Reports Critical Developments

Reintroducing scarcity How entertainment can find value amid the growing digital clutter

Hanna Kahlert
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20,000 foot view:  Games, sports, music, video, audio, and social content all compete not only for consumers’ attention (and money), but also their fandom. However, the oversaturation of content is devaluing entertainment itself, by overly commodifying it.

Entertainment businesses and content providers will need to rethink how to generate better value for audiences, especially if they want to make true fans of those audiences – especially in an environment of recession (both in the global economy and consumer attention).

As we make the transition to web            with AI-generated content adding yet more ‘content’ to the clutter, entertainment businesses and content providers must focus on value over volume, tapping into the event-driven cultural cornerstones on which fandom is built, and encouraging a deeper engagement with stories and narrative in attempt to combat the ever-growing doom scroll.

Key insights

The audience side:

  • Ever more            is being produced faster by            platforms to keep consumers from            bored and switching to another            Rather than drawing in audiences            high-value, truly exclusive content, they            chasing the hype of the            new thing, on a hamster            that is going too fast            slow down now
  • Even with            amount of time available through            working, a majority of work-from-home            workers are women of parenting            These workers, in addition to            full-time, unpaid carers, which in            UK alone numbered around            million            to last UK census), indicate            there is an untapped space            for entertainment as a background            that can be layered over            normal work and make it            enjoyable
  • The counterbalance            the increasingly saturated attention economy            digital entertainment is a cultural            back to valuing real-life experiences,            objects, and authenticity
  • If digital            is as ubiquitous as water,            experiences are what they need            stay hydrated for. The two            hand in hand, but the            touchpoints are what makes the            experience worthwhile

The industry side:

  • 2022’s web            on the opportunity spaces of            metaverse, VR, and NFTs, however,            true technology disruptor has been            emergence of machine-learning artificial intelligence            which allows users to auto-generate            content at near instantaneous speeds           
  • As the            develops, expect AI to be            to generate video clips, and            one day, games. While this            be a huge boon to            creators, it will also cut            roles across entertainment in larger            that can outsource everything
  • Alongside this,            automated production will mean more            being made faster than ever,            will worsen the current attention            situation
  • Clever ways            involving fans in creative challenges,            brands and marketers as individuals            their own perspectives, and trying            generate brand fandom through quality            creation and storytelling are all            adaptations
  • The blurring            digital and analogue is opening            new spaces for ‘translator’ applications            devices, but the digital-native desire            engage with the tangible world            them seems to spring from            discomfort with the existential disassociation            to digital-first life x
  • Digital entertainment            of course, fit in alongside            valuable experiences, which are becoming            cultural cornerstones around which the            propositions are built – but            is increasingly important for entertainment            to remember that their digital            need to be value adds,            detractors

Companies and brands mentioned in this report:  Apple TV+, BTS, BeReal, Bridgerton, ChatGPT, DALL-E, Decentraland, Disney+, Instagram, OpenAI, Meta, Paramount+, Peacock, Spatial, TikTok