Running head: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF VIACOM MEDIA COMPANY 1

An Annotated Bibliography of Viacom Media Company

Abstract
Viacom is an American mass media and entertainment company operating in 180 countries
across the US, Europe, and Asia. It delivers entertainment to its audience through three
platforms, television, motion picture, and digital media. MTV Networks, owned by Viacom,
operates Comedy Central and Nickelodeon cable networks. Viacom also owns Black
Entertainment Television which airs BET, BET Hip Hop and BET Gospel. Paramount Picture
represents Viacom’s significant investment in the film business that runs Paramount Pictures and
Paramount Vantage. Today Viacom owns one of the largest communication networks in the
world amassing a vast audience. Key among Viacom’s expansion strategies is the use of big data
analytics and aggressive acquisitions. Using big data, Viacom applies real-time analytics using
Apache Spark and Databricks platform to improve the viewer experience and grow its share of
the audience. The two platforms monitor videos regularly and reallocate resources where they
are needed. Below are annotated bibliographies expounding on the use of big data by the mass
media multinational.
Satish, L., & Yusof, N. (2017). A review: big data analytics for enhanced customer experiences
with crowdsourcing. Procedia computer science, 116, 274-283.
This coauthored academic article analyzes and reviews the steps companies wishing to
employ customer experience big data analytics and introduction of crowdsourcing. These
two strategies the authors explain are the decade's best opportunities for the improvement
of customer satisfaction, increasing profits and creating an improved customer
experience. The paper stresses on how the corporate scene is evolving into a small digital
environment in which software applications support business operations and the inherent
benefits for customer service perspectives. In the introduction, the authors define how the
relevance of data day by day increases as large capacities of both structured and
unstructured of information is collected from various sources. In an easy to understand
tone, the authors compile examples of how firms reap huge revenues through exploiting
customer feedback. A case of Opower, which allows customers to share their payments
with their Facebook friends provides a platform for comparison among customers.
Satish and Yusof further explain how many organizations through targeting customer
data are capable of comparing data on a larger scale and enhancing the quality of their
productions. An illustration of such a company is Viacom which uses Apache Spark for
monitoring the quality of video feeds in its Comedy Central show and reallocating
resources to match customer needs. Subsequent chapters in the research dig a little deeper
on the types of analysis possible on the data obtained from customer experiences. Here
the authors adopt a professional tone and use statistical facts to demonstrate the analysis
aspect of big data. A topic on crowdsourcing with big data features in the text with
images on how it operates clarity. While concluding, the authors are keen to touch on the
limitations that come with the use of big data. This paper is detailed and contains relevant
information that touches on important aspects of big data use for data scientists across
various industries.
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Malthouse, E. C., Maslowska, E., & Franks, J. (2018). The Role of Big Data in Programmatic
TV Advertising. In Advances in Advertising Research IX (pp. 29-42). Springer Gabler,
Wiesbaden.
The article by Malthouse et al. takes the reader through the world of TV advertising,
highlighting the growth, opportunities and challenges facing the sector. The author begins
by stating how television dominates as the most popular advertising medium with a
forecast for global revenue from the same. A transition follows explaining how modern
TV is evolving and has led to the sealing of the divide that once existed between TV
content and online video. The authors elaborate on how online videos grew in popularity
surpassing traditional TV distribution channels. This traditional review concludes with
the introduction to modern internet-based companies and such as Netflix and rival “TV
Everywhere” as advancements from the Cable and satellite companies. In the
introduction, the author vividly paints a picture of how TV has evolved over the years.
In subsequent chapters, the author shifts and elaborate on how modern technology,
coupled with data, are revolutionizing how ads are created and sold alongside TV
programs. There the author, in one image, illustrates how an ad moves from the
advertising media until it reaches its final consumers and the various stakeholders and
processes involved. Critical among the steps is the reviews and insights from customers
that Viacom can monetize significantly. These profits, usually earned through ratings
from audiences, are widely used in target marketing. The authors use scenarios to give
readers an illustration on how TV companies that use big data outperform their
competitors that have opted to stick to traditional advertising. The author conveniently
offers the reader what they need to know about the use of big data in TV advertising.
Greenstein, S., & Snively, C. (2018). Viacom: Democratization of Data Science.
In Shane Greenstein and Christine Snively's article, the duo illustrates how the rules are
changing in customer data use based on a case study of mass media firm, Viacom. The
authors demonstrate how Viacom, through its data science and analytics team, built
Science Central, a site that offers its employees access to its viewers' insights on
television. The authors highlight the changing trends in how companies are lately
allowing access to customer reviews unlike when they considered such information
sensitive. Viacom's vice president Fabio Luzzi is a strong supporter on the potential big
data has in allowing employees to make well-informed decisions. A dilemma situation
exists in the article where Luzzi is indifferent on whether to strengthen the number of
users in the platform or explore new insights. The authors in posing this dilemma present
a challenge for readers and firms running big data systems.
In the following chapters, the authors review a SWOT analysis that Luzzi conducts to
choose the way to go in Viacom's big data and analytics department. In the sections that
follow the article is very definite and looks at the big data topic with its accompanying
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The strengths, the author notes include
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Viacom's successful track record alongside with diverse product portfolio, including
MTV and Nickelodeon. Weaknesses of the move include negative reviews among
dissatisfied customer that could harm the public image of Viacom. Opportunities in the
article lie in the growing market size and changing customer patterns that are both good
for business. The last chapters mention the threats that Viacom should prepare for to
ensure both its analytics department and the whole company withstands the turbulent
economic periods. The article is very detailed yet comprehensive on how firms could
seize the opportunities that come with handling customer data for growth strategy.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF VIACOM MEDIA COMPANY 5

References
Greenstein, S., & Snively, C. (2018). Viacom: Democratization of Data Science.
Malthouse, E. C., Maslowska, E., & Franks, J. (2018). The Role of Big Data in Programmatic
TV Advertising. In Advances in Advertising Research IX (pp. 29-42). Springer Gabler,
Wiesbaden.
Satish, L., & Yusof, N. (2017). A review: big data analytics for enhanced customer experiences
with crowdsourcing. Procedia computer science, 116, 274-283.