Welcome to MediaCom's new quarterly
series of short, sharp, interactive programmes to you up to
speed with the most important issues in the advertisng
world - all from the comfort of your own desk. The initiative
includes newsletters, white papers and live online panel
discussions brought to you via webcasts.
Sir Martin Sorrell will kick off our
first interactive webcast session by discussing the challenges
facing advertisers big and small in the next five years. The WPP
boss will reveal his thoughts on the smartest marketing strategies
for 2015 while MediaCom experts will explain how consumers,
technology and media investment will have changed in half a
decade.
MediaCom believes that in 2015 the
mobile phone will have connected millions more low-income consumers
and enabled brands to provide services via text. "Mobile will
become a distribution mechanism for services delivered by the
private sector as governments look for alternative ways to fund
development. Brands have a big opportunity to become service
providers in areas such as health in markets like China, India and
Brazil," says Harvey Goldhersz, MediaCom Vice Chairman and Chief
Operating Officer.
MediaCom believes that in 2015 more
consumers will have taken control of their entertainment, media
consumption and relationships with brands. "Human nature means most
consumers will have just three or four brands that they are happy
to give information to and interact with," says Mick Mernagh,
MediaCom's Chief Insight Officer. "If you want to be one of the few
chosen brands, you will have to demonstrate clear added value and
benefits that encourage them to take the time to interact."
MediaCom believes that in 2015 the era
of big bursts of brand advertising will be over. Instead
advertisers will develop on 52-week schedules of highly targeted
content. "Communication strategies will have to evolve rapidly from
the current focus on rolling out 'a great big new advertising
campaign' into a 52-week a year, targeted, multi-message schedule,"
says Oliver Gertz, Managing Director EMEA at MediaCom Interaction.
"If I have spent the last two weeks researching second-hand Polos
then the advertising I see will feature the Polo, not the new Golf
VW launched the week before."
MediaCom believes that in 2015 most
media owners will be paid on the basis of their ability to change
consumer behaviour. "A few powerful media owners will be strong
enough to maintain their current trading models but the bulk of
media investment in 2015 will be bought on the basis of
performance: the ability to prove marketing impact or business
results," says Christian Schmalzl, Chief Operations and Investment
Director.
Stephen Allan, Chief Executive of
MediaCom, says senior managers need to take time away from the
coal-face of current challenges to address their future
marketplace. "I know from my own experience of managing a global
media agency how easy it is for today's challenges to block up your
diary. All senior executives need to think about the future of
their business. Our upcoming seminars are designed to challenge you
to think more widely and strategically about the opportunities
ahead," he says.
Watch the
recorded webcast here.