CMF launches study on audience engagement activities of digital entertainment accelerator ideaBOOST

Montreal, July 10, 2013 – Today, at the International Start Up Festival in Montreal, the Canada Media Fund (CMF) launched a report it commissioned about the audience engagement activities of Canada’s first digital entertainment accelerator, ideaBOOST. Available only in English, ideaBOOST: Audience Engagement Report, is the result of a research partnership between the CMF and the Canadian Film Centre’s Media Lab and their ideaBOOST accelerator program. 

“The CMF is pleased to be collaborating with the CFC Media Lab and the only digital entertainment accelerator in the Canadian marketplace that integrates audience engagement into their four-month program. Being the first to mine the results of bringing this type of focus on audiences in the acceleration of digital entertainment companies enables the CMF to provide some valuable information to content producers across Canada. With this insightful document, we are equipping content producers with knowledge about how their peers in ideaBOOST have brought audience development and audience interaction activities into their projects, and enabling them to learn from their experience.” says Valerie Creighton, President and CEO, CMF.

Using case studies and a cross-case analysis of seven teams who were part of the first cohort of the ideaBOOST accelerator program, the objective of this research is to understand the different types of audience engagement, the techniques used to develop and interact with audiences and how audience engagement methods can be used at different stages of development and production processes, and to what effect.

“The collaboration with the CMF is invaluable for ideaBOOST. Through this digital entertainment accelerator, we are inciting Canadian companies to embrace new models and frameworks for developing their properties/products and businesses.  Audience engagement models are a key part of this new production revolution. And the CMF is a key part in bringing this new way of thinking to more digital entertainment companies in Canada,” says Ana Serrano, Chief Digital Officer, CFC.

Click here to download the report.

Fact-findings initiatives such as ideaBoost: Audience Engagement Report stem from the CMF’s Industry and Market Trends (IMT) department, whose role is to monitor trends and the evolution of the industry, to provide stakeholders and decision-makers with industry intelligence and recommendations on potential strategic orientations. ideaBoost: Audience Engagement Report is one example of how the CMF partners with organizations that prepare innovative Canadian companies for growth by providing guidance and mentorship. For more industry research reports, click here.

In April 2013, the CMF announced two pilot programs to further support digital media projects, one of which has a budget of $360 K to establish funding partnerships with incubators or accelerators across Canada. The other pilot program will allocate $350 K to support international co-productions in digital media. More details about these programs will be announced once they become available.

About the Canada Media Fund
The Canada Media Fund (CMF) fosters, develops, finances and promotes the production of Canadian content and applications for all audiovisual media platforms.  The CMF guides Canadian content towards a competitive global environment by fostering industry innovation, rewarding success, enabling a diversity of voice and promoting access to content through public and private sector partnerships. Please visit www.cmf-fmc.ca.

The CMF’s Canadaonscreen.ca is a website designed to showcase and celebrate Canadian creative talent and content destined for all types of screens, from television productions to games, Web content and software and applications.

About ideaBOOST
ideaBOOST identifies early stage companies in the media and technology industry that are ready to take advantage of the accelerator process and the relationship building that ideaBOOST believes is essential to become market- or investor-ready in today's competitive media market ecosystem. Through an intensive four-month, part-time prototype development and audience engagement boot camp, ideaBOOST enables participants to build successful products and sustainable companies that stay in Canada and build employment. In addition to breeding entrepreneurs, ideaBOOST aims to help convert high-potential Canadian digital content ventures into successful businesses and spurs innovation in the Canadian digital media sector. ideaBOOST is developed by the CFC Media Lab with program founders Corus Entertainment, Google, and Shaw Media. For more information on ideaBOOST, visit www.ideaBOOST.ca.

About The CFC Media Lab
Created in 1997 by the Canadian Film Centre (www.cfccreates.com), the CFC Media Lab provides a unique collaborative training, acceleration and creative production think-tank environment for emerging new media content developers, practitioners and companies. An internationally acclaimed and award-winning facility, graduates of the CFC Media Lab emerge as leaders in the world of interactive media, produce innovative projects and start up 21st century companies.

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For more information, please contact:

Pierre Campeau
Communications Manager
Canada Media Fund
[email protected]
416-554-2768