I can’t get no aggregation, but I try…

I heard the Rolling Stones’ classic hit “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” on a recent walk, and as always, it added a little extra bounce to my step. Mick Jagger waxing on about the media blitz he was experiencing, advertisers telling him what he wanted, politicians telling him how he should act. Timely lyrics combined with Keith Richards’ iconic guitar riff. It’s hard to believe that Mick was viewed as a problem child on the fringe of society when the song was released in 1965. How ironic that he was knighted years later and now goes by Sir Mick! 

So, what?

Not unlike the media blitz that Mick sang about, there are hundreds if not thousands of video content providers aggressively vying for eyeballs. And the quantity of available content is just as staggering. Unfortunately, getting all that content, from all those providers, and in one place, is not so common. And even if you could find a provider that consolidates everything you want, it’s probably not going to be a simple, integrated experience.

Without naming names, many so-called “aggregators” just aggregate their own content while selling a bit of 3rd-party content. So if you’re like me, you have a live TV streaming service and subscribe to several other subscription services, you must activate and exit in and out of each service when looking for content. Not ideal.  

And in a slight digression, I find it amusing that many of my friends complain about such app hunting while longing for the good old days of cable – when all their content was packaged in a single, intuitive guide. Yet another irony, I suppose, for someone who has been working in this business for 20+ years and used to hear those same friends complain about how bad the old cable experience was. 

To make sure we’re on the same page, I see aggregation as the process of collecting and organising various types of content from various sources and presenting it in one place. The content may include reviews, blogs, and music from various platforms and online sources that enhance other standard forms of content. I would call it “entertainment” rather than just “video” aggregation. 

Regardless of the semantics – video aggregation, entertainment aggregation, or even super aggregation – aggregation maintains strategic value, since it solves a real consumer problem, having to app hop to find what you want to watch. When done properly, it simplifies the process and removes numerous steps from the search experience. With so much content available online, it’s challenging to keep track of the many different platforms and sources out there. 

As the demand for video content continues to grow, aggregation is becoming an increasingly important part of the online landscape. By facilitating the consumers’ content discovery experience, video providers can reduce churn, improve loyalty, and not to mention by being the epicenter for content discovery, a world of new revenue opportunities open up through referrals and affiliate partnerships opportunities.

To find out how true aggregation can help differentiate your video offering -and get you some aggregation satisfaction- click here to arrange your fifteen-minutes discovery call.