Creators, artists, marketeers and visionaries outline emerging content ecosystem

Techspectations 2020, Manorama Online's marquee digital summit, drew to a close on Saturday, illuminating minds and laying out a roadmap of the sweeping changes we can expect in the new normal.

Unlike the previous two editions, 2020's two-day summit had taken a virtual avatar on account of the coronavirus pandemic.

The theme was ‘Digital-led 2021 - Define the new normal’, and fittingly so given the times that we are in.

Day 2 saw plenty of interesting discussions ranging from the future of streaming and education and touched on how brands and creators should approach content.

Amazon Prime's Vijay Subramaniam and film director Mahesh Narayanan dealt with the emerging realities in the streaming content ecosystem.

While Narayan talked about the yearning for the theatrical "first day, first show" experience, Subramaniam said the goal at Amazon was to provide a "near theatrical" experience at home. However, Narayan conceded that theatres exist in a long-forgotten era, with their back turned on technological advancement.

Subramaniam elaborated why things are going the way of disruptors like Amazon by citing how the cost of smart televisions and data are falling.

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In the discussion that followed, Defining the new normal for Education & Transformation to Digital Learning, Dr Ajay Shah, Head of IT at Bristol-Myers Squibb, USA; Raghav Gupta, Managing Director of Coursera, India; and Dr Sasangan Ramanathan, Dean - Engineering at Amrita University emphasised on the giant leaps that the education sector has taken in the past months after schools were shut on account of the coronavirus pandemic.

They stressed that while brick and mortar schools may see a comeback very soon, a new model of blended learning would take precedence over other formats.

Raghav Gupta also offered insights into how 24 lakh students had signed up for its classes in the last six months alone, 70 per cent of them on mobile.

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Later, a panel discussion on mobile advertisement offered the delegates a lot of intriguing insights about the ever-evolving world of advertising.

The panel comprising young advertisers and marketeers deliberated on the broader theme – “How brands should approach mobiles and mobile advertising.”

A key point of discussion was the dilemma advertisers and brands face when it comes to personalisation of ads amid the global concerns over the protection of private data.

The panellists also were of the opinion that the old methods of generic print and television campaigns will not lure the consumers in the mobile age. They stressed on the need for personalised, hyperlocal ads that target a consumer's needs and interests.

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The final panel discussion on 'Creators & new age video platforms' was also a demonstration of how social media has empowered individuals to freely pursue their dreams, to blaze their own trail.

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For a round up of Day 1's sessions, click here.

Techspectations 2020 is Manorama Online's marquee event.

It was an assembly of people who have made a mark in the technology sector, heads of prominent brands, start-ups and industry leaders, technologists, business spokespersons and digital enthusiasts.