Suppliers are helping customers to cut costs, says DPP report

IBC2024: Demand vs Supply looks at four current areas of demand for media organisations: newsroom innovation; empowering creators; understanding audiences; and engaging consumers. It then assesses the state of supply at IBC2024 for each of these areas.

The findings show a strong focus from the supplier community on helping their customers to be more efficient - while also trying to be more effective in a highly competitive market.

“There are plenty of reasons to be gloomy about the media economy”, said David Thompson, Technology Strategist for the DPP, and author of the report. “But IBC demonstrated a lot of energy and positivity from suppliers in their determination to solve their customers’ problems.”

This dynamism was most evident in the two production areas explored by the report: innovation for the newsroom, and the provision of tools and services for creators. In both spaces, the DDP said suppliers are creating solutions that have the potential to reduce costs while making it easier for creative teams to manage content.

A similar approach was taken in the downstream areas of audience data and audience engagement. But these topics are proving more difficult for vendors to support.

“The closer we get to the consumer, the more difficult it is for suppliers to support their customers,” said Thompson. “There are some great companies providing valuable solutions, but this is where the realities of the modern media market really kick in. There are forces at play which no vendor can resolve.”

IBC2024: Demand vs Supply is the fourth report in a series. “Even in the space of a couple of years I feel I am seeing changes”, Thompson added. “Customer/vendor relationships have more potential to be genuine partnerships than perhaps ever before”.

DPP members can download the report here.