Digital Consultancy Ferry Sets Sail from Scotland
Caitlin Meek O’Connor, the head of Night Train Digital, along with her spouse and social media specialist Mark MacDonald, are moving to Scotland to establish their new venture, Ferry, a consultancy with a sharp focus on YouTube. This entrepreneurial pair aims to assist businesses in forming effective strategies, staffing, and organizational structures for managing YouTube and other social media platforms. Meek O’Connor has been at the helm of Night Train Digital, under the umbrella of London’s Night Train Media, for two years. Her previous experience includes a six-year tenure at All3Media’s Little Dot Studios as the head of Programmes and Acquisitions, with past senior positions at Beyond Rights, DRG, Mercury Media, and the BBC. MacDonald, also formerly of Little Dot Studios in various upper management roles, was recently the Global Head of Social Media at Banijay Entertainment before starting his consultancy work in March after departing the France-based conglomerate. “After two wonderful years at Night Train Digital, I am thrilled to begin this new endeavor with Ferry, the consultancy that Mark and I have initiated to aid companies in maximizing their YouTube strategies and to collaborate with Scottish firms to enhance their digital presence and audience reach,” Meek O’Connor shared with Deadline. She added, “It’s a thrilling time to assist in expanding the reach of content.” Currently, Night Train Digital hasn’t appointed a direct replacement for Meek O’Connor, with Lara Sword, Head of Factual Network, overseeing the unit for now.
Ormax Introduces New Tool to Monitor Sports Engagement in India
Ormax Media, a prominent Indian insights firm, is rolling out the Ormax Sports Track, a new tool designed to monitor viewer engagement and assess the marketing effectiveness of sports across streaming platforms in India. Considering the immense following that cricket has digitally in India, along with growing interest in soccer, tennis, kabaddi, and wrestling, such a tool has been much anticipated by platforms, sports leagues, and advertisers. Ormax will assess sports tournaments based on four key metrics: buzz, reach, appeal, and potency. “With Ormax Sports Track, OTT platforms now possess a robust, subscription-based tool to measure the impact of their sports campaigns relative to industry trends,” stated Keerat Grewal, Head of Business Development (Streaming, Television & Brands) at Ormax. He explained, “This tool combines detailed audience tracking with strategic insights, helping our clients to increase subscriptions, optimize marketing expenditures, and differentiate themselves in a competitive sports market.”
Adelaide Film Festival to Premiere ‘Jimpa’ on Opening Night
The Adelaide Film Festival (AFF) has chosen ‘Jimpa,’ directed by Sophie Hyde, for its opening night feature. This multi-generational narrative follows filmmaker Hannah (played by Olivia Colman) as she journeys with her trans non-binary teenager, Frances (played by Aud Mason-Hyde), to Amsterdam to connect with their gay grandfather, Jimpa (John Lithgow). The film, inspired by the death of Hyde’s father and the queer family environment she grew up in, made its initial premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and is slated for its Australian debut, distributed by Kismet. Other films selected for the AFF include ‘Journey Home, David Gulpilil,’ directed by Maggie Miles and Trisha Morton-Thomas; ‘The Colleano Heart’ by Pauline Clague; Lynette Wallworth’s ‘Edge of Life’; the South Australian horror thriller ‘Penny Lane is Dead’ by Mia’Kate Russell; Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or winner ‘It Was Just An Accident’ by Iranian director Jafar Panahi; and ‘Fwends,’ by debut director Sophie Somerville. ‘Jimpa’, ‘My Colleano Heart’, ‘Edge of Life’, and ‘Penny Lane is Dead’ received production support from the Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund. A complete AFF program is set to be announced on September 9.
Daniel Hayes is a business journalist with a focus on market trends, startups, and corporate strategies.
His sharp analysis and investigative reports make complex financial topics accessible to all readers.
