Thinking Like a Creator: BBC Studios, Amelia Dimoldenberg, Kiell Smith-Bynoe

The Evolving Media Landscape at Cannes

• 💡 Cannes Lions highlights the shift in advertising focus, with major streaming platforms like Disney and Netflix investing heavily to prove themselves as ad platforms, despite a general downturn in the ad market.
• 📈 There's a lag between audience migration to new digital mediums and advertising dollars catching up, indicating a need for more education for brands on where to invest.
• 🧠 The "creator economy" is increasingly vital, with younger generations consuming media differently than older ones, requiring big brands and studios to operate in both traditional and digital ecosystems.

BBC Studios' Creator-First Approach

• 🚀 BBC Studios, exemplified by the success of Bluey, has adopted a "thinking like a creator" mindset, moving from a broadcaster to a digital-native content producer.
• 🎯 Their strategy focuses on fandom as a strategic engine, not just an end goal, driving impact on YouTube, TikTok, consumer products, and licensing.
• 📊 They prioritize depth of engagement and watch time over vanity metrics like views, measuring fandom through shares, positive sentiment, and user-generated content (UGC).
• 💡 BBC Studios is expanding its kids and family portfolio by repping outside IP like Bing, leveraging its expertise in digital stewardship and quality storytelling.
• ✅ They've successfully brought social sales in-house, growing revenue significantly by selling fandom and packaged products rather than just single channels.

Bridging Traditional & Digital Media

• 🎭 Actor Kiell Smith-Bynoe (from Ghosts) has navigated both TV and digital worlds since the start of his career, using digital projects to build his showreel and professional breadth.
• 🚀 His advice for aspiring performers is to "create your own stuff" using accessible tools like phone cameras, as it demonstrates professionalism and packaging ability.
• 💡 He sees potential for his improv comedy troupe, Cool Story, Bro, to transition beyond stage by filming shows and sharing clips online to attract audiences.

Building a Creator Brand: Chicken Shop Date

• 🐔 Amelia Dimoldenberg developed "Chicken Shop Date" over 11 years, starting as a magazine column before becoming a YouTube series, born from a desire to interview artists in a unique setting.
• 🔑 She emphasizes the importance of owning intellectual property (IP), having consistently refused offers to sell her show to broadcasters to maintain creative control.
• 📈 Dimoldenberg strategically works with brands for separate projects while keeping "Chicken Shop Date" free from advertisers to preserve its creative purity.
• 🎬 Her production company, Dimz Inc., legitimizes the meticulous work involved in producing her shows, which includes extensive editing to craft compelling narratives and punchlines.
• 🧠 The show's success is attributed to its alignment with algorithms through clip-friendly content and a keen awareness of the zeitgeist, focusing on talent chemistry over sheer fame.

Debunking Creator Economy Myths

• 🚫 A common misconception is that creators don't work hard or aren't meticulous, when in reality, they often exhibit relentless work ethic and high production standards.
• 🎭 Another myth is that creator content is "lesser than" traditional TV or film, when it should be recognized as its own distinct and valuable form of media.
• 🤝 Creators are often seen as "for hire," but the most successful collaborations are true partnerships where stories are co-created, rather than just influencer transactions.