Mapping the Future of Entertainment: Social Media

Professor Craig teaches in the Master of Communication Management (MCM) program. His course topics and research interests include traditional and digital, global and national, professional and amateur, media and entertainment industries, production studies and culture, transmedia and cross-media production and management, and LGBT media, advocacy, and activism.

Spotlight

Chicago Public Media

Chicago Public Media is one of the largest and most respected public media organizations in the country. With an unparalleled reputation for creativity and innovation across all platforms, Chicago Public Media provides substantive news and insights, thoughtful conversation and meaningful connections to its diverse audiences throughout the Chicago area, as well as nationally and globally.

OTHER ARTICLES
Technologies, Business

Microgaming Collaborates With Inspired Entertainment To Enhance Gaming Experience

Article | July 20, 2022

As part of the deal, both the firms will work together to enhance the network capacities of each other while also supporting the expansion plans significantly. It will diversify the Microgaming’s product offerings such as slots, virtual sports, table games, etc. and will give a boost to the outreach plans of Inspired’s content. Inspired will offer 20 of its most innovative and widely played online slot games through Microgaming’s interface. The games offered will include Anubis Wild Megaways™, Prison Escape™, and Stacked Fire 7s™ along with the infusion of virtual and table games in the near future.

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Technologies, Virtualization

What are the most popular types of YouTube videos in 2021?

Article | July 27, 2022

Withover two billion userslogging onto YouTube every month, brands would be remiss to ignore the platform in their marketing strategy. However, like any marketing initiative, simply uploading a video to YouTube isn’t going to guarantee views, shares, likes, or success. Success comes down to creating therightcontent. A big part of this is understanding the type of content that historically does really well on the platform; in this case, the different kinds of YouTube videos get viewed most, especially by your audience. Mediakix, an influencer marketing agency, broke down the top 16 most popular types of videos on YouTube in a handy infographic below, but is this the right content for marketing your business?

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Solutions, Business

Discord: A Novel Medium for B2B Marketing

Article | July 7, 2022

Discord is a real-time chat platform where anyone with a community can interact. Users can talk to others in the community on special channels and get invites to join different servers. Many people prefer to reach out to online customers through social media, but messaging apps like Discord have 20% more monthly active users than traditional social media platforms. (Business Insider) Discord generates revenue through premium subscriptions and game distribution. It does not use advertisements. However, it can help marketers through its community that grows with video, voice, text communication and more. Let us look at how: Helps Build a Moderated Community You can set up a Discord server as a moderated social discussion platform. Create different channels based on your audience’s preference and allow them to bond. And as your community grows, so will the popularity of your business. Word-of-mouth marketing is still very effective. Connects Your Brand with Like-minded Audience You can also meet others who share your interests on various Discord servers. When you know what you're looking for, finding relevant servers is simple. Check with your team members, and your community, and join those groups. There, you'll meet other business owners and pursue collaboration opportunities. Allows Sharing Relevant Industry Content Share your website articles and other industry updates on Discord. You can take the advantage of your employees’ social media presence because they are linked to a single server. They'll spread the word about the articles through other Discord servers and their personal social media accounts. It will assist you in gaining authority among your target audience. Another way to market your company is to post branded memes, GIFs, and funny screenshots. Helps Offer Great Customer Service People expect prompt service, and because Discord delivers messages in real-time, you can address issues as they arise. You can easily send direct messages to members and have private conversations with them. Parting Words Although Discord is primarily a messaging app for individuals, it also has many advantages for B2B marketing. Discord is ideal for community management and true engagement.

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Technologies, Virtualization

Metaverse: Transforming B2B Businesses with Technology

Article | July 27, 2022

In the 3D interactive space of metaverse, nothing is impossible. People from various corners of the world can create, share, and explore virtual worlds in this space. They can also interact, trade, and do business. What does metaverse offer B2B businesses, though? Let us take a look. From Virtual Storefronts to Digital Employees While metaverse is still in the early stages of development, businesses can have their own virtual storefronts, digital employees, and virtual currency in a virtual reality. Business exclusive metaverse platforms like Sansar, Somnium Space, and Decentraland offer companies an option to establish their virtual presence. How is Metaverse Transforming B2B Businesses? Metaverse presents businesses with the unique opportunity to build client relationships face-to-face. Branded experiences like product announcements, product showrooms, company updates, educational sessions, conferences, and networking events can be done in metaverse. Let us explore other ways in which metaverse can enrich B2B businesses: Richer Customer Experience Immersive buyer experiences influence prospects to make purchase decisions faster. B2B sellers in metaverse can create such experiences through interactions that surpass traditional sales approaches and focus on visually attractive sales presentations to convert prospects. Effective Marketing and Advertising New marketing and advertising opportunities in metaverse are developing with every passing day. Over time, companies may be able to sponsor events or create targets ads to attract a certain demographic. The companies that establish themselves in the metaverse might have a bigger advantage in this regard compared to the companies that venture into it later. Higher ROI and Sales Increasing sales and ROI are crucial for every business. Reaching new markets and tapping into new revenue sources is easier with metaverse. It will allow salespeople to host multiple meetings with buyers living in different parts of the world without having to leave their actual office, saving multiple costs while conveniently still creating client relationships that last. Improved Workforce Efficiency Metaverse-based training simulations help employees upgrade their skills. Additionally, customer service associates can create avatars to provide business customers assistance in real-time. Metaverse encourages employees to communicate better and allows remote employees to virtually connect for projects, meetings, and feedback. Last Word B2B businesses can capitalize on the convenience of metaverse and harness this latest technology to offer their customers visually immersive experiences.

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Spotlight

Chicago Public Media

Chicago Public Media is one of the largest and most respected public media organizations in the country. With an unparalleled reputation for creativity and innovation across all platforms, Chicago Public Media provides substantive news and insights, thoughtful conversation and meaningful connections to its diverse audiences throughout the Chicago area, as well as nationally and globally.

Related News

Media and Broadcasting

Cresset Merges with TRUE Capital Management, Establishes Presence in Sports and Entertainment Industry

PRnewswire | May 10, 2023

Cresset Asset Management (Cresset) and TRUE Capital Management (TRUE) announced today that they have merged, creating a multi-family office with nearly $33 billion in assets under management (as of 5/02/2023) and with offices in 19 locations around the nation. The strategic combination expands Cresset's presence in the sports and entertainment industry. TRUE is a multi-family office that specializes in guiding a diverse roster of clients across sports, entertainment, and entrepreneurism to financial security and generational wealth. TRUE manages $1.7 billion (as of 2/22/2023) of assets on behalf of more than 350 clients, including Deandre Ayton, Robert Griffin III, Marshawn Lynch, Nneka Ogwumike, Kelsey Plum, Albert Pujols, Logan Ryan, Richard Sherman, Breanna Stewart, and Diana Taurasi. Together with Cresset, TRUE clients will enjoy access to Cresset's scale and national footprint, including its extensive family office services, goals-based financial planning, institutional-quality private investments, and lifestyle services. "We are thrilled to be joining forces with Cresset. Since we started TRUE in 2007, our priority has been to build relationships with our clients based on transparency and trust as they navigate the rare opportunities and unique challenges that come with wealth. That commitment will only be strengthened and enhanced with Cresset," said Doug Raetz, CEO of TRUE. "As we've worked closely with Cresset, it has become clear that the entire Cresset team shares our goals and values. It's an excellent cultural fit, and we are excited to explore new ways to create and deliver success stories for our clients," added TRUE COO Heather Goodman. "When we first met the TRUE team several years ago, we found kindred spirits in terms of how we believe clients should be treated and the positive impact wealth can have," said Avy Stein, Cresset Co-Founder and Co-Chairman. "Our mutual dedication to providing access to a full suite of sophisticated family office services and private investment opportunities makes this an ideal partnership." About TRUE Capital Management Founded in 2007, TRUE Capital Management is a wealth management firm that specializes in guiding its diverse roster of clients to financial security and generational wealth. The firm has built a reputation for serving high-profile clients across all major sports worldwide, the global entertainment industry, and entrepreneurs innovating in our ever-evolving business world. About Cresset Cresset is an independent, award-winning multi-family office and private investment firm with nearly $33 billion in assets under management (as of 5/02/2023). Cresset serves the unique needs of entrepreneurs, CEO founders, wealth creators, executives, and partners, as well as high-net-worth and multi-generational families. Our goal is to deliver a new paradigm for wealth management, allowing clients to pursue what matters most to them.

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Business

Entravision adds Entravision Plus for Local Hispanic Reach Optimization

Entravision | February 21, 2023

Entravision, an advertising, media, and technology solutions provider, has recently launched its new solution Entravision Plus, enhancing the local Hispanic reach of companies through connected TV, CTV, and over-the-top OTT, streaming. It leverages performance-based data insights from Spanish-language publishers to optimize digital advertising outcomes. It has added Entravision Plus to its full suite of digital solutions for OTT, CTV, digital audio ads, display ads, SEM, digital out-of-home, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Ads, Branded Content and Email Marketing, along with its television and radio services. It was found that about 90% of Hispanic consumers stream video on smart devices. This data is approximately 10% more than the video streaming behavior of non-Hispanic consumers. Additionally, on average, the Hispanic consumer spends about 26 hours per month on online video-watch. This states that they spend approximately seven hours more watching videos online than U.S. consumers on average. These statistics show that the rising Latino local household consumers can be targeted and reached through television advertising and Entravision Plus online video products. General Manager of Entravision US Digital, Jessica Martinez, said, “Advertisers need to reach their consumers. We can now offer our clients the ability to reach consumers not only through our television and radio assets, but also through an array of digital products.” She added, “Entravision Plus – our newest offering – provides advertisers with unique targeting, competitive ad separation and insightful analytics to reach all segments of the Latino consumers. We are excited to provide this premium solution, along with television and radio, to meet the needs of an evolving market. By leveraging Entravision Plus, we anticipate that our customers’ businesses will stand out and grow faster than ever before.” (Source – Business Wire) About Entravision Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Entravision, an advertising company, provides solutions for digital marketing, social commerce, CTV, application performance, audio programmatic services, Latam, VAS, user acquisition, growth, marketing automation, local marketing, content marketing, data services, mobile advertising and marketing, and media networking. It has been connecting advertising brands with consumers through media, ad tech, commerce and advertising solutions on different platforms and publishers. It partners with companies like TelevisaUnivision, LinkedIn, Spotify, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok and Grab for sales operations and financial and commercial services.

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Technologies, Solutions

Deezer Announces Long-term Partnership with Sonos

Deezer | February 20, 2023

Deezer, an independent music streaming platform, has recently announced its long-term partnership with Sonos, empowering the brand's radio streaming service, Sonos Radio, and subscription service, Sonos Radio, with a large music catalog designed according to the choices of Sonos' customers. In addition, it focuses on partnership-led expansion for business growth in the U.S. and global markets. Deezer will deliver key services like about 90 million music tracks catalog, business intelligence and data, reporting and royalty management, licensing, metadata and strategic collaboration for monetization and growth for Sonos Radio and Sonos Radio H.D. In addition, as a key innovation partner to Sonos, it is launching a high-definition streaming offering and a new application interface with Sonos Voice Control. It features an A.I.-based engine recommendation, Flow, on the Sonos interface, enabling listeners to play music based on their moods. Both companies would serve Germany, France, the U.K., and the U.S. with other countries worldwide. Additionally, it will support continuous innovation to enhance the Sonos music experience, discovering new ways to search for music and soundtrack that customers would love to listen to. CEO of Deezer, Jeronimo Folgueira, said, "This is the start of a very exciting journey for Deezer and Sonos. Through this partnership Deezer can reach new listeners in major markets around the world, including the U.S." He added, "Sonos has revolutionized the way we enjoy music and audio in our homes, with exceptional multi-room speakers, fantastic sound quality and thoughtfully curated Sonos Radio services. We can't wait to play a key role in expanding this great customer offering." (Source – Cision PR Newswire) CEO of Sonos, Patrick Spence, said, "Delivering a best in class branded content experience for our customers is an essential part of our long-term growth strategy and Deezer continues to be an excellent partner for supporting our ambitious goals to help the world listen better." He added, "As a pioneer in music streaming, Deezer has a proven track record in developing and growing a music service globally and I look forward to working together to improve the overall listening experience for our customers." (Source – Cision PR Newswire) About Deezer Headquartered in Paris, Deezer, a music platform, has been connecting technology, music, and innovation since 2007. It supports more than 80 hardware integrations and 45 partners worldwide with its partnership-based market expansion strategy. It strives for a competitive product, innovation, and expertise for the editorial and music industry. It offers services for content curation, artist relations, streaming technology, lossless HiFi audio, live streaming, recommendation technology, music for home space, mobile, music streaming, social music, and the internet. Providing about 90 million tracks in 180 countries, it defines standards in the music industry.

Read More

Media and Broadcasting

Cresset Merges with TRUE Capital Management, Establishes Presence in Sports and Entertainment Industry

PRnewswire | May 10, 2023

Cresset Asset Management (Cresset) and TRUE Capital Management (TRUE) announced today that they have merged, creating a multi-family office with nearly $33 billion in assets under management (as of 5/02/2023) and with offices in 19 locations around the nation. The strategic combination expands Cresset's presence in the sports and entertainment industry. TRUE is a multi-family office that specializes in guiding a diverse roster of clients across sports, entertainment, and entrepreneurism to financial security and generational wealth. TRUE manages $1.7 billion (as of 2/22/2023) of assets on behalf of more than 350 clients, including Deandre Ayton, Robert Griffin III, Marshawn Lynch, Nneka Ogwumike, Kelsey Plum, Albert Pujols, Logan Ryan, Richard Sherman, Breanna Stewart, and Diana Taurasi. Together with Cresset, TRUE clients will enjoy access to Cresset's scale and national footprint, including its extensive family office services, goals-based financial planning, institutional-quality private investments, and lifestyle services. "We are thrilled to be joining forces with Cresset. Since we started TRUE in 2007, our priority has been to build relationships with our clients based on transparency and trust as they navigate the rare opportunities and unique challenges that come with wealth. That commitment will only be strengthened and enhanced with Cresset," said Doug Raetz, CEO of TRUE. "As we've worked closely with Cresset, it has become clear that the entire Cresset team shares our goals and values. It's an excellent cultural fit, and we are excited to explore new ways to create and deliver success stories for our clients," added TRUE COO Heather Goodman. "When we first met the TRUE team several years ago, we found kindred spirits in terms of how we believe clients should be treated and the positive impact wealth can have," said Avy Stein, Cresset Co-Founder and Co-Chairman. "Our mutual dedication to providing access to a full suite of sophisticated family office services and private investment opportunities makes this an ideal partnership." About TRUE Capital Management Founded in 2007, TRUE Capital Management is a wealth management firm that specializes in guiding its diverse roster of clients to financial security and generational wealth. The firm has built a reputation for serving high-profile clients across all major sports worldwide, the global entertainment industry, and entrepreneurs innovating in our ever-evolving business world. About Cresset Cresset is an independent, award-winning multi-family office and private investment firm with nearly $33 billion in assets under management (as of 5/02/2023). Cresset serves the unique needs of entrepreneurs, CEO founders, wealth creators, executives, and partners, as well as high-net-worth and multi-generational families. Our goal is to deliver a new paradigm for wealth management, allowing clients to pursue what matters most to them.

Read More

Business

Entravision adds Entravision Plus for Local Hispanic Reach Optimization

Entravision | February 21, 2023

Entravision, an advertising, media, and technology solutions provider, has recently launched its new solution Entravision Plus, enhancing the local Hispanic reach of companies through connected TV, CTV, and over-the-top OTT, streaming. It leverages performance-based data insights from Spanish-language publishers to optimize digital advertising outcomes. It has added Entravision Plus to its full suite of digital solutions for OTT, CTV, digital audio ads, display ads, SEM, digital out-of-home, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Ads, Branded Content and Email Marketing, along with its television and radio services. It was found that about 90% of Hispanic consumers stream video on smart devices. This data is approximately 10% more than the video streaming behavior of non-Hispanic consumers. Additionally, on average, the Hispanic consumer spends about 26 hours per month on online video-watch. This states that they spend approximately seven hours more watching videos online than U.S. consumers on average. These statistics show that the rising Latino local household consumers can be targeted and reached through television advertising and Entravision Plus online video products. General Manager of Entravision US Digital, Jessica Martinez, said, “Advertisers need to reach their consumers. We can now offer our clients the ability to reach consumers not only through our television and radio assets, but also through an array of digital products.” She added, “Entravision Plus – our newest offering – provides advertisers with unique targeting, competitive ad separation and insightful analytics to reach all segments of the Latino consumers. We are excited to provide this premium solution, along with television and radio, to meet the needs of an evolving market. By leveraging Entravision Plus, we anticipate that our customers’ businesses will stand out and grow faster than ever before.” (Source – Business Wire) About Entravision Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Entravision, an advertising company, provides solutions for digital marketing, social commerce, CTV, application performance, audio programmatic services, Latam, VAS, user acquisition, growth, marketing automation, local marketing, content marketing, data services, mobile advertising and marketing, and media networking. It has been connecting advertising brands with consumers through media, ad tech, commerce and advertising solutions on different platforms and publishers. It partners with companies like TelevisaUnivision, LinkedIn, Spotify, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok and Grab for sales operations and financial and commercial services.

Read More

Technologies, Solutions

Deezer Announces Long-term Partnership with Sonos

Deezer | February 20, 2023

Deezer, an independent music streaming platform, has recently announced its long-term partnership with Sonos, empowering the brand's radio streaming service, Sonos Radio, and subscription service, Sonos Radio, with a large music catalog designed according to the choices of Sonos' customers. In addition, it focuses on partnership-led expansion for business growth in the U.S. and global markets. Deezer will deliver key services like about 90 million music tracks catalog, business intelligence and data, reporting and royalty management, licensing, metadata and strategic collaboration for monetization and growth for Sonos Radio and Sonos Radio H.D. In addition, as a key innovation partner to Sonos, it is launching a high-definition streaming offering and a new application interface with Sonos Voice Control. It features an A.I.-based engine recommendation, Flow, on the Sonos interface, enabling listeners to play music based on their moods. Both companies would serve Germany, France, the U.K., and the U.S. with other countries worldwide. Additionally, it will support continuous innovation to enhance the Sonos music experience, discovering new ways to search for music and soundtrack that customers would love to listen to. CEO of Deezer, Jeronimo Folgueira, said, "This is the start of a very exciting journey for Deezer and Sonos. Through this partnership Deezer can reach new listeners in major markets around the world, including the U.S." He added, "Sonos has revolutionized the way we enjoy music and audio in our homes, with exceptional multi-room speakers, fantastic sound quality and thoughtfully curated Sonos Radio services. We can't wait to play a key role in expanding this great customer offering." (Source – Cision PR Newswire) CEO of Sonos, Patrick Spence, said, "Delivering a best in class branded content experience for our customers is an essential part of our long-term growth strategy and Deezer continues to be an excellent partner for supporting our ambitious goals to help the world listen better." He added, "As a pioneer in music streaming, Deezer has a proven track record in developing and growing a music service globally and I look forward to working together to improve the overall listening experience for our customers." (Source – Cision PR Newswire) About Deezer Headquartered in Paris, Deezer, a music platform, has been connecting technology, music, and innovation since 2007. It supports more than 80 hardware integrations and 45 partners worldwide with its partnership-based market expansion strategy. It strives for a competitive product, innovation, and expertise for the editorial and music industry. It offers services for content curation, artist relations, streaming technology, lossless HiFi audio, live streaming, recommendation technology, music for home space, mobile, music streaming, social music, and the internet. Providing about 90 million tracks in 180 countries, it defines standards in the music industry.

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Events