Paris– MIPTV is publishing an exclusive whitepaper entitled Generation #Hashtag: Harnessing the Power of Fans, the central theme of next edition of MIPTV 2016, the world’s most-established TV and digital content market.

Written by Bain & Company, the 17-page report sets out five imperatives that must be followed to understand these mobile-centric, always-on consumers, for whom recommendation by social networks is one of the key drivers of viewer choice. 

Counter-intuitively, generation #hashtag is not just about age. Younger audiences may still be spearheading this movement, but older demographics are catching up fast, and almost one-third of 36-55-year-olds now watch mobile video on a daily basis, the report finds.

For video producers and distributors, harnessing the power of fans will require a better understanding of these new patterns of behaviour. As more consumers turn to native digital video – in other words, content that was originated for the digital ecosystem, rather than adapted from traditional entertainment formats – media companies must adopt a native-first mind-set rather than continuing to digitize existing content and business models. The report also sets out a new monetization map for the industry, and suggests that, contrary to conventional wisdom, younger customers are willing to part with cash across a range of payment models.

The Power of Fans is the central theme of MIPTV 2016, and will be explored from all angles through a range of conferences, top-level keynotes, and panels featuring industry experts from the new online content ecosystem. To address this topic, renowned author Harlan Coben, Vivendi’s President of Content & Group MD of Havas Media Dominique Delport, RTL Group’s co-CEO Guillaume de Posch, Wildness’s Chief Strategy Officer Margaret Czeilsler, and Mattel’s President and COO Richard Dickson have so far been confirmed as keynote speakers at MIPTV 2016.