State of media: time to transcend conventions to productively lose control

It is time for media companies to start the journey of innovation, to DO things again, not just evade things. The story of the frog getting used to the water which is slowly getting boiled is a great metaphor for the state of media companies today.

We can only blame ourselves. Over the last 20 years the Marketing Eco System has gotten more complex, and has gotten more liquid. And we, the 'classical media companies', are cowards. So, as we have faced accountability and liability, we have stepped back and back, and unfortunately, where there is accountability and liability, guess what there is. Power. So, eventually we have found ourselves in a marginalized position in the emerging Marketing Eco System.

So, what do we, the classical media companies, need to do? Using our unique competences, we need to start authoring processes again, instead of authoring products. We need to go back to three key points at the beginning of the process.

The first is, account managers of media companies take core positions with your accounts (marketeers, formerly known as advertisers).

The second position is actually, take positions. Take joint positions with your account. This is the moment in which you as account manager (architect of media-, marketing & business-solutions), and your account (marketeer, formerly known as advertiser) can begin to inject the brandkey and the brand vision, combined with the sales targets. In other words, can begin to inject driving sales, while building brands. But it has to be done together.

And then only after this is done, are you allowed to do this, begin to put forward transmedia concepts (manifestations of the brandkey, 24/7 conversation proof), that manifest those positions.

And both marketeer (formerly known as advertiser) and the accountmanager of the media company alike are empowered to critique those manifestations based on the positions that you've taken.

If you do this, the media company will reach the state of 'productively losing control'. You do not know what the end result is. But, with enough brain power and enough passion and enough commitment, you will arrive at concepts and conclusions that will transcend conventions, and will simply be something that you could not have initially or individually conceived of.