Future Empathic Media Products

Abstract

The broadcasting sector is facing challenging years. With the exponential growth of media content whilst consumers expect a high quality service, it is getting progressively more challenging to offer a personalized media experience. Media companies are continuously exploring novel ways to target their viewers with such a service. In this context, it is crucial for a broadcaster to get a better understanding of the targeted audience. In this paper we highlight how empathy is an essential ingredient for future personalized and interactive services and how it brings the consumer experience to an unprecedented level. Knowing how people experience different kinds of content is strategic information for a broadcaster. (Re)acting on this information potentially delivers better content targeting, enrichment and adaptation. We present an overview of the state‐of‐the art and how it is being applied in broadcasting. We illustrate this with a concrete example case of an empathic product and discuss the importance of empathic products for broadcasters. Additionally, we present the initial results of our own research projects.