With agencies and production companies scrambling to create campaigns across myriad platforms, the phrase "content is king" has never rang truer. According to a survey of agencies, as well as traditional and new media producers, undertaken by Denver-based licensing firm Thought Equity, the advertising community is increasingly turning to stock footage.

"We wanted to understand how people used the content in the past, how they're using it today and how they plan to use it in the future," says Thought Equity CEO Kevin Schaff.

The survey reported that 72% of respondents use stock footage, and that 44% are using it for new media projects. "We found that there's a lot of demand now because consumer-generated content has started to drive expectations up." Schaff says the need for agencies to "create more with less" in tighter timeframes is also contributing to increased stock use.

It also sought to address perceived obstacles to utilizing stock in ads. "We found there's not enough inventory in real-time to do real-time search, preview and delivery," he says. Unpredictable pricing was another complaint registered by respondents, but Schaff says beyond price points, efficiency and accountability is paramount. "There's too much risk in licensing if you don't do it appropriately."

Thought Equity http://www.thoughtequity.com