Print has to evolve!!

The custodians of media got together many years ago and set up a research system called the readership research in India. It borrowed a lot from what was being done in the area in other countries. This research became the backbone of media plannig in India and subsequent rounds of this research were used by media as a barometer of their growth.

However, recently (for about past 5 years) this barometer has been indicating clearly (for those who want to see the truth) that the print media is not growing. The average issue readership has been going down for most publications; an increase in circulation is not resulting in a corresponding in readership; the average timespent on the media has been reducing marginally but surely; sole readership of major publications has been dropping; and so on.

The overt reaction of most leaders has been to deny, discredit, doubt and debate the same barometer. But, that is not helping and the metrics continue to go down.

Please, do not conclude that I am saying that there is no future for print media. All I am saying is that the print readership is not lying. By the metrics that have been in use over the past decade or more - yes the publications are in trouble. But, then should we continue to measure print media by the same metrics. Now, when I say different I am not referring to the recent naive attempt by some influential people to replace 'average issue readership' by 'total readerhip'. I mean a fundamental change in the measurement metrics.

The informationn provided by the current design of readership research should be used for whatever it is worth instead of discrediting and debating it. However, it is also time to realize that just the size of the publication in terms of the number of readers is not the only metric that defines success for a publication. The manner in which consumers read publications has changed and the important thing is the relationship that the publication (and different segments of the publication) has with its readers. The value of the readers and the nature of the realationship will define worth of a publication for brand communication.

Print media custodians have to rethink what they are delivering to consumer and brands and hence what they need to measure. With this understanding they need to evolve to deliver and market the new measures and success will be theirs.

Hope to see some changes in their perspectove soon!!

The Myth of Digital Media!!

All Digital Media seller are going all over town claiming how accountable digital media is and hence it deserves advertising as against the irresponsible traditional media of print and tv. The claim of being accountable arises from their ability to sell clicks and leads and the low cost at which they can deliver these.

In search for these clicks and leads there is an utter disregard for any 'brand building' in the media. There are a few points that the custodians of digital media must consider as they grow into their future which I do not doubt at all. Digital is certainly the future.

1. When a consumer clicks on a digital advertisiement (brought to it via search or whatever) - the consumer decision to click on the said brand ad is a result of a history of ad-stock or brand-image being built in the mind of the consumer. The digital ad is just the point at which this brand-imagei n the mind converts into an action of a click. Converting the ad-stock to the click is certainly to the credit of the digital media but then the digital sellers shoudl realize that there was possibly a lot of traditional media that made it possible for them. And, brand custodians should also understand this when they do the cost-benefit analysis and not give the benefit of generating the click just to the digital media and for the future dilute the use of other media.

2. In the early phase of the digital media when there are not enough brands seeking those clicks; today it is fairly easy and cheap for the digital media to deliver the clicks and leads to brands. But, as the traffic of brands and hence the demand for clicks increases the digital medium will hv to send much more to obtain those clicks and then it wont be so cheap and effective an alternative to the other media options.

3. When the said demand for clicks builds up, the digital media providers will have to work towards building engagement with brands and will be confronted with the same issues of building brand connect and brand imagery that are issues for todays traditional media. The sooner digital media providers realize this and start building these capabilities the sooner will the media mature as a brand communication platform.

4. The media has its strengths of providing interactivity and actionability and should build capabilities around that.

5. Just because certain actions of the media are measureable that should not be confused with accountability. The quality and veracity of the clicks and leads have always been under doubt and it will only become tougher for the media. There is a lot of work that the media can do in developing systems that track accountability and those who develop these first wll be the leaders for the future.

There is a great future for digital media but its their responsibiilty to safeguard its future. And, disparaging the achievemnents of other media is not gong to help too much. Concentrate on their own strenthgs and ave a great future.

Cheers!

Syndicated Research is not enough

At any media symposium - bashing of media research (and subtly the media research agencies) is always a planned session. While media representatives enjoy detailing without any understanding of the science of media research, how erronours and unrepresentative the research is; the media research users (primarily agenices) reiterate how important it is to consolidate the different researches into one single entity so that they have to buy only one research. The media research agencies on their part just play the victims saying that they could do better if they had more money.

And, it is the same story that I have been seeing for the past 8 - 9 years that I have been around in the media industy. .. but nothing has changed as yet excepting the continuous reduction in the value realization of their product for all.. media research, media agency and media itself.

The media research design that we are currently (very unhappily) using was not forced upon us. At one time it was very relevant and was a game changer and the media agencies based all their methods and practices on the provided metrics. Media developed content to deliver on the metrics so that they could have a high profitability. Media research agencies flourished. But, now 10 years or so have passed and all are unhappy with the state of affairs.

'Access to media' was the variable that was of most importance and all media research delivered that metric. There was no need for any other parameter as media was scarce and differentiation amongst media was not of great consequence. The consumers consumed what media they could get. Today, consumers have immense choice and are consuming multiple media - each in a different manner and for a differenet purpose and 'access to media' information is not enough. For communication planners to reach their desired consumers they need to differentiate between media based on the same variables that are in use for differentiating between brands.

The whole media ecosystem consists of the media, media agencies, media research exists to enable brands to seek consumer and to cater to them. And, an understanding of how media connects with consumers is the vital knolwledge that will enable media professionals build brand communication plans that do justice to the brands that they serve.

Hence, for this ecosystem to prosper the critical question is not if we need one research agency or two (that is best left to the research agencies and market forces to decide). But, the critical question is what data do we need for making relevant and impactful communication plans. The answer to this question will differ across products and brands and so it would be naive to expect some piece of syndicated research to cater to the need of every brand's communication planning.

The brand has the most at stake. If the media research available is not good, ultimately the brands money gets wasted based on media strategies based on sub-optimal media plans. It is therefore for each brand to start looking at ways in conjunction with their media agency and media partners to setup information systems that deliver 'media knowledge' to build their communication plans.

Syndicated research will not be enough for communication planning. The era of syndicated research (or even conventional market research) is over. It is time for brand-dedicated consumer behaviour capture systems to be deployed that will enable the next generation of communication planning.

Think!!