Why is Ideate Media focusing on developing original content instead of outsourcing?

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Ideate Media Prioritises Original Content Development to Capture Global Market and Ownership

Ideate Media is shifting its focus from outsourced work-for-hire projects to developing original content because it aims to address a significant gap in the Malaysian creative industry. This strategic pivot is driven by a desire to create intellectual properties (IPs) with international appeal, thereby securing greater ownership and a stronger identity on the global stage. The company believes that investing in the development and monetization phases, rather than solely in production, is crucial for influencing the final product and its market success.
Addressing the Lack of Internationally Travelling Content

The impetus for Ideate Media's strategic shift stems from a frustration with the limited international reach of Malaysian creative content. While local productions have found success domestically, they are typically designed with a specific domestic sensibility, taste, and preference. This inherent focus on local consumption prevents most Malaysian content from "travelling well" or resonating with audiences in international markets. Ideate Media seeks to rectify this by developing content from the outset with a global audience in mind, aiming to "lift the bar" and create a distinct kind of storytelling for international consumption.
Moving Beyond Work-For-Hire

A significant portion of Malaysia's current contribution to the international creative scene involves outsourced work, such as post-production, special effects, and animation, for major global studios like Cartoon Network, Disney, and Nickelodeon. While this provides jobs and revenue, it leaves Malaysian companies with no ownership of the intellectual property. Ideate Media's CEO, Zainir Aminullah, highlights this as a fundamental limitation, stating that such work-for-hire arrangements result in companies getting the hours and the job, but "nothing" in terms of owning the final product. This model leads to a business focused purely on margins and cash flow, without building a unique identity or telling distinct stories.
Investing in Development and Monetisation for IP Ownership

Ideate Media's strategy centres on investing in the crucial early stages of content creation: development and monetisation. By actively sourcing materials, such as book options, and investing their own funds into original ideas, the company aims to influence both the intellectual property itself and its subsequent marketing. This approach contrasts with the current industry landscape in Malaysia, which is primarily focused on the production stage. By controlling the development process, Ideate Media can ensure that its content is designed for specific broadcasters and markets, thereby increasing its chances of securing distribution deals and achieving commercial success.
Building a Global Brand Through Original IPs

The company is actively pursuing the development of original content through various avenues, including creating English-language content for pan-Asian broadcasters and local-language content for other regions. A key initiative involves investing in and developing local Malaysian IPs, such as those from author Ramlee Awang Murshid, with the goal of creating shared universes or franchises. By collaborating with international studios to design these universes, Ideate Media plans to roll out content across multiple formats, including films, TV shows, comics, and mobile products, tailored for different markets but originating from a unified creative vision. This focus on original IP development is intended to unlock significant merchandising opportunities and establish a distinct Malaysian voice in the global entertainment industry.

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Why is Ideate Media focusing on developing original content instead of outsourcing?

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