Former Avid man’s new consultancy eyes sporting prize
Hertfordshire-based consultancy Waterside Media will focus on bringing together companies and products from across the broadcast, media and entertainment industries in order ‘to create successful partnerships and projects’. Heading up the new operation is Neil Blake (pictured), whose three-decade broadcast sector career included a long association with Avid in solutions development and technology partnership management roles.
Waterside Media will channel its energies into three primary areas: Technology Partner Management, whereby it will provide a ‘discreet and confidential’ service to companies seeking to establish new partnerships by finding and pre-qualifying potential partners, and then remaining in close contact with the partners to ensure the relationships continue to prosper; Channel Management, in which it will assist companies aiming to enter specific UK and European markets to build and support a successful reseller channel; and Archive Workflows, whereby it will deliver the latest media management and storage platforms in line with clients’ individual needs.
The company will also collaborate with the Sadie Groom-led Silver Lining to provide marketing services for brand and product launches, and draw on the expertise of several other partner companies, including axle video, Object Matrix, Spectra Logic, Step2e and Stream UK.
Speaking to SVG Europe, Neil Blake confirmed that sports broadcast would be a target for his new operation. 2012, he remarks, has been “a fantastic year for sport in the media – the online coverage of the summer’s main sporting events raised the bar for how sports content should be delivered to consumers. Waterside Media and our partners can help content owners maximise the value of their media assets with engaging interactive fan experiences based on managed access to online media platforms. Imagine a fan compiling their own favourite goals from any number of searchable games which they could share with their friends around the world, driving viewers to the host content owners’ websites and creating more demand for online content, which increases sales and strengthens brand identity.”