Ad industry leader declares major shift to digital age has occurred

The latest issue of Australian ad industry bible Adnews has a great page asking leading industry experts what they believe 2008 will be remembered for.

Media buying heavyweight Harold Mitchell really saw the big picture with his response:

The year will be seen as the centre year of great change. In the past two significant changes people and companies got left behind; others emerged, fortunes were made. In the past 25 years there have been three such periods of change. In the late 80′s every major media company changed hands, except News, following the Wall Street crash of October 1987.

In 2001 the advertising industry went into reversal following the dot com boom and bust of 2000. Now, after a seven year bull run on world stock markets, the downturn that started in November 2007 continues. Each of these changes brought structural change in the media industry.

The changes this time will see the cementing of the digital age as the permanent force in media. Everyone is scrambling to catch up. Ad agencies are starting digital divisions, media companies are boosting their digital arms. Make sure that you’re not left behind mumbling analogue thoughts that only the dinosaurs can understand.

Read that last paragraph again folks Here is one of the biggest media buyers in the country telling us that the time has arrived where digital is the permanent force in media.

Here at Sticky we have been of this opinion for some time. If you are an advertiser in 2009 you must start re-assessing how you are spending your marketing dollars. If you aren’t sure how, we’d love to talk with you.

Other related posts:

A turning point in media and marketing history

Marketing plan for tough times

What is media in 2008?

As I was saying about media consumption habits…

Why my kids will be the death of traditional media

That noise you’re hearing…that’s the sound of a marketing revolution

The rise and rise of micro-media

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Posted by Craig on January 22nd, 2009 | 7 Comments »
Posted under: Digital | Sticky Advertising Agency | traditional media

7 Comments »

  1. Interesting it is 2009 though. Lost of us were doing this in 1995-6 and pointing to the writing on the wall. I personally think the real issue goes way beyond the ad industry.

    I’m completely inoculated against advertising. I only watch time shifted TV, I don’t buy magazines and I’ve never clicked on a banner. If I want something I look for it online. My kids are worse. They never watch TV they download that stuff. If they want something they ask their friends.

    I don’t think it’s going to be about advertising in the future. I don’t think it’s about online/offline. I think advertising will need to reinvent itself completely. Media buying will be obsolete networks will automate the process.

    Advertising agencies made money in the early days by taking a commission on brokering relationships with supplies. Clients took the commissions away and it’s never quite been the same.

    The advertising industry will need to reinvent itself.

    Comment by Simon — January 22, 2009 @ 11:59 pm

  2. In Harold’s defence (and I never thought I’d use that phrase…) he is at least able to claim credit as the founder of eMitch several years ago, which is one of Australia’s more financially successful digital agencies.

    I’ve seen him spout nonsense on podiums about the digital economy, but it probably wouldn’t be fair to read his column as him only just hearing about digital.

    Cheers, Tim / Mumbrella

    Comment by Tim Burrowes - mumbrella — January 23, 2009 @ 12:00 am

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