Amazon Execs on the Keys to Creating Culturally Relevant Storytelling in the Global Streaming Era: ‘The Borders are Melting’

As an admirer of the dynamic world of streaming and storytelling, I find myself deeply inspired by the visionary minds leading the charge in this global revolution. Jennifer Salke, President of Amazon Studios, stands out as a beacon of cultural understanding and authentic representation in media.

Based on a recent survey by Amazon Ads, approximately 72% of monthly streamers expressed a desire for more genuine, cross-cultural narratives in media. The research piece, named “Ads to Zeitgeist,” delves into why streaming platforms are leading the way in global storytelling’s expansion.

Currently, streaming platforms such as Amazon’s Prime Video are available in 240 countries and territories. This provides an opportunity for us to share stories with our viewers that reflect various cultures. However, this comes with a responsibility: it is essential to view things through an authentic lens. We need to discover filmmakers or storytellers who can resonate with a global audience, yet still tell a genuine story that carries profound meaning.

Pepper highlighted shows on Prime Video such as “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” and “Hazbin Hotel” as instances of storytelling that resonate culturally, done effectively. Donald Glover, who starred in the latter along with Maya Erskine, transformed an established intellectual property (IP) into something appealing to a fresh audience.

Pepper noted that Donald has a knack for presenting ideas in a refreshing and original manner while keeping things entertaining,” she said. “Thus, he masterfully crafted a complex drama that acknowledged and honored the original, yet delved into something timely and socially significant – examining romantic dynamics between individuals from diverse backgrounds. The series struck a chord.” [The show premiered at No. 4 on the Nielsen rankings, accumulating close to one billion minutes watched in its initial three days on Prime Video.]

As a dedicated cinephile, I’ve been thrilled to witness the meteoric rise of Vivienne Medrano’s masterpiece, “Hazbin Hotel.” Initially, her animated series garnered an enormous following on YouTube. Later, Amazon took notice and transferred it to Prime Video, subsequently ordering more episodes. What struck me was this unusual trend: as her fanbase grew, they migrated from YouTube to our platform – a phenomenon rarely observed among the YA demographic, particularly young women, who flocked to Prime Video in massive numbers.

According to Pepper’s explanation, the popularity of such shows suggests that there is a global interest in engaging with cultural narratives, a craving for immersion into stories that resonate on a cultural level.

Globalization extends beyond simply approving or obtaining culturally appropriate content; the essence of streaming platforms plays a crucial role as well. For instance, FireTV serves as an exemplary case: this report supports what Charlotte Maines, director of Fire TV business and devices advertising, discovered about the factors influencing customer experience on this device (which has sold over 200 million units since its inception 10 years ago, across more than 85 countries).

For quite some time now, we’ve been expanding our global reach, and it turns out this growth isn’t just confined to certain regions. Maines pointed out that people from diverse countries and cultures often want to view content from other parts of the world. His role is to ensure that customers can access whatever they desire, whenever they wish. As we’ve focused on and invested in this approach, it appears that traditional boundaries are becoming less distinct.

Amazon Execs on the Keys to Creating Culturally Relevant Storytelling in the Global Streaming Era: ‘The Borders are Melting’

Maines explained that streaming services enable her team to swiftly develop improved customer experiences due to the abundance of user preference data available. To illustrate, she mentioned a specific app called “Fire TV Channels,” which provides timely, relevant short-form content that can be accessed directly and for free from the Fire TV interface.

Maines shared that initially, their streaming channels concentrated on news and sports summaries as these areas were typically underrepresented compared to conventional linear or cable broadcasts. Yet, an unexpected finding emerged: users often delved deep into a single topic, leading to a series of related content. Leveraging this discovery – the fact that many customers appreciated Spanish-language content – they developed specialized channels such as Fire TV En Español, which boasts 40 providers like Univision, the Weather Channel en Español, and others.

Instead of a Spanish-speaking customer needing to search for the content, it’s readily available. In streaming, there is an abundance of data. You know who is viewing, how long they watched, what content, and you can then tailor your response accordingly, rather than broadcasting at prime time and crossing your fingers for good results without any feedback loop.

It’s also worth noting that Spanish-speaking viewers have seen significant growth on Twitch, as Rachel Delphin, the Chief Marketing Officer of the live-streaming service, mentioned. The number of Spanish-language stream viewers has multiplied six times between 2019 and 2022.

Delphin stated, “Our second-most commonly used language is Spanish, and we see a lot of our major broadcasts and events taking place in it. In response, we’ve expanded our offerings, such as the Spanish-speaking panels at TwitchCon San Diego, and a special livestream called ‘Vamos!’ designed to engage, discuss, and disseminate Twitch news with our audience. Another growing market for us is Japan, where viewership has grown by 46%. As a result, we’re also planning to include more anime and manga content in our offerings.

As a movie enthusiast, I’ve found that Twitch is not just about gaming as many people believe. It actually boasts a wider, more varied community than one would initially suspect. This makes it an excellent platform for discussions about cultural exchange, giving it a natural advantage in such conversations.

The common bond among enthusiasts of ‘Fallout’ or ‘League of Legends’ is their deep-seated affection for these games. If they speak a mutual language, they can enjoy something they both cherish. However, it’s their shared interest, rather than their unique qualities, that brings them together.

One key aspect of the research is emphasizing the significance of “cultural exchange,” and Twitch excels in this area as well. “Since we’re live, there’s a high level of engagement,” Delphin noted. “This is a significant characteristic of live-streaming – it encourages real-time interaction. It facilitates detailed conversations, and it truly appreciates curiosity.

Watch the full conversation in the video above.

2024-09-28 02:48

Amazon Execs on the Keys to Creating Culturally Relevant Storytelling in the Global Streaming Era: ‘The Borders are Melting’

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