Our CEO of Brands & Licensing, Nicki Sheard, sat down with the inimitable Evan Shapiro at SXSW to explore our brand-first approach - diving into how we build strong brands and communities. Of course, Bluey had to be part of the conversation! 💙 You can hear more here: https://lnkd.in/eRNiGnQn #SXSW #BBCStudios #Bluey #MediaOdyssey
CHAT X SW Each year, I head to Austin, looking for inspiration from and connection with the smartest, most open-minded people in the world. #SXSW2025 did not disappoint - exceeding even my lofty expectations. Last week at SXSW, I got to interview five Big Media Brains for five, exclusive, expansive, and unexpurgated conversations about how these smart-as-heck execs test, learn, and transform in their corners of the Media Universe. First, I asked Nicki Sheard, Ruth Berry, Steve Bagdasarian, Lydia Daly, and Mike Sid WTF they each actually do, then, specifically, how each are adapting their businesses for the User Centric Era. Nicki is celebrating a huge YouTube milestone - 10 Million Subs - for Bluey and BBC Studios. And she taught me something important about kids content advertising. Ruth showed how ITV Studios finds younger audiences on new platforms, even for a hit show like Love Island. We discussed how she tells her Mum what she does. Hearing two risk-taking execs, from two of the most traditional Media organizations, talk about innovative, next-generation strategies for audience development and multi platform monetization, was truly mind-opening. Lydia Daly heads Advertising Research and Insights for Paramount Advertising and showed me how fandom takes very different shapes. Lydia also informed me that Millennials are now officially aged out the spotlight. Steve Bagdasarian explains how streaming really changes measurement and why he believes Comscore, Inc. stands apart in a multi-currency world. For data nerds, Steve and Lydia offer great case studies on how data excellence drives better outcomes. Mike Sid from Ateliere Creative Technologies describes a cloud-based studio built for the Creator Economy that anyone can use today - and shows why Reality TV MUST transform for the social media multiverse. All these FULL interviews on YouTube and Podcast, right here: https://lnkd.in/exjtmWm6 Thanks to Future Media Hubs for the partnership and to Marion Ranchet for allowing me to take my first solo assignment for the pod. My deep gratitude to everyone I hung with in Austin for being on panels, sitting for interviews, attending events, producing great content, asking amazing questions and, most of all, for being unvarnished and frank af in all our conversations at SXSW. Because of you, I came away from #SXSW with less anxiety and more hope. #podcasting #talk