Nicola Searle

Innovation in the Application of Digital Tools for Managing Uncertainty: The Case of UK Independent Film

This research investigates innovation in how film producers use social digital tools to engage consumers, reduce demand uncertainty and respond to the challenge of digital disruption that affects the traditional film value chain. Through three empirical case studies of film production and exploitation, we examine examples of innovation in product, service, distribution, marketing and process, each having important implications at the organizational level. Our findings show that innovations in one area have important implications for other areas, distribution impacting on concepts of product and service, for example. We also show that internal firm micro-process dynamics impact directly on external interactions between the firm, consumers en masse and partner firms. Our research thus lies at the nexus of innovation, social media and uncertainty management, and questions the boundaries found in innovation ‘types’ or dominant taxonomies in traditional R&D frames.

Commercial Business Models for a Fast Changing Industry

Standing in line at the supermarket checkout, clutching the latest in Activision’s Call of Duty series, is not particularly unusual as millions of people do the same during launch week. Collectively, we contribute to the £490 million of sales in the week following Call of Duty’s release. Standing in line feels anachronistic in a world where ‘on demand’ has come to mean games at your fingertips, any genre, any format, any platform.

The hard sell: economics and intellectual property policy in the creative and cultural industries

35126.The hard sell: economics and intellectual property policy in the creative and cultural industriesNicola Searle1Economists have not enjoyed smooth sailing in the murky waters of intellectual property (IP) in the creative and cultural industries (CCI). As economics wades into relatively uncharted territory, and into oft-hostile seas, this chapter takes a look at how far econom-ics has come in IP policy in CCI, namely copyright, and where it might be headed. It examines economic analysis of IP as a social science, and its relationship with government and industry, with a focus on North America and the UK

Changing Business Models in the Creative Industries: The cases of Televison, Computer Games and Music Executive Summary

This report was one of two presented and discussed at the Informing Copyright Policy workshop held at the UK Big Innovation Centre on the 19 October 2011. This note of proceedings highlights the key points which emerged and provides some brief reflections on them.

January 2011 Workshop Notes: Changing Business Models in the Creative Industries

This document provides notes from a workshop hosted by the Economics, Research and Evidence Team at the U.K. Intellectual Property Office as part of an ESRC/AHRC funded project. The workshop was an informal debate on changes to business models in the Creative Industries. Participants examined the forces which caused business models to change, the business model response and how these changes might influence policy. The film and music sectors were given particular attention. These notes provide an overview of some of the current debates and research questions surrounding these topics.