Key takeaways from Content London 2024

Content London 2024 wrapped up last week and didn’t fail to deliver a wealth of insights from industry experts on everything from AI’s evolving role in the creative process to the future of FAST and what we can learn from Taylor Swift. Here are the highlights from the panel sessions we attended.

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The stories behind Sora

In his much-anticipated keynote speech, Sora’s Chad Nelson spoke about how Open AI’s Sora will revolutionize the creative process, highlighting that rather than replace creativity, it will push the boundaries of what’s possible. Speaking on idea development, Nelson said, “If I could explore five ideas in a day, I can now explore exponentially more. It helps me work through the ‘nos faster to find the best ‘yes.’” 

Nelson also touched on the video tool’s role in the localization process of creative assets, saying “We can brainstorm in what might be the final output. What if we have an ad campaign and a commercial, and we can just adapt for every market?"

Nelson was careful to caveat that Sora’s potential is dependent on the humans who will ultimately be the ones to harness it: “There’s no magic button that creates a perfect story. Writing, character development, and emotional connection will become even more crucial as production barriers lower…”

Chad Nelson’s keynote wasn’t the only session that touched on big AI topics. In ‘Whose AI is it anyway? The Big Issues Super Session’, Adam Cunningham, Chief Strategy Officer at Allied Global Marketing highlighted the challenges of legislating technology that is developing at breakneck speed, saying: 

“Technological change is no longer iterative and linear. AI is accelerating faster than we expected. With Generative AI, change has become exponential. Newspapers took 113 years to reach market saturation. Smartphones took 22 years. Chat GPT took 2 months to reach 100 million active users.”

And with the technology developing at such speed, others in the industry expressed their worries about the impact this will have on the creative industries, including ownership. Simon Mirren, a seasoned showrunner known for his work on "Criminal Minds," expressed significant concerns about AI and  intellectual property (IP) rights. He predicted that by 2025, AI could facilitate the "greatest IP theft in history," underscoring the urgent need for robust legal frameworks to safeguard creators' rights.

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Sir John Hegarty on the art of capturing attention

If, as Chad Nelson says, AI is only as good as the storytellers behind it, then Sir John Hegarty—the legendary co-founder of Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH)—was the perfect person to share storytelling hacks with the Content London audience. Throwing a, memorable, curveball Hegarty said creatives could learn a thing or two from Taylor Swift.

1. Entertainment before engagement – "We need to change our roles. Entertainment comes first."

2. Audience, not consumers – "Change the way we view our relationships."

3. Creativity at the heart – "Shift from selling a need to creating a want."

“There are three things we have to deliver in advertising,” Hegarty said. “Is the idea memorable? Is it motivating? Is it truthful?”

FAST: The future of Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television

The FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) revolution was another major focus at Content London 2024. With its rapid growth globally, industry leaders shared strategies, insights, and predictions about this burgeoning sector.

A global perspective on FAST distribution

Beth Anderson of BBC Studios and Jennifer Batty of Samsung TV Plus highlighted the scalability of FAST:

• Samsung TV Plus: "We look at 120-140 channels per European market to ensure discoverability. Globally, we have 88 million users," Batty shared. "In the US, cord-cutters drive the growth, but in Europe, we’re focusing on curated local programming."

• BBC Studios: "It’s a complementary business. We haven’t seen evidence of cannibalization from other platforms," Anderson explained. "We now use performance-based revenue insights to inform decisions across the business."

Are originals the next step?

FAST platforms are beginning to explore original programming. As James Meyer of Fremantle explained, “We’re now considering picking up projects for FAST first. If they perform well, we can expand them to Pay TV or free-to-air later.”

Mark Garner of A+E Networks added: “For FAST, I think we need to reposition classics as new and original for audiences who haven’t seen them before.”

Making FAST channels sing

Executives also stressed the importance of making FAST channels work harder. Graham H., EVP of ITV Studios, shared examples of cross-brand strategies:

“We now promote Hell’s Kitchen pots and pans on our Hell’s Kitchen channel and Ninja Warrior parks on our Ninja Warrior channel. We’re starting to think of the channels as a network and how to make them sing for us.”

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Content London 2024 reminded us that both AI and FAST are rapidly reshaping the media landscape. From groundbreaking tools like Sora to evolving distribution models, these innovations present exciting opportunities—if industry leaders can tackle the accompanying challenges with creativity, foresight, and a commitment to ethical practices.