Dear Readers
This week I attended a session at the 6th E-Commerce Convention in Paris, where i witnessed fist hand the ever-stronger signals of complete convergence of the worlds of internet and television.
An impressive Trade Show with over 450 exhibitors and 2000 related delegates, encompassing the entire Web Commerce value chain, it was concentrated primarily on the French market. (By coincidence, it was also announced today that for the past quarter, advertising expenditure on the net has exceeded for the first time in France the volume spent on TV, with Google-related media capturing the lion’s share - following the same trend in the UK and other leading European territories).
The reason I selected one particular 3 hour session, was that its positioning closely echoes our own “Multimedia Consumer and You” programming track at the June Electronic Home Shopping Conference.
Suffice to say it confirmed the central conclusion that the ERA Board’s Strategic Workshop in Las Vegas reached two weeks ago. The long-expected convergence of Online and On-Air is no more merely a trend… it is a fact, and our industry is well poised to take a leading role in this business-changing evolution. The session speakers in Paris demonstrated the unparalleled attention-raising power of Audiovisual content on the web… and at the same time stressed the importance of having the necessary ingredients and expertise required to make it work and improve the online retailing performance (or conversion-rates) of video users.
I could not suppress a big smile when the CEO of a young and talented Web Video Content company gave to a pure players’ audience, as the model to follow as for “an entertaining style which sells”, the example of the only 24 hour 7 days-a-week Home Shopping Channel in France… recommending the audience to look at the TV content and the volumes and financials of… M6 Boutique / Ventadis… and TF1/ Teleshopping!
I had a second smile when he said that the e-commerce web sites of the Teleshopping Industry were in need of, and would hugely benefit from, a solid technology brush-up of their video usage interfaces and their viewers experience in the online space!
I found this session a very encouraging confirmation of ERA EUROPE’s strategic directions.
To continue to serve with the maximum efficiency its core industry constituency, the way we do (better than we do if we can)… and to open our house windows, both ways, to the fresher breezes of the on-line – on-air convergence.
Our industry should not be afraid of the cross-fertilization of knowledge, and what I have been seen in Europe predicts a high potential for strategic alliances – which many ERA EUROPE members are already actively engaged in. Furthermore, our current Self Regulation efforts, and the programme's Phase II in progress (more on this in our next issue) are part of the main agenda of this convergence. In 2010, with newly renewed European Institutions personnel in place, we have to be prepared, collectively, to elaborate and present our views and positions on how to create the same Consumer protection level playing field for Audiovisual content on air and on line.
Our industry and its representative organization, ERA EUROPE, has a role to play to make your business successfully exploit this convergence. I will call on your individual support, expertise and participation very soon, to nurture our reflection, and have your opinions heard.
I wish you all a highly successful pre-Holidays season!
Best regards
Marcel Avargues
Executive Director
ERA EUROPE
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