Transforming Broadcast Sponsorships: Embracing Digital Supply Chains

The process of utilizing a product in broadcast production is more complex than it may seem. It involves identifying the needed product, verifying suppliers, contacting them, and confirming availability. Once the product is chosen, discussions regarding quantity, schedule, and delivery location must take place before the product is received at the broadcasting station or production site.

Should filming schedules shift, adjustment of these processes is also necessary. However, a significant number of tasks still rely on individual communications via phone, email, or messaging apps, highlighting the urgent need for digital transformation in the broadcast sponsorship and production supply market.

A digital production environment is being established, enabling connections between companies and individuals in television, drama, and entertainment sectors focused on product information and production projects. The starting point for this transformation is the digitization of products. Companies, brands, manufacturers, and distributors can upload essential information, images, videos, and presentation materials about available products to the cloud.

Production staff can then review these materials and assess the products required for their work. More than just simple product listings, each digital entry allows for settings on access rights—public or private—to share necessary information among stakeholders before production. There are features to restrict the release of sensitive materials with embargo functionality.

The information about pre-produced sets, product placements, and related content is shared only with designated individuals, allowing for controlled public disclosure based on timelines set by the broadcasting or production entity. Multiple methods of product supply are possible, such as paid product placements (PPL), sponsorship of free goods essential for production, and standard purchases from companies by production teams.

Thus, the platform must differentiate relationships regarding 'paid PPL', 'in-kind sponsorship', 'production cooperation', and 'product purchasing and supply' management. After product confirmation, logistical operations commence, whereby products dispatched from companies move to broadcasting stations or designated production sites, where responsible parties receive the items and place them on set through art and prop teams.

By linking logistics information, including shipping dates and recipient details with project data, stakeholders can track the progression of product deliveries. The goal is to connect the movement of products and consultations among parties into a single project history. In cases where contracts are necessary, electronic contracts and verification record systems can be integrated.

Blockchain technology is intended for verification, not merely certifying that a product has been featured in broadcasting, but to substantiate records of significant transaction points such as proposals, approvals, and contracts. An environment facilitating communication between companies and production stakeholders will also be provided. This enables the production of content directly on drama and entertainment sets as needed.

Mutual trust and a blockchain contract system allow for global notarization to expand business opportunities based on reliable agreements. Stakeholders can communicate about products or projects, share necessary materials, and maintain relationships through a messenger and follow-based network. This infrastructure will gradually incorporate features to address the global production environment.

In live streaming and video conferencing with foreign partners, multi-language subtitles and simultaneous interpretation will be available. Future occurrences of product and content transactions will connect to a global payment environment. This system allows for collaborative broadcasting across platforms including YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok through live streaming.

Crucially, the core of content and products will focus on South Korea, while the Singapore hub will serve as the center for building global business trust, expanding payment systems needed for inter-country content and product trading, as well as creator collaborations.

The digitization of broadcast production does not commence with overwhelming technology. It starts with a connection at the precise moment between the production's need for a product and the company's information on product availability. Subsequently, delivery, receipt, and filming follow.

Meeting and establishing connections within a global landscape—spanning from terrestrial and cable TV to OTT and the social media creator broadcast environment—are becoming vital as stakeholders rally together to advance towards shared revenue goals. Based on these connections, brand and content production value sharing can transition from one-time product provision into a cohesive supply chain, supported by data.

The next installment will explore methods for transforming product sponsorships, which historically ended at filming and broadcasting, into valuable content assets across media, including press releases, blogs, social media, and creator distribution.