just yet, but they might be able to provide an entirely new dimension of connections.
4. Referrals — talk to someone with whom they’ve worked. Heck, talk to two or three people, ideally in your industry. Digital work is very fluid and the parameters can sometimes be flexible… but even so, you want somebody who won’t “pull a Palin” on you when the chips are down.
5. Personality — above all, you want somebody who is simpatico with you and your team. They are going to be intimately connected to the development of your property: better make sure that it’s someone you’re going to be glad to see first thing on a Monday morning.
When it comes to developing an effective, workable, and profitable digital strategy, this person might be the most important addition you make to your team. Be sure to talk to more than one candidate, not just that guy you met that one time at that conference who seemed to have a slightly unhealthy relationship with his iPhone.
Anyone who checks out well against the following criteria merits serious consideration; pass on candidates with only one or two qualifications… especially if “personality” is the best they can do.
Red Letter Words
When you’re going through your vetting process, you might find yourself sinking a little given the unfamiliarity of the subject matter. That is to be expected — to help right yourself, be on the lookout for the following:
The Talker — Jargon is the lazy man’s version of thinking. Be wary of people who toss around buzzwords like they’re playing a game of bingo. They should be able to explain themselves in plain language.
The Thinker — Be a little careful of people who come across as academic. They may have written a lot, even published books, but this doesn’t always translate into strategies that are actually workable for your production.
The Cheerleader — If they haven’t actually gotten their hands dirty, that will be a problem. You need to make sure that whoever is taking this role understands the implications of what they will be asking of the fulfillment team.
The Throwback — This type is sort of the opposite of the Talker: he or she is rooted in the last decade’s approach to digital media. The “tell” you should be watching for: suggesting a choose-your-own adventure style video experience.
“I’m a strategist!” — This may sound a little paradoxical, but beware of anyone who actually self-identifies as a strategist. This can be short-hand for “I would like to spend your money to hear myself think.” Don’t walk away — run!
Of course, having said all this, you may find someone who seems to match one of the above profiles, but who is absolutely great for your needs. In that case, do what producers do best and trust your gut.
What to expect
While every strategist will have his own method, there are a few common hallmarks that will let you know your strategist is taking you down a fruitful path.
Gets fully briefed on your goals
Ideally, the strategist will be there guiding you through the process of establishing and vetting the new media goals for your property in the first place, but whether this is the case or not, she must be intimately acquainted with them. All discussion of strategy will always be evaluated against those established goals… otherwise, why go to the trouble of establishing them?
Takes stock of your assets (and liabilities)
Whether you plan to self-finance the execution of your digital strategy, or partner with funding agencies, your strategist will need to take stock of your available assets in terms of time, money and expertise before she can properly evaluate the feasibility of potential strategies. These are a few of the questions you should expect to hear from your strategist:
- - What is the launch date of the film or TV show?
- - Does this impact the launch of the digital extensions?
- - Will the digital team have access to key personnel or stars?
- - Will you be funding this strategy yourself?
- - How quickly can we unlock outside funding for digital?
- - Will we be relying on in-house staff or outside partners?
Take the time to give good answers… even if the news isn’t want they want to hear. There is nothing worse than getting excited over a grand plan to achieve your goals and then discover halfway through that there was a previously unknown time constraint that renders the digital strategy unworkable.
Sets realistic expectations
Once your strategist has a grip on the available resources, she is better positioned to help you set realistic expectations. We have all heard of the breakout successes realized by small fry iPhone app developers and indie site creators… it is tempting to get caught up in the daydream of a million hits overnight or 100,000 downloads on the first day.
But as your strategist will tell you, these are the exception, not the rule in the digital realm. There is nothing magical about new media — while it does allow for the possibility of triggering the next big thing, that isn’t the norm. Today’s digital landscape is predicated on sound business practices like any other industry. Most new media hits come the old-fashioned way — through dedicated adherence to an intelligent strategy and a lot of hard work.
But don’t despair! Chances are if you have set realistic goals for your property in the first place, your strategist will be able to help you get there — just not overnight.
Works within your budget
Your goals for your property’s new media strategy might be the same as those for a long-running blockbuster on NBC or Fox, but unless you can command the same bankroll, your tactics for getting there are likely going to be a bit different. Everyone should recognize this from day one.
But this doesn’t mean that you can’t still realize incredible success — it just means that your strategist may have to (borrowing a tired expression) “think outside the box” a little.
Maybe you can’t afford the all-singing, all-dancing custom social network right away, but perhaps all you need to start is to create a Facebook app that will allow you to keep tabs on your fans until you are ready to port them over to your ultimate experience. There are many ways to skin a digital cat.
Is technically agnostic
One thing that a good digital strategist will NOT do is dictate platform/tech specific solutions before thoroughly examining your goals. To your strategist, the “right” platform or technology is the one that has the best chance of getting to your goals. This solution may not necessarily be the one that they have the most experience working in nor the one that maximizes your Bell Fund budget.
The “external” digital strategist versus the “internal” digital director
As new media becomes more relevant to film and television, a lot of production companies are considering the option of hiring a dedicated internal “Director of New Media” or “Director of Digital”. In some cases this person is herself a deeply connected industry maven with a lot of experience implementing a wide variety of digital solutions, and in other cases he is simply the one designated to find and vet external strategists to work on specific projects. In either case, the internal strategist is the “guardian of the goals” for all new media properties, has an impeccable grasp of the political intricacies and realities within the company, and is the main point of contact for external partners working on any digital project related to your production.
In many cases, the internal strategist removes the need for an external digital strategist… but not always. Remember, like everyone else in this industry, your director of digital will have strengths and weaknesses. If your strategy calls for an iPhone roll-out and your director of digital has never worked with mobile applications, it may be time to buttress their experience with an external subject matter expert. Working in tandem, the external consultant and the internal director can bring the company the best of both worlds — topical, agnostic knowledge of the current possibilities in digital extensions and a deep understanding of the needs of the company and its productions. It may cost a few extra dollars, but it’s worth it.
From thick to thin
When we speak of “digital strategy” as a generic term, we are usually referring to the broad strokes of the roadmap that will get your production from point A to B, digitally. But within that roadmap there are other categories that require the careful attention of both your strategist and subject-matter experts. These are:
- - Content Strategy
- - User Experience
- - Platform/Tech
- - Funding
- - Fulfillment
These topics will all be discussed in the subsequent chapters, but what is important to note is the degree of involvement you as the producer will have at each stage. Granted, the further the project goes, the more arcane the knowledge required… so unless you plan to learn an object-based programming language yourself, it pays to concentrate your energy on the goals and strategic execution thereof.
If you take the time to sit with your strategist and get this right, you can proceed relatively secure in the knowledge that all guns will be firing in the right direction.
And don’t be passive with your digital strategist! Just because they have access to a body of knowledge related to all things digital, from your point of view it always has to come back to the show, film or documentary. And that is where YOU are the unquestioned expert. So don’t be afraid to speak your mind.
The project charter
Once you have developed a digital roadmap that aligns the strategy with your production’s goals, it pays to set this down in what’s known as a project charter. This document can be relatively short, provided that it articulates how time, money and expertise will be used to satisfy the stated goals. This shouldn’t be a pre-production document or a detailed technical specification: keep it at the 5,000 foot view. But you will be surprised at how useful it becomes six months down the road when tough decisions might need to be made.