Recommendations key to discovery, experts say at CRTC event

MONTREAL — A panel discussing discoverability of content at a CRTC event Thursday stressed the importance of recommendations and curation as strategies to help viewers find content in an environment with more options than ever. “Algorithms are necessary but not enough,” said Jean-François Gagnon, president of LVL Studio Inc., which makes apps, games and various platforms to increase viewer engagement. “The role of curators is becoming more and more apparent.” He said the recommendations of an individual a viewer knows can increase viewership of content 50 per cent above the numbers algorithms alone draw. The French-language event, organized in partnership with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), was the second of two organized by the CRTC as part of the lead-up to its Discoverability Summit, scheduled for May 10-11 in Toronto. It followed an earlier event in Vancouver. Christine Thoër, associate professor in the department of public and social communication at Université du Quebec in Montreal, said video from sources like Google Inc.’s YouTube makes up a large portion of the content younger people watch, and they tend to find that content by subscribing to certain channels, viewing videos because they’re similar to what they’ve already watched, or checking out the most popular content on the site. Suzanne Lortie, also a professor and director of the communication program at the École des medias at the Université du Quebec in Montreal, said we are moving toward a “concierge curation” model, which has a deeper understanding of what viewers want and the attitudes they have. When they’re looking for content to watch, people aren’t necessarily searching for categories like a specific director or actor, Lortie said, but looking for recommendations based on ambiance and the specific mood they’re in, such as if they’re tired or socializing with friend. That, Thoër added, can be as specific as “a show to watch while doing the washing, while eating.” Lortie noted it’s also important to adopt different strategies for different content and various ecosystems, such as the general Internet or apps, she said. “We can’t put it all in one package. Content isn’t all the same and the discoverability strategies vary from one type of content to the other,” she said. At the same time, industry can’t rely on recommendations alone. It’s important that services index content in a clear and objective way, she said. Michèle Savard, senior vice-president of marketing company Carat, said that it’s important to ensure that viewers, once they’ve seen the content, go on to share it. “How to we ensure they become brand ambassadors?” she asked. She said there’s a portion of the population who are natural brand ambassadors and very active on social media, while others aren’t. A key question is how to give viewers the tools that enable them to easily share content, she said, adding they’re more likely to become brand ambassadors if companies make it easy for them to do so. — With reporting by Anja Karadeglija at akarad@thewirereport.ca and editing by Derek Abma at dabma@thewirereport.ca

Recommendations key to discovery, experts say at CRTC event

Broadcast | December 3, 2015

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