The Media Landscape

The subject of this book is not media or market trends, but rather the idea that the best way to grow your brand’s online ecosystem and enhance your marketing efforts is by creating value. However, it’s helpful to begin by surveying major trends. Advertising, media and consumer markets have gone through profound changes in recent years, and those changes are some of the most compelling reasons to consider a value-based Honey Pot strategy.

Marketers need to stay nimble and on top of the trends because the media landscape is always evolving. Some of the trends that have emerged in the past decade are real game-changers.

Ubiquitous infrastructure, continuous information flow, the fragmentation of media and markets; the emerging influence of the individual, even in the midst of increasing collaboration and connection; patterns of integrated consumption and media convergence; and a new generation of semantic tools. These are just a few of the trends that are changing the media landscape.

The players best positioned for success in this changing media landscape include:

• Owners of original ideas and unique intellectual property
• Businesses that know their core, listen to their niche, remain agile, and invest in areas that improve value
• Niche communities with critical mass
• Neutral parties that facilitate collaboration and interaction
• Tribal leaders or influencers
• Individuals with targeted ideas and the discipline to execute

Those who may face challenges in this new environment include marketers of homogenized, one-size-fits-all, mass-market products and middle market players, such as retailers and distributors.