May 5, 2016
On Monday, the annual IAB digital content NewFront season got underway – and once again, Bloomberg Media was a day 1 presenter, announcing a slate of new initiatives and original digital-first content launches. The surprise celebrity appearance of the day belonged to Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh, in conversation with acclaimed broadcast journalist Terre Blair – the mastermind behind “Big Problems, Big Thinkers”, a new six-part video series set to launch on Bloomberg this summer.
Terre Blair & Steven Soderbergh intro Big Problems, Big Thinkers: bright minds to solve huge challenges #smrtrfstr pic.twitter.com/mk3yxdbQ5r
— Bloomberg Media (@BBGMedia) May 2, 2016
The digital-first show will be brought to viewers by Cisco, a global leader in technology solutions. It will feature in-depth conversations with such leading lights as the Dalai Lama, Warren Buffet and Madeline Albright in addition to Soderbergh, and is directed by Blair, who decided to enlist top thinkers to tackle the toughest questions of our time. Topics include climate change, the economy, how success is measured, and more.
“An entrenched ideology is the enemy of problem solving,” Soderbergh told Bloomberg’s NewFront audience, gathered in 8 live U.S. locations. “I hope we can all stay open.” Warren Buffet, joining by video link, added: “The babies being born in America today are the luckiest crop in history – we have a shared responsibility to ensure this, and I’m grateful to Terre for providing context to critical issues and ways to act.”
“There’s never been a better time for technology to help solve some of the world’s greatest challenges.” – Keith Grossman, Bloomberg Media
“There’s never been a better time for technology to help solve some of the world’s greatest challenges. That’s why ‘Big Problems, Big Thinkers’ has partnered with Cisco to bring their unique perspective on how tech can tackle our biggest problems,” said Keith Grossman, Bloomberg Media’s US Head of Sales.
Bloomberg will use its new Kinection brand content arm, also announced at Monday’s NewFront, to develop and produce custom content for Cisco that aligns with themes explored in the show. The pieces will bring to life the ways Cisco’s technology is shaping how businesses, cities and people connect and collaborate.
“Cisco is excited to support this innovative program that examines the most serious challenges faced by the global community.” – Karen Walker, Cisco
“Cisco is excited to support this innovative program that examines the most serious challenges faced by the global community,” says Cisco CMO Karen Walker. “We believe that technology can help solve many of these challenges, which is a major motivation for the work we do at Cisco.”
– Jen Robinson | May 5, 2016