If Content Really Is King, Then Madison Avenue's May Be Facing $3 Billion Digital Ransom

If content truly is king, then be prepared for Madison Avenue’s brand-generated content to be held for a $3 billion ransom.

That’s what Douglas Wood, senior partner at Reed Smith, and the Association of National Advertisers' chief counsel more or less suggested will happen next year when the Hollywood talent unions -- SAG and AFTRA -- try to get their hooks into the kind of digital marketing content that is not currently classified as “advertising” or “commercials” and therefore does not fall under current contract provisions between Madison Avenue and its commercial talent pool. Wood threw the $3 billion number out there, suggesting it might be the contractual value of some testy negotiations he anticipates taking place between the ad industry and the Hollywood unions.