Dentsu’s 120-year-old legacy is built on thinking beyond the immediate. We combine our media and CXM capabilities with modern creativity and innovation. This is essential to create powerful brand experiences to connect with the next generation of consumers in a world where interruption will no longer be enough. 

Our Future of Entertainment series is a prime example of this. It empowers brands to navigate the present and master the future. Today, our approach is more connected, contextual, and personalized than before.  

Our journey into the future of entertainment and media is an invitation to brands to join us in this transformative journey. Amid profound cultural shifts, Web 3 and AI will drive unprecedented transformation for businesses and consumers in the next decade. Success will be defined by how well we engage with consumers, leveraging the power of entertainment and technology.  

As we look to the future, content retains its throne but reigns over a new domain - the data kingdom. For long, companies have used consumer data as a one-sided weapon, but now, consumers seek more transparent experiences. As per Dentsu Consumer Vision 2023, 83% of global consumers desire more control over the personal information shared with companies.  

Data will soon form the core of human experiences, driving the demand for hyper-personalization. We envision a world where AI tailors and distributes real-time content matching individual tastes. Imagine the same movie streaming differently for each viewer, adapted to their unique taste. This is a teaser of a tomorrow when content becomes predictive and personalized.  

AI is evolving as a powerful storyteller that creates dynamic narratives and adds more layers of complexity to stories. AI’s integration into daily life extends from personal content creation to transforming social media content management. It is democratizing content creation and enabling Key Opiniontion Leaders (KOLs) to become media powerhouses. 

Consumers are evolving from passive content consumers to active co-creators, influencing media narratives and product development. With technology redefining the face of audience engagement, brands will need to find new avenues for consumer participation and co-creation. For example, at the Baidu World conference last year, AI-powered virtual hosts accompanied consumers for a 24-hour livestream.  

As cultures transcend borders, entertainment's geographical boundaries blur. The shift in power dynamics is also evident in how K-pop and K-drama have become hugely popular in the West. 

It’s a new time for entertainment, and brands. Earlier, primetime spots and big-budget ad campaigns were key to convert mass audiences, but now the industry players need to become catalysts for truly immersive experiences.  

eSports are one of the many examples of traditional content being challenged. Dentsu has been monitoring how eSports are set to rival traditional sports in terms of audience reach and fan satisfaction by the end of this decade. The 2022 League of Legends World Championship drew a global viewership of over 5 million. With immersive gaming experiences and significant viewing times, eSports are redefining fan expectations and blurring the lines between real and virtual sporting events. 

As physical and virtual boundaries dissolve, how consumers experience entertainment will evolve. Consumers will seek immersive experiences that go beyond screens. Think extended reality (VR, AR, MR), voice, and gesture recognition. Viewing will no longer be enough in a time when consumers want to be part of the action.  

Virtual worlds are no longer limited to video games and niche virtual communities. Many big brands are experimenting with virtual worlds for marketing purposes. By engaging early, brands can emerge as shaping forces of these new virtual worlds and be ready to lead while others try to catch up. The emerging Web3 will also give consumers the tools to claim rights over their data. As consumers also seek more ownership of their brand experiences, many entertainment brands are preparing for the future of loyalty using tokenized loyalty programs and universal wallets.   

As a consumer, the only thing I remember from the past three years is change. But are brands ready to keep up the pace and evolve? The only way to get there in ten years is to begin now!  

The journey from Now to Next is surely a long but fruitful one. To understand how prepared your brand is, read our report on the Future of Entertainment which you can download using the form below. This report and the accompanying 10-part whitepaper series is your passport to understanding how brands can navigate the metamorphosis of consumer desire and expectation