The Earth: a creators' planet

What the Earth teaches us for reinventing the TV industry

A few days ago, we commemorated Earth Day, with people worldwide emphasizing the need to protect nature and cherish our planet. I'd like to seize this moment to underscore how the Earth's beauty has continually inspired human creativity – and perhaps explore how this influence can revolutionize television storytelling.

Being inherently creative sets humans apart. Our exceptional brain-to-body size ratio, the largest in the universe, is evidence of our creative nature, enabling us to perpetually tell stories, conjure images, and generate content. From the initial cave painting in southern France to billions of Instagram photos, a mere 17,000 years have passed—a blink of an eye in the context of our planet's age. And yet, one constant remains: humans love to use nature and earth as the source of creativity and as the motives of their imagination. From the cave paintings portraying animals to TikTok videos featuring cats - it is always echoing our fascination with nature. Nature remains the preferred imagery.

Hence, why not learn from nature to be a more resilient and sustainable industry. Especially as we in the TV industry are all around content, creating and imagery.?The TV industry can learn a great deal about resilience from nature. Some possible ideas could include the following:

Diversity: Nature thrives on biodiversity, which helps to increase its resiliency. In much the same way, the TV industry can benefit from diversifying its offerings to ensure it remains relevant to consumers. This may include offering a variety of programming that appeals to different demographics and interests.

Adaptability: Nature is incredibly adaptable, with the ability to change and evolve in response to changing environments. The TV industry can similarly benefit from a willingness to adapt and change as needed, whether that means pivoting to new technologies or business models or responding to changes in consumer preferences.

Interconnectedness: In nature, everything is interconnected, with different species relying on each other for survival. The TV industry can similarly benefit from building strong relationships and partnerships across the industry, working together to promote and advance the industry as a whole.

Sustainability: Nature is sustainable, with resources being used in a way that ensures they are replenished for future use. The TV industry can similarly strive for sustainability, focusing on long-term growth rather than short-term profits, and implementing practices that help to reduce waste and promote efficiency.

Resilience: Finally, nature is incredibly resilient, able to bounce back from disasters and disturbances thanks to its inherent strength and adaptability. The TV industry can similarly build resilience by investing in new technologies and business models that ensure its continued relevance and success in the face of changing environments and competition.

Just the week before Earth Day I attended MIPTV 2023 in Cannes. More by accident than actual choice, I could experience how these concepts of nature were applied voluntarily. The meetings often took unexpected turns and we spoke more deeply and honestly about our need to connect, to slow things down and providing more impact to make this world a great place for everyone.

Let us all try to be closer to earth and to our deep desire to create on her behalf every day. Let us make the TV sets what used to the cave walls and weave stories and culture into one unifying piece.

Want to learn more on storytelling as a corporate culture or how we can make your TV business more resilient? Then contact me for an initial discovery call.