Texas Hospitality, SXSW, panels, Netflix Live Streams, Internet Growth - The Creativ Briefing
Weekly Expertise for Smarter Marketing
Returned to my home state of Texas today. Received with a warm welcome back from old friends, who provided me their guest bedroom for the week while I’m at SXSW.
Texas hospitality is something that I forgot I missed. An important reminder to keep in touch. Modern technology has made anyone, all over the world, milliseconds away with a phone call, text, or email.
I’ll be in Austin's SXSW all through next week. BBQ, panels, client meetings, and more Texas hospitality are all in store. Please give me a shout if you are also in the Lone Star State.
3 Stories Dominating Headlines
Chris Rock on Netflix: did his live special deliver the goods? Netflix’s first live streaming event, a new Chris Rock stand up special live from Baltimore, marked Netflix foray into live streaming. Why it matters: The possibilities of live streams going forward are endless. We imagine live music theater, comedy, variety, and even awards shows could come to Netflix in the near future.
SiriusXM laying off 475 people, cutting 8% of workforce. 80% of the company’s revenue comes from subscriptions, which slowed last year due to overall economic slowdown. Why it Matters: A good case study in one industry affecting another. A decline in new car sales also led to slowing subscriber growth as almost every new car comes with SirusXM built in.
Bob Iger says Disney is “Off’ on Pricing Strategy and Needed to Rationalize Costs. The company recently said there is a disconnect between how much the company spends on content vs. monetization. Iger pointed out that the projected growth and current state of streaming is “very, very tricky right now”. Why it matters: expect more pain, restructuring, and layoffs across the company, and industry as a whole while executives figure this out.
Stat of the Week
3 billion people are now online.
China alone has over a billion citizens online. Countries like Brazil, Nigeria, and Russia are also growing their online footprint. However, population size is not always in direct correlation with the number of people who have access to the internet.
The increased global connectivity and emerging markets will continue to impact the way business happens in the modern global economy.
We’ve Officially Landed in SXSW
Come to the two panels and one happy hour, we’re organizing, if you’re around!
Saturday, March 11th at 1:10pm CT at Lambert’s Restaurant. I’ll be moderating! Brand Innovators Summit
Saturday March 11th at 5:30pm CT - I'm organizing drinks with agencies, brands, and media Saturday evening. If you'd like to attend please shoot me an email or DM.
Sunday March 12th at 11:30am-12:30pm on the New Hollywood Gaming Studio! Won't want to miss this one. Moderated by Alex Cranz, managing editor of The Verge. SXSW Panel - Gaming Track
