On the Hot Seat: Marie Jacobson

Determining which TV shows have the potential to be a success on the mobile platform is not an exact science. For Marie Jacobson, executive vice president, programming and production, international networks at Sony Pictures Television International, the mobile area is a great place for compelling and creative content to get visibility with consumer. Jacobson recently talked with FierceMobileContent editor-in-chief Sue Marek about her vision of mobile content.

FierceMobileContent: You’ve been in this business for a long time. What do you think of the mobile platform for content?

Jacobson: Mobile is a big focus for us. Mobile is an extension of a lot of great things we are doing in the TV space. It’s also a fertile development platform and distribution platform for a lot of stuff—video, personalization, games and networks. We are looking at it as a pipeline and an experience for our consumers around the world.

FierceMobileContent: Do you view mobile as a way to take existing content and distribute it more broadly?

Jacobson: We don’t have a unilateral strategy. We have a hybrid content strategy. There isn’t just one way to exploit it. Not only are we looking at mobile as a device that can be used in a lot of different fashions but it is also something that we do around the world. With 350 plus carriers there are a lot of different needs. We are well positioned as a company to deliver content to these operators around the world.

I work closely with the distribution people to target content specifically to broadcasters who are looking for multiplatform entertainment. Our distribution team also is working with mobile and ISP providers for content.

I have a wide role. I’ve been at Sony a long time. There is a mandate at the company to develop open platform entertainment. We don’t go into any project without derivative revenue streams in mind. TV continues to be our core business but mobile and digital platforms are a fertile development and distribution platform.

FierceMobileContent: Is mobile being integrated into programming from the concept stage?

Jacobson: Absolutely. In fact, if it isn’t then it really isn’t a dedicated experience. We try to reinforce that. If it’s a retrofit to mobile or to Internet it feels like it. Consumers are too wise for that. In mature markets, the mobile consumer is looking for specific content that speaks to them as a mobile consumer. That is specific content. If we are producing a TV property, then we want to be sure is that on any one platform our viewer or consumer is getting a different dedicated experience. “Afterworld” is one property that we are working on now. Our promise to our partners is that we are delivering a multiplatform property. What you see on TV will be a dedicated experience vs. what you get on mobile and online. That’s been very fun and labor intensive.

FierceMobileContent: We’ve seen content players do this differently. For some, it’s extra content that you find on the mobile or a different story line or other characters. Is that how you look at it?

Jacobson: We look at it in terms of what the lifestyle of that consumer is and what they expect from that device or platform. We have is dedicated video elements that work across all three platforms. For “Afterworld,” specifically, there is 130 three-minute pieces of content, linear content, that tells the story. That could play across TV, mobile and Internet. We also have 13 broadcast one-half hours for the same franchise for the broadcasters. Then we have recaps, trailers, music videos and those things are geared toward the mobile and Internet consumer.

When you drill down more you have to ask, what can we do for mobile for a non-3G consumer? We’re creating a really cool mobile comic strip. We are creating a rich comic strip experience for the non-3G consumer that wants to experience it but can’t yet.

We also have premium downloads and a casual game in development that will bridge the gap for “Afterworld” between season 1 and season 2.

At the early stage-at script stage—we got involved last year. It was very important for us to have something to offer that was dedicated to each platform.

It’s not like we created a TV property and backed into a mobile and Internet platform.

FierceMobileContent: I think that’s still happening quite a bit in the industry.

Jacobson: Yes, I do too. It’s still a big undertaking. No one wants to embed a big digital crew and spend a lot of time creating digital enhancements for products until it works.

FierceMobileContent: Because the revenue streams aren’t there yet.

Jacobson: Yes. You also understand that in this world of viral communications that could be just the thing that does make it work. You look at the TV show “Jericho” and the campaign that went on to keep that show on TV – you have very devoted fans. For select properties it makes sense to parallel develop digital extensions and feed that hungry community.

FierceMobileContent: But isn’t it still guess work? If the show isn’t good, the mobile content doesn’t work.

Jacobson: It’s like everything in entertainment. There is no recipe and there is no formula.