Amazon has announced a new smartphone, the Fire Phone – a premium-priced device with some unique features and solid hardware; only available in the US at first, its high price and small number of apps limit its appeal

Although initial sales are likely to be low and mainly confined to Amazon Prime members, in the short term the purpose of Fire Phone is simple: to drive increased mobile sales of everything Amazon sells

In the longer term, Amazon needs to avoid being locked out of digital media purchasing on smartphones, increasingly the primary connected device – this is a first, although insufficient, step in that direction

National newspaper advertising fell 8% last year (and by 28% since 2007), but we believe a stronger economic outlook will slow the decline in 2014 to about 6%, even if volatility month-to-month makes budgeting and management a relentless challenge.

The local and regional press should also experience some—but smaller—reprieve, though the sector will continue to haemorrhage national display advertising, so the sector focus must return to local enterprises.

Digital advertising has reached meaningful scale at some titles, but growth in online display is slowing. Platform sales are growing quickly and are essential to resist the devaluing of context for digital marketing in content media.

Strong growth in the UK economy has created a very positive short term outlook for display advertising, with TV Net Advertising Revenues (NAR) expected to increase by 5% in 2014.

That bright prospect is nonetheless overshadowed by online video advertising, where 2014 is expected to add almost £200 million to the estimated £300 million spent in 2013. YouTube is leading the way, but the TV broadcasters also stand to benefit.

All the indicators point to yet more rapid growth in online video advertising over the next three to five years. So far it has had little apparent impact on TV NAR, but this should change from 2015 as TV and online video become more closely meshed.

At its f8 developer conference, under the slogan “Build, Grow, Monetise”, Facebook rolled out a slew of new policies and initiatives designed to boost its appeal amongst users, app developers and advertisers

In its drive to encourage developers to build more apps that support the social network, Facebook is attempting to position itself as a “cross-platform platform” with 1 billion+ users that sits on top of iOS, Android and other mobile operating systems

Key announcements included App Links, an open source solution enabling linking across apps, which may drive additional usage, and Facebook Audience Network, an app ad network rolling out this year, which should drive additional margin and could challenge Google AdSense

Facebook has successfully transitioned its business to mobile, with the number of mobile users now exceeding those on PC, and mobile newsfeed ads accounting for nearly all revenue growth and over half of total revenue, now on a $10 billion annual run-rate

North America and Europe continue to account for the vast majority of revenue and revenue growth, despite flat audience penetration in both regions, as increasing mobile consumption and advertiser take-up have driven sharp increases in ARPU, particularly in the US

Despite tougher comparables and declining desktop revenue going forward, the rapid ramp up in mobile ad revenue, plus initiatives such as video ads, ads on Instagram and planned mobile ad network, should deliver strong growth through 2014 and into 2015

The boom in mobile device sales accelerated in 2013, with more than four times as many smartphones and tablets as PCs shipped in the UK: smartphones accounted for three quarters of mobile phone sales, and shipments of tablets surpassed PC sales, which fell sharply

By 2020, we forecast that smartphone penetration will rise from two thirds of the population to over 80%, and the number of tablet users will exceed 60%, outstripping the PC internet audience, which we expect to shrink. We now predict that the majority of internet usage will go to mobile devices this year and three quarters by 2020

Mobile is well on its way to becoming the predominant access platform in the UK, as in the US, and most, if not all, future growth in commercial internet revenues will be driven by mobile devices

Netflix is making steady progress with the global expansion of its streaming business, which now makes up 20% of total revenues, but is still far short of its long term vision of 70-80% share

Building a large presence in Europe is vital to long term success. The signs are that Netflix is steadily growing its UK and Ireland base, and performing even more strongly in the Nordics and possibly also in the Netherlands

We are reaching the most critical point of Netflix’s European journey, as it contemplates entry into the key markets of France and Germany. Germany looks the more obvious first choice, with rumours of a September launch, but ideally Netflix will want an autumn launch in France too, if it can handle the extra strain on budgets

Amazon has entered the increasingly crowded digital entertainment TV device marketplace, one which could be strategically more important for the ecommerce giant than tech rivals Apple and Google

The frictionless integration of entertainment and ecommerce on TV represents a bigger consumer milestone than competitor services are offering, and Amazon’s brand has huge appeal, though at present it has less market traction for streaming than it does for other products

Content owners and broadcasters remain the real TV gatekeepers, with integration of TV and digital a service-level pipe dream for now, and so Amazon will likely have to accept being one of many, rather than the runaway winner as it is in books

The core US long form streaming subscription business, so vital to Netflix prospects of long term global as well as domestic success as competition increases, shows no sign of slowing, while guidance points to Q1 2014 as another strong quarter Although market research indicates a positive brand image, boosted by Netflix’s entry into original content commissions, Netflix cannot afford to slacken in its efforts to build its subscriber base due to strong upward competitive pressures on content obligations Content delivery is the other big cost challenge. There is no guarantee that the recent deal with Comcast will last, as the leading ISPs contend with conflicts of interest that arise from wishing to support the traditional model of linear TV but also to exploit the potential of long form online video

This report on the digital transformation of the creative industries in the UK was produced by Enders Analysis and research partner Bain & Company, to support the Creative UK event organised by Enders Analysis and held at the BT Centre on 18 March 2104. The event is sponsored by BT, Enders Analysis, Bain & Company, Powerscourt and Shine Group. 

 The UK’s rate of business creation since 2010 has been especially strong relative to other major economies, backed by a solid trend to self-employment. Business creation in the creative industries  – music, film, television, advertising, the arts, book and newspaper publishing - has been a major contributor, up 17% since 2010.  

Underpinned by a generation of investment in broadband, digital technology is changing how many creative-sector companies produce and distribute products. But experiences vary widely:  

• For advertising and marketing companies, the transition has had a benign impact on revenue; online’s share of total advertising was at 36% in 2012, placing the UK in the vanguard of digital advertising
• Television has remained relatively resilient to disintermediation by the internet and TV remains the single biggest advertising medium
• Consumer-facing newspapers have undergone a painful transition as pennies from digital replace pounds from print and ad sales
• Recorded music sales halved in the decade to 2013, but digital accounted for 50% of revenues in 2013, and the corner has been turned; artist management is being transformed by the use of online media
• New online pure play businesses have sprung up, like Rightmove and Zoopla Property Group, AutoTrader, LoveFilm and Spotify
• The crafts industries have been transformed by online marketplaces like Etsy, which allow them to serve their customers wherever they may be
• YouTube is emerging as an important outlet for UK creative talents