I love Apple, but my iTalk/iPod combo just seriously let me down, again, by recording 20 minutes of silence while I interviewed Dan Whilley, CVP of MTV Networks International. It was fun anyway, but I’m afraid my memory is a poor substitute for a transcript. We talked about the move toward ad-supported services, in light of the Google/YouTube deal and Spiralfrog launch, and that these ads will need to be very carefully designed and unobtrusive for users to tolerate them. Whilley also told me how important it is to tailor its content for audiences in different territories, even with such a recognised international brand as MTV. It has to be made-for-mobile, he said. MTV has a massive advantage in being able to be more experimental with its products and services because it has a very young and tech-savvy audience. Most interestingly, we’ve heard for a long time now that content is king, but Whilley said - and I agree - that of course technology is also the king because it enables the content. I’ve asked Dan if he fancies elaborating on any of these points on this post, so with a bit of Cannes luck...
Update: Earlier, during the panel session, he said that MTV’s creative teams now work for TV, PC and mobile formats from scratch, which is how it should be. Re-appropriating TV footage for other formats can only achieve so much - as Whilley said, once you remove all the long shots and detail shots that don’t work on a small screen, there might not be much footage left to use. Made-for-mobile and the two to three minute length are two ‘rules’ I’ve heard consistently this week.