The document discusses the need for large media companies to adopt a startup mentality in product innovation, focusing on three core strategies: reinventing and disrupting their domain, partnering with startups for customer engagement, and leveraging open innovation. It highlights how traditional media consumption is evolving, particularly among Generation Z, and emphasizes the importance of adapting to new trends in digital engagement. Key examples from various industries illustrate successful innovation practices and encourage collaboration with emerging technologies and ideas.

1. Implementing Product Innovation
Through Existentialism
Giri Coneti, Director, Youth & Music Digital Media Products,
International Markets
@giriconeti

2. Large media companies should
strive to move at the speed of
start ups. The cost of failure is
small compared to the prize of
creating blockbuster customer
engagement

3. International Digital Media @Viacom
• Regional clusters with product, tech, ad sales &
marketing teams representing South & North
Europe, UK & AU, Latin America and Asia
• Localized Digital media offerings but built on core
platform products
• Over 200 web & mobile properties

4. The Evolving Landscape
• The pivot (that paid off) to reality shows like 16 &
Pregnant, Teen Mom and Geordie Shore
• ..But aren’t the young people/ generation Z/
swipe generation kids now hooked to Spotify,
Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram?

5. The Evolving Landscape
• Young people do watch TV, just not TV the way
previous generations did
• ..and when they do watch TV, they are watching,
listening, chatting and sharing on multiple
screens

6. Three Core Ideas For Leadership in
Product Innovation
1. Re-invent and disrupt your domain
2. Partner with start ups
3. Leverage Open Innovation

7. 1. Re-invent & Disrupt
(Lessons From Non-Digital Space)
• P&G’s 2013 blockbuster sales of Tide Pods –
Same detergent, packaged differently but priced
higher
– Consumers will pay more to prevent overuse
>

8. 1. Re-invent & Disrupt
(Lessons From Non-Digital Space)
• 3M Post-it notes: An accidental discovery while
creating an adhesive
– From classic to index/flags to dispensers
> >

9. 1. Re-invent & Disrupt
(Lessons From Digital Space)
• Airbnb – leaders in the
p2p accommodation
sharing business
– Reduce friction in the key
handoff process
– Airport pick ups and
house cleaning

10. 1. Re-invent & Disrupt
(Lessons From Digital Space)
• Google’s balloon powered
internet (Project Loon) &
acquisition of 8 robotics
companies in the recent
months
– Consumer data of remote
communities
– Mapping inaccessible terrains

11. 1. Re-invent & Disrupt
(for us)
• Consumption of music has evolved
– Streaming service has replaced downloads
– The ‘Mixtape’ culture is alive and kicking - Playlists
are social
– Fans seek curation together with Artist discovery
– Fans are fiercely loyal to their bands

12. 1. Re-invent & Disrupt
(Adapting ‘Minimum Viable Product’ )
• Derive intelligence (A/B Testing,
Heatmaps, Google analytics)
• Start Sprinting
• Iterate
• A beta version of the product
• Recruit external testers
• Gather data and iterate again
• My Nick Junior

13. 2. Partner with Start-ups
• Our audiences and fans are constantly
discovering new trends. The journey from
Facebook to tumblr to Snapchat.
• Media Tech Startups are always thinking of a
better ways to engage with your content
• Reduces the time to market

14. 2. Partner with Start-ups
• So the next time you get an unsolicited LinkedIn
message from an upstart, pay attention to what
they are offering
• It’s a win-win situation
– They borrow your brand/ case study
– You pilot a new feature for a negligible cost
– If the user engagement data is encouraging, we
monetize

15. 2. Partner with Start-ups
• Twitter Amplification of LIVE moments
• Bracketed voting
• User generated video remixes/ mashups
• LIVE video social engagement
• Gamification
• Smart music experiences

16. 3. Leverage Open Innovation
- Proven models
• Cast a wide net for problem solving & creativity

17. 3. Leverage Open Innovation
- Proven models
• Take advantage of a community of creators

18. 3. Leverage Open Innovation
- Proven models
• An Internal Incubator model
– Samsung (NYC and Palo Alto)
– Barclays (London), Sprint Mobile (Kansas City)
– Google X & Moonshot ideas

19. 3. Leverage Open Innovation (for us)
• Innovation through core competence centers
– Southern Europe focuses on mobile, over the air products
– Northern Europe focuses on Engineering, Design and
Integration with linear Television
– Latin America – social media and blogging
– New York HQ – Platform Product integration and
scalability (for various International markets); innovation
around key events like the MTV EMA

20. 3. Leverage Open Innovation
- Hackathons
• Set a problem solving theme (example: innovate
online video consumption experience)
• Team composition
– Resources who have never worked together
– Drawn from disparate functional & technical areas (a
designer, a bio-statistician and a database architect)

21. Core Ideas Re-cap & Product Value
Re-invent and disrupt your domain
– First Mover Advantage
Partner with start ups
– Cheapest customer engagement data
Leverage Open Innovation
– International development ensures scalability
– Early alpha & beta testing; quick iterations

22. Parting Thought on Product
Existentialism