CMC 2015 - The Business of Digital

Online games, apps, short form video: digital content is no longer the new kid on the block, firmly established as a brand prerequisite or a new digital-first route to market.  However whilst the kids’ market may have matured in terms of demand for this new generation of content, are the business models behind it really working?

Indie developers complain that the culture of free makes it very hard to make app development pay; the app stores are so crowded that it can be impossible for new IPs to break through without significant marketing spend; work-for-hire commissioning budgets can vary hugely with little consistency over what a budget actually delivers; are digital-first commissions from the broadcasters just a way of getting content on the cheap or are the costs to make stuff really coming down?  What is the value of digital brand support when the super indies are able to give it away for free?