Sean Saylor, VP Creative Director at MTV International, had recently been elevated to a new position at MTV Latin America when he decided to attend the Harvard Business School (HBS) Business of Entertainment, Media, and Sports program. Given the Latin American market's reliance on traditional media and the importance of successful content launches, he was eager to explore successful strategies from other industries. Having recently completed the program, he shared some of his key takeaways.
I'd been eager to participate in this program ever since someone in my office first mentioned it to me. Working with fellow participants not just from the entertainment industry, but also the sports and marketing worlds, I was able to see the commonalities across those various fields and how lessons from one industry could be applied to another.
When I took the program, I had recently been elevated to a position overseeing the marketing department for MTV Latin America. The insights gained from the program allowed me to go back to my team armed with tangible information—concrete examples that validated our approach. The lessons from BEMS helped me work with my team to plan how we would roll out content launches throughout the year.
Many of the case studies we discussed in the class led to insights I was able to take back to MTV and apply to my work. For example, looking at how the night club scene changed—from a focus on bottle service and big spenders to a business of high-profile DJ's creating unique experiences for a wider audience—showed how businesses need to evolve to survive. I was also fascinated by the case study regarding the Metropolitan Opera, showcasing how they found new audiences through technology by simulcasting operas to movie theaters around the country.
The "blockbuster" approach Professor Elberse champions was eye-opening for me. We looked at a case study showing how movie studios are putting resources into fewer—but bigger—hits. That approach of thinking big rather than looking for smaller, more consistent success was very different from the way I had been used to thinking.
Additionally, in Latin American markets, there's still a strong emphasis on traditional media, i.e., print newspapers, radio, and broadcast. The idea of using social media to reach your audience where they are, and on the channels they are using, was a big revelation.
