IMF: Unleashing The Benefits of File-based Content

Last February 2016 we announced the Interoperable Master Format (IMF) roadshow which was so successful that there is another roadshow planned for February 2017. Chris Lennon, President and CEO, MediaAnswers, explains what IMF is -

Charlene Weisler: What is the Interoperable Master Format (IMF) and why is it important?

Chris Lennon: The Interoperable Master Format is a relatively new SMPTE standard, allowing, among other things, mastering of material which might need to be distributed in a variety of versions, to a variety of destinations. This is critically important as we continue to create derivative versions of commercials and programs.  

It is a trend that is likely to expand - if you have a commercial that will run with different graphics, voice overs, in different languages, or even with some scenes differing from market to market, or platform to platform, do you really want to have dozens of different copies of the commercial to manage?  Wouldn’t it be better to have one copy, with metadata directing how to play it out? IMF is already in use today, and has enjoyed great success although it’s a relatively recent technology.  In fact, we’ll be discussing several real-world examples of implementations in the media business at these seminars.

Here is the information on the seminars:

You’ve moved from video to IT infrastructures, you’ve heard about the many benefits file-based workflows should deliver. Now what?

MXF files were presented as a tape replacement. Today many of us are trapped: good things from the linear videotapes are gone… but what about the many benefits IT based environments can bring?

Unleashing all the potential requires switching over to a new model. This new model is about getting mindsets to move away from videotapes. Welcome to components, packages and IMF!

This one-day seminar will get you up to speed on what IMF is, and how it can help you and your organization not only survive, but thrive in the ever-changing area of file-based workflows. This interactive session will show IMF as it can be used in the real world:

·         Solutions from the 20+ vendors that support it

·         10+ practical demonstrations of implementations

·         15+ use cases

This session is designed to provide (in a fun and interactive environment):

·         An overall understanding of the IMF standard

·         A focus on the most interesting aspects of IMF, which make it so appealing

·         A focus on the business and technical fundamentals required to use the IMF standard. Course participants will gain an understanding of the basics of interoperability and versioning problems using IMF.

Just a few comments from past attendees

“A great overview of an important topic for our industry”

“An excellent overview of a subject that affect the film and TV business workflow in a positive way!”

“This was a great top to bottom look into the world of IMF”

“This was a great balance of macro and micro perspective on IMF and it's deployment.  Thank you!”

Registration is available at the links below:

·         February 14, 2017: Washington, DC (hosted by PBS)

·         February 15, 2017: New York (hosted by ANA)

·         February 17, 2017: Los Angeles (hosted by FOX)

Space is extremely limited, so register today! Cost is only $299 per person for the full day seminar, or $285 for SMPTE or AICE members! Deadline for registration is one week prior to each seminar.

MediAnswers Announces Seminars on Interoperable Master Format

Want to know more about what is happening regarding asset identification for a more seamless cross platform measurement solution? Chris Lennon, CEO of MediAnswers just announced a one day seminar on The Interoperable Master Format (IMF) which is seen as the solution to problems within the area of file-based media exchange. 

IMF helps to deal with the various proprietary formats in use today (both in-house and in multi-platform distribution), as well as customization of various versions of content.  “The days of just having a ‘one size fits all’ version of a piece of content are long gone, and in fact, that often was ‘one size fits none’, according to Lennon. “Today, audiovisual content (be it program material or commercials) needs to be re-purposed many times over its lifetime, in a cost-effective way.  IMF provides a clean, standardized, interoperable way of doing this,” he explained.

Charlene Weisler: What is the Interoperable Master Format (IMF)?

Chris Lennon: IMF in this case isn’t referring to the International Monetary Fund (thank goodness), it’s the Interoperable Master Format, which is a relatively new SMPTE standard, allowing, among other things, mastering of material which might need to be distributed in a variety of versions, to a variety of destinations.

Charlene: Why is it important?

Chris: This is critically important as we continue to create derivative versions of commercials and programs.  I don’t see that trend declining, and in fact, it’s likely to expand.  And, it makes sense.  For instance, if you have a commercial that will run with different graphics, voice overs, in different languages, or even with some scenes differing from market to market, or platform to platform, do you really want to have dozens of different copies of the commercial to manage?  Wouldn’t it be better to have one copy, with metadata directing how to play it out?

Charlene: How long will it take to roll out?

Chris: IMF is already in use today, and has enjoyed great success although it’s a relatively recent technology.  In fact, we’ll be discussing several real-world examples of implementations in the media business at these seminars.

Charlene: What are the challenges?

Chris: As re-purposing and versioning of content has become more prevalent, we need technology to make that simpler.  It’s a reality that we have to deal with now that we are re-using commercials and programs across so many distribution platforms.  The core piece of content (be it a commercial or program) remains the same, but with different “flavors” being used.  IMF makes this all much easier to achieve.

Charlene: What other things do we need for full asset id?

Chris: Asset identifiers, such as Ad-ID and EIDR help us a great deal with this.  As we get more and more versions of commercials and programs out there, they need to be tracked, managed, and properly identified.

Charlene: Where is the industry at this time with asset identification? How far along?

Chris: Both Ad-ID and EIDR continue to play an important role in both current and up-and-coming technologies in our business.  They are both key in Open Binding of IDs initiative being led by CIMM, and which is moving forward within SMPTE. 

Charlene: What time frame do you see for a complete industry acceptance and standardization of asset id?

Chris: Gazing into a crystal ball for this sort of prediction is always difficult.  I can say that they are becoming increasingly important, as we have more and more commercials and programs to manage.  This is really all inter-related, and fortunately, there are several wonderful new initiatives emerging (like IMF) that will allow us to deal with this in an efficient manner.

Join MediAnswers and Mesclado for a one-day seminar which will get you up to speed on what IMF is,

and how it can help you and your organization not only survive, but thrive in the ever-changing area of

file-based workflows.   The first two cities for this seminar will be Toronto on March 10^th  and Manhattan on March 15. Space is limited, so click here to register now for Toronto or New York!  Cost is only $299 per person for the full day seminar, or $285 for SMPTE or AICE members!

Article by Charlene Weisler, Weisler Media LLC. She can be reached through her research blog www.WeislerMedia.blogspot.com or at WeislerMedia@yahoo.com. Twitter: www.twitter.com/weislermedia

Advancements in Cross Platform Measurement

CIMM, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement recently held its annual Cross-Platform Media Measurement and Data Summit. This year’s conference focused almost exclusively on cross platform which is the hot issue among both media buyers and sellers.

CEO and Managing Director, Jane Clarke, announced CIMM’s 7 criteria for cross platform measurement at the conference. She explained, "CIMM developed our 7 Criteria for measuring cross platform exposure of both content and ads in order to let research vendors know the solutions that the end users are seeking for measuring unduplicated reach."

During this time of media transformation, these seven criteria help to form a foundational consensus for the industry. 

CIMM’s Seven Criteria For Cross Platform Measurement

      1.       We need to go beyond panels. Panels alone are too small to be the only measurement solution for the cross platform world. Panels are also unable to account for out of home viewing - an issue for some networks, notably CNBC. Linda Yaccarino, Chairman, Advertising Sales & Client Partnership is addressing this issue, as she explained, “CNBC Daytime is no longer relying on Nielsen for C3 ratings.”

      2.       We need passive measurement and solutions. The least amount of intrusion is optimal as a myriad of devices vie for viewers’ attention. Manish Bhatia, comScore’s Chief Revenue Officer, noted, “No matter what the media is, passive electronic measurement has been viewed by the industry as the most accurate approach to capturing and reporting media behavior accurately. That is what comScore is doing.”

      3.       Census data are needed across all platforms. As with the importance of going beyond panels, CIMM acknowledges that census level data is needed for all platforms. Clarke explained, "It's important that we point out the need for hybrid combinations of panel data with census-like data across all platforms, including TV Return Path Data." “The data is there to count every consumer“, noted Time Warner Cab le EVP & COO, Media Services, Joan Gillman, “We are only starting to scratch the surface.”

      4.       Measuring individuals is optimal but measuring households is also useful. Targeting households and their behavioral dynamics can also provide actionable insights for marketers. According to Eric Schmitt, EVP Communications and Media at Allant, “Standard household-level segments and ad impression counts across inventory pools, platforms and MVPDs are essential to keeping national TV advertising competitive with the scale and efficiency of online alternatives."

      5.       Measure ads and programming separately. The sooner we move to separate measurements of ads and programs, the better according to Jed Meyer, Global Research Director at Annalect who said, “We are moving from a world of content-based buying to audience-based buying and future measurement systems need to reflect this shift.” The reason, according to Schmitt is that, "Measuring ad audiences is different than programming measurement.  Advertisers have specific segments they want to reach, while programmers are usually looking for as many eyeballs as possible.

      6.       We need common units of analytics and metrics for reporting.  Tom Xenos, MediaVest’s Vice President, Audience & Measurement Solutions believes that, “If we’re ever to make sense of the new cross-media world, we need to adopt a common set of metrics for measuring and evaluating audiences.  Otherwise, we’ll just continue to have a media tower of Babel.” But the quest for common metrics is challenging. When asked which metrics are most important, there was a range of responses. Fernando Arriola, VP and Media Integration, ConAgra Foods, said, “Brand health and sales, how many unduplicated people see the message”, Yaccarino said, “Total audience delivery,’ and Erin Matts, Chief Marketing Officer, Annalect, averred, “The best proxy for sales varies by client. The more metrics are better. The access to a variety of metrics allows us to customize and makes our job easier.”

      7.       Implement an asset identification open standard. CIMM is in the process of crafting an open standard for media asset identification using EIDR and AD-ID, utilizing consultant Chris Lennon, President and CEO, MediAnswers, to help in SMPTE standardization. He explains, “We sent out an RFP and are now gathering test content and refining our test plan to best assess respondent technologies. (We are) also developing a SMPTE Recommended Practice that we will publish along with the eventual Standards document(s) that come out of this effort.”

With these criteria in place, the pace of cross platform measurement solutions should accelerate. An industry-based solution could be close at hand. Let’s hope soon.

This article first appeared in www.MediaBizBloggers.com

Q&A with Chris Lennon - MediAnswers

Chris Lennon, CEO of MediAnswers, is deeply involved in CIMM’s Cross Platform Asset Identification initiative which seeks to create industry standard asset identification for both program and commercial content. In this interesting interview, Lennon explains the purpose of the initiative, the process by which asset identification can be rolled out, how asset IDs migrate across platforms for a specific piece of content, timelines and next steps. He also offers some compelling insights into where he thinks the industry is headed over the next few years.

There are four videos in this interview:

Subject                                                 Length (in minutes)

Background                                                      (4:28)

Asset Identification                                         (6:34)

Migration and Next Steps                             (5:20)

Timeline and Predictions                              (6:04)

Charlene Weisler interviews Chris Lennon who talks about his broadcast background and MediAnswers in this 4:28 minute video:

Chris Lennon talks to Charlene Weisler about the work he is doing with CIMM regarding asset identification. The video is 6:34 minutes:

CW: How can you scale for an industry standard asset id? How do you get everyone to agree?

CL: That is always the challenge – it is always hard to get everyone to agree. I think the first step is to roll out a solution and say, “This is the standard” because that at least gives everyone something to point to. We don’t have that today. The industry does not have a single unified way of doing this. So we see this as the first step. It will enable people to see the advantages of doing this and then they will hopefully volunteer and adopt. This is not something that will be government mandated or mandated by the industry in general. It is something that people should see the advantages of doing. Pretty much every other business out there has faced this problem and has addressed this problem – identifying the things that they are selling. But our business is a little more complex. We cannot, for example, just stamp a UPC code on our commercials like a lot people in hard goods can or put an RFID on a commercial.  So we have challenges that a lot of other industries don’t have with that. It has become clear by the quality and quantity of people who have dedicated time to this that this is a real problem and there is a real motivation to solve for this. I am encouraged by that and by the fact that we have the buy-in of the major media companies in this. I think we have a good shot at wide spread adoption if we come up with a workable and a reasonably priced solution to fix this problem.

Charlene Weisler interviews Chris Lennon who talks asset identification when the content migrates as well as next steps to bring a standardized methodology to the industry in this 5:20 minute video:

CW: What about competing asset identification systems currently available out there like Nielsen or Google. How would this work?

CL: We don’t necessarily see the CIMM initiative as directly competing with them. One of the requirements that we identified early on is that whatever we do, we cannot interfere with existing practices that are in place right now. We don’t want to do something that will trounce all over the Nielsen watermark because that use is very critical to peoples’ operations right now. So whatever we do, we see it as being complementary to whatever is in there already. It is a requirement - we can’t step on what is already there. Also, although this can be used as a measurement tool, this goes far beyond that. There are other things that identifying the content will enable for broadcasters. So that is just really a part of it, nut perhaps the most visible use case that we’ve got. 

Chris Lennon talks to Charlene Weisler about the future of media in this 6:04 minute video: