TLDR
The first thing one needs to decide is if they want to play for the long game or if they are in search of short term gratification. Both are forms of success and neither way is better than the other; it just depends on the time and position of the individual/business and their goals. This will decide how much time and resources a company should direct towards their own original content creation at the beginning.
Netflix and Disney are two examples of companies that have taken these two different approaches to creating original content and have been successful.
Netflix thrived off of licensing different shows and movies onto one platform, and after gaining enough success they were able to continue their master plan of creating their own content for streaming. Netflix is a great example of a shorter way of getting to the top because they gained so much success licensing movies and shows and it helped them to gain recognition and grow fast. With this growth they are now able to spend more time and resources towards Netflix originals.
However what goes up must come down. Because Netflix started by licensing other shows, they’re now playing catch up to the production companies that started by actually producing their own original content... such as Disney.
Disney took a different approach in creating the legacy it holds today. Founded in 1923, and not having nearly the technology we have today, Disney was forced to focus on creating the originals that brought them where they are today. Disney never fell away from their main focus, creating original content, but with growth they were able to develop and grow to a point where they can expand into other areas. It took time but now with the right resources, Disney is ready to release their own streaming service, Disney Plus, in November. And knowing Disney there’s going to be a whole lot of high quality content.
In turn, a company that focuses on making content for other businesses may be working so hard on the projects at hand that they forget to put time into their own original content. It’s easy to forget about our own original content. It takes additional resources and most importantly time. In college, we like to think of time as both an enemy and an asset. Our goal here at Wave Media is to optimize our time for helping other businesses grow while not forgetting about our biggest picture: Wave Media Original Content.
Content, Content, and content are what feed into the fire of the media industry. Not just any videos, pictures, or posts unveil success. Because of this we understand we only grow when we invest in the highest of quality, the most time efficient, and the creme de la creme of creative practices. In our world we don’t always get an even correlation of recognition for the amount of work we put in. But, whether you are Warner Brothers or another start-up company like us, good content can help ripple your business into success. Success from your content might even be making something that appeases your passion. How you measure your success is up to you.
Until next time, it’s been a pleasure, thanks for coming by, and keep crushing it.
The Interns,
Brendan and Tom