As a report by the World Economic Forum puts it, “the role of media historically has been central to the making of society and the construction of identity. At this dark moment for humanity, threatened by COVID-19 with many people physically isolated, this role is vital in the search for information, stories and art to feed the human spirit and ignite the imagination to overcome the challenges ahead.”
More than 13 years ago, in 2007, leading digital analyst and anthropologist Brian Solis set out to define Social Media and its implications for society at large in this blog post. Today, after 13 years, it’s fascinating to take stock of how far we’ve come. The changes, the many disruptions along the way, the trends that stuck and the fads that faded. Today, one thing has become increasingly clear – digital media are not just here to stay; they’re here to take over. The print medium has been going through its own roller coaster of decline and rise. But digital is on an ever-upward march!
CEO, Publicis Media Americas Tim Jones feels that from a marketing perspective, brands now have an opportunity to modernize their business models with a keen focus on digital experience. Chris Macdonald, Global President, Advertising & Allied Agencies, McCann Worldgroup, meanwhile, feels that streaming TV platforms have performed incredibly strongly owing to people’s need for entertainment. So much so that their willingness to pay for it has increased. Contrastingly, he also feels that live TV will return with aplomb, as people realize how much they have missed the drama and excitement that it offers, especially live sporting events.
An interesting insight emerging in the content production for TV is how agile content creation methods have trumped spending millions of dollars on a TV spot, now that they’ve seen the impact and efficiency of the new ways. Corbett Drummey, Co-Founder and CEO of influencer marketing and content creation company Popular Pays prophecies that the lifetime of TV commercials will shift to closely mimicking online content. As the traditional and digital worlds of ads seem close to merging, this gigantic shift is an important consideration for anyone evaluating a career in the field of mainline advertising.
Even on the journalism front, this year has been unique to say the least. Not only has the old media landscape evolved further into an increasingly fluid digital ecosystem, the pandemic has brought trust and accuracy to the frontlines like never before. Journalism is witnessing an increase in the public’s trust. According to MarketingWeek’s global research and data, the only way for journalists to extricate themselves from the blemish of ‘fake news’ is to ensure 100% accuracy in their content, taking precedence over revenue, exclusivity, or racing to publish first.
This high benchmark for authenticity says that an audience is willing to wait a little longer for an authentic story instead of clamoring over the first ones to break the news. Here is a time when reputation is more important than anything else. Here is a time when credibility and reputation are more important than anything else.
The pandemic has already been touted as the biggest driver yet of Digital Transformation. These changes are being ushered in by the new mindsets and behaviors we as a people are starting to develop, helped along the way by constantly improving technology and its creative application. Here’s an age that doesn’t seek but DEMANDS reinvention, be it in terms of storytelling through art and advertising, reporting news, or finding new and better opportunities to create content.
Given the challenges imposed by the current situation, creativity is to be found within the constraints. In a landscape that is undergoing accelerated evolution, the opportunity is up for grabs to not just make a mark, but carve a niche for yourself. At Pearl Academy, we offer you learnings right from the creative edge to bring you the latest insights, techniques and mindsets needed to thrive in the new reality. We see the world evolving all around us. To give our students the upper hand, we must evolve with it.
