Like many other professionals, I read a whole lot of reports and studies on the ‘Cultural and Creative Industries’ as many policy makers like to call what we do. I recently read one that names our field the ‘Cultural and Creative SECTOR’… what a relief!
So I decided to give a resume of the Cultural Times report that I though gave some pretty good data on the Sector and then mention a couple of things about the other interesting [Sector] report.
“Cultural Times: The first global map of cultural and creative industries” by EY
p. 9 “The informal economy is a vast reservoir of jobs:Informal CCI sales in emerging countries were estimated to total US$33b in 2013 and to provide 1.2 million jobs. Performing arts are the biggest employers in the informal economy, providing unofficial music and theater performances (street performances, festivals and concerts that do not pay authors’ rights, private performances at marriages and funerals, etc.), which are often free for audiences. In Africa, these performances are sometimes funded by individual sponsors.”
p. 13 The authors of the report included in their study the informal economy which they define as “the supply of goods and services in exchange for payment, but is not covered or is insufficiently covered by formal arrangements.”
p. 16 The African and Middle Eastern informal economy is “believed to employ 547.000 people and generate US$4.2b in revenues”. That is some potential!
p. 19 Cultural and creative content drives demand for electronics and digital devices
p. 22 On cultural tourism, “already Asia counts 525 million middle-class cultural consumers.”
p. 25-26 Some of the most disruptive business models like Netflix and Amazon, spend about 10% of their sales to RnD.
p.27 To stay competitive, companies must innovate constantly. They have to: …
- Stop thinking in terms of platform, and focus instead upon content, to deliver it seamlessly across platforms
- Develop relationships with customers to secure control over key value-chain activities
- Invest in new talent and skills to better leverage consumer and content analytics, improve the customer’s multi-channel experience and develop the ability to constantly overhaul what they do
- Develop open innovation strategies enabling direct relationships with start-up companies, individuals and universities to benefit from their ideas.
p. 40 “87% of Japan’s home sales are new construction”
“the average home is demolished and replaced every 38 years”
“Houses in Japan rapidly depreciate like consumer durable goods (cars, fridges, gold clubs, etc.). Thus, houses have little value in Japan: after 15 years, a home typically loses all value”…
p. 41 “…Chinese cinema industry has added 20.000 screens in the past decade and is opening new cinemas at the rate of 18 screens a week.”
p. 46 “In a mature market with weak growth in private consumption (0,6%), European CCI need to find new ways to grow.” What a challenging future ahead of us…
“Europe suffers from a lack of mid-sized companies in its creative sectors.”
p. 58 About Canada: “As festivals mature, organizers are working hard to create a premium social experience”.
“The trend is toward cheaper games that are quicker to develop and require fewer staff: companies report that the average console game costs US$8.7m to develop, requires 65 developers and takes a year and a half (583 days) to complete. A typical mobile game, however, costs US$300.000 to make, takes only seven people, and can be completed in less than six months (156 days).”
p. 61 About the US: “… the future of watching television is clearly online.”
p. 63 About Latin America and the Caribbean: “All 33 countries of the region have ratified UNESCO’s Convention concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage.”
p. 64 “The MERCOSUR trade bloc, comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela, has set up MERCOSUR Cultural. […] The objective is to create a single market in cultural goods and services by improving knowledge of members’ cultural industries and sharing best practices.”
p. 66 “There are more bookshops in Barcelona (Spain) than in all of Mexico.”
p. 68 “Brazil is Latin America’s digital pioneer.”
“…there are 200 million smartphones in use in Brazil today.”
“In April 2014, Brazilians spent around 12.5 hours a week on online social networks from their desktop computers, more than double the global average, according to research firm comScore.”
p. 71 About Africa and the Middle East: “The total population, about 1.1 billion today, is expected to grow by 400 million over the next two decades, providing an army of keen cultural consumers.”
p. 85 The challenge of online monetization
“But surprisingly, the survey found online consumers may be more willing to pay for certain categories of cultural content, including movies, games, TV shows and music, and less likely to pay for news, blogs and user-created videos.”
p. 89 The challenge of new business models
- The ‘free customer’: no difference between a paying and a non-paying one. Everyone is a customer, even without money; in fact, the customer base is essential for all growth.
- The “utility value model:” thinking in terms of customer commitment rather than financials. Delivering sustainable customer value prevails over short-term profitability.
- The “pirate management”: redefining execution. Creating an innovation-friendly environment to supercharge performance and pioneer the future, ensuring freedom of thought, creation and action.
***
The other interesting report is the “Feasibility study on data collection and analysis in the cultural and creative sectors in the EU“, September 2015, a report funded by the European Commission.
I find it very interesting that we are getting closer to understanding through measuring it, the real social and economic value of the cultural and creative sector, and I always read those reports and studies with great interest.
Hope you find some good insights in there too.
Culture & Capital 