The digital revolution and the birth of platforms streaming generated a a radical change in the way we consume contentWe've left behind the era of grids and scheduled programming. -still present on traditional TV- to also consume content that the same medium recommends to usunderstanding that these are compatible with our tastes, interests and consumption habitsThis behavior we have as users leaves a information footprint that systems collect and analyze to then offer us personalized content, thus improving the user experience.
The content recommendation systems based on artificial intelligence What do they use -to a greater or lesser extent- Netflix, YouTube, Amazon, Disney, HBO/Warner, and Viacom could be the key to success in the industry of streamingTo validate this hypothesis Carolina Bertoni, professor and researcher at the Graduate School of Communication of the Universidad Austral, published a study entitled “The management of audiovisual content programming. The incorporation of AI-based recommendation systems as key to the success of new audiovisual platforms.”
-What do you do for a living?
-I currently work as Consultant in digital media marketing strategies and content strategies. In the Graduate School of Communication of the Universidad Austral I teach two subjects: Digital Disruption and Media Transformation and Artificial Intelligence, and Content Programming.
I have more than 20 years of experience in digital mediaI began my career at La Nación. I worked for 13 years at YouTube, and for the last few years I served as content manager for Argentina, Chile, and Peru. In 2019, I went freelance and am currently working as a consultant for various digital media outlets in the region.
-What triggered this investigation?
-My professional experience. On YouTube I helped many media outlets to digitize your content so that they make sense within this platform. In addition, I worked with y who were starting to create their content and had to strategically organize their production stages and understand how the platform algorithms that recommend content to different audiences.
My goal was to understand why Netflix worked so well without doing the traditional work of content programming and compare it with other platforms streaming that do offer a mix of AI-recommended content and editorial content.
-Is Netflix's success due to the fact that it's the streaming platform that uses artificial intelligence the most to recommend content to its users?
-Definitely. Netflix decided to create its own AI-based content recommendation technology even before it had its own platform. streaming.
Netflix's investment in these systems is part of the content management strategy that the company has been implementing since day one.
- Where is human talent focused today?
-During this investigation, I contacted managers in the content programming area, but also managers in the technology area or from companies that provide technology services to the platforms. streamingI concluded that each time there is one increased demand for professionals with knowledge in the areas of content marketing, user experience (UX), and interface development.
Today, talent is found in this group of skills added to the passion for audiovisual content.
- What are the biggest challenges facing leaders today who are implementing these changes in streaming platforms?
- To be able to work with recommendation systems, it is necessary to think what data to collect from the audience database and how to collect itIn other words, how the user should interact with the interface to provide that data -through likes, ratings, or other metrics such as retention or number of views. Therefore, the major challenge is to enable the platforms' internal teams to work in a multidisciplinary way to provide users with personalized content that is of interest to them and thus improve their experience.
-What were the biggest changes that programming management has undergone from the era of analog television to the present day?
-Traditional programming management was broadly divided into a selection area responsible for deciding what content should be shown to reach the target audience, a scheduling arearesponsible for programming flow and audience retention strategies, and a promotion area of content, which could be within management or be the responsibility of the marketing department.
The selection area remained virtually unchanged, but the scheduling and programming workflow area was replaced by the recommendation systems within the platforms of streamingAt the same time, promotion converges with these AI-based systems since they are the ones that promote and recommend content to the user according to their tastes and interests.
-How do you see the future for streaming platforms?
-From my point of view, Interfaces will change a lot in the futureSome platforms are already experimenting with virtual assistants that help users find content through voice recognition. These new tools and more sophisticated recommendation and scheduling systems will improve the user experience, streamlining the content search process.
The interface will be so optimized that there will be less screen to interact with and more screen to view.
