STRENGTHS: “Media is exploding. Brands are connecting to consumers in new ways every day. Screens are ubiquitous — phones, tablets, television, laptops. Content is being created and consumed at a record pace. Today’s social fabric is woven through digital and social media experiences, making entertainment media more relevant than ever before. In essence, we’re witnessing a media renaissance.”
WEAKNESSESS: “This explosion of media can be chaotic. Audience behaviors have changed, there is increased competition from new business sectors and startups, and brands now need to be managed across a complex transmedia ecosystem. These shifting dynamics can make for a difficult business environment.”
OPPORTUNITIES: “These shifts have created a lot of uncharted territory. There is so much ‘new’ out there that businesses have the opportunity to invent the future of entertainment media, from consumer engagements, to new ways to produce and distribute content, to restructuring revenue streams. With each new platform comes the opportunity for a brand to further proliferate its message — and relationship — with consumers.”
THREATS: “Inaction. In periods of great change, even the mightiest can fall if they don’t effectively reinvent themselves. At the core of this evolution, businesses are challenged to stay culturally current, engage consumers (on the consumer’s terms), and transform from single channel experiences to multi-platform brand ecosystems. An entertainment media brand that’s not looking ahead is already behind.”
OUTLOOK FOR 2013: “Put your seatbelt on and expect more disruption in the media ecosystem as convergence takes hold. We'll see more mergers, startups, failures and lawsuits as media companies look to compete and innovate. Old business models will continue to give way to new, multiple business model solutions. Business categories will continue to blur as companies expand into hybrid services that blend content creation, aggregation, distribution and consumer engagement in new and innovative ways. We'll see more content coming from more places. We'll see more ‘over-the-top’ solutions and more resistance from cable operators and networks. We'll see our screens syncing more, our social apps more integrated, and home media solutions becoming more centralized. While it will be a volatile market for media businesses, the consumer will benefit by having more choices for entertainment media than at any other time in history.”
Dan Pappalardo is an Executive Creative Director and Partner with Troika (http://www.troika.tv/) in Hollywood.