For Exile Content Studio a format such as a podcast, which they recently ventured into by acquiring Dixo, “is particularly interesting because it opens an opportunity to generate an audience and intellectual property that can be transformed into other things,” said Alejandro Uribe, CEO of the company.
“The podcast is one of the formats with the highest growth in recent years. Until its boom, podcasts’ production was small and for us, this represents an opportunity to create one of the most important and premium networks in that type of content. But it is also a source of intellectual property where we can create connections with the audience and, eventually, series or other connections to engage with. This format gives us the opportunity to experiment, release those engaging stories and then be able to adapt them to formats that have higher production values. We are interested in that community, in the possibility of incubating this and supplying brands and ideas” Uribe said.
Another area of a recent development for the company is its new children’s division, which is now led by Stephen Davis, former president of studios and content of Hasbro. Davis joined the company because -like Exile- he sees an opportunity in children’s content, both for Hispanic America and Latin America, “a segment that has not been underserved, where there is the possibility of creating characters and brands that can offer confidence to parents and entertain children in a way very suitable for these times, using formats that are very different from those we grew up with” said Uribe.
He highlighted that the anchor in children’s content is the series Club Mundo Kids, with a very successful first season. “We are already working on the version of Club Mundo Kids 2.0, playing with the idea of podcasts and the audio world for children, beginning to establish readings and books’ alliances, looking for the best to use digital formats in addition to the quick tour we did on open channels throughout the US and Latin America. We have learned a lot,” he said.
Regarding the launch of the company’s first series of NFTs, Lil’ Heroes, Uribe assured that they are faithful believers in the democratization of content and public and transparent participation in these processes.
“For us, it is a way to turn around the creation of franchises. Instead of being behind closed doors and with longer times, we took the world and the characters, we found the community that interested them, and together, through an NFT community, with some smart contracts, they could get involved in the creative process that benefits us all: us with the sale, the NFT, and those who buy the value that is created, and through expanding this world, giving them experiences and making it a community that feeds itself”, he highlighted.
He mentioned that already on Discord, one of the main platforms where the world of NFT is shared, they have built a community of more than 140 thousand people interested in the concept of Li’l Heroes, sharing characters, contributing with their art and affinity. “We are just getting started, experimenting with these formats that intersect very naturally with our world of entertainment. When the series comes along, there will be a base that other traditional animation series don’t have. Here is the opportunity to showcase the characters, that these are well received and to create products around a world that already exists” he concluded.