To stay
relevant in the consumer’s minds, retailers need to understand the changing consumers
today and how it affects advertising Media Mix. Take my family for example,
when we watch American Idol.  10 minutes
into the show, my daughter is updating her Facebook on her iPhone followed by checking
one of the contestant’s website.  “The
experience of watching TV isn’t what it used to be,” runs through my mind
before I catch myself shooting a quick reply to a client on my mobile phone.

We are no
longer ONLY watching TV; we’re
watching TV while shifting our attention between 2 other digital devices. Attention
becomes fragmented. Latest statisticsshow that, 75% and 85% of TV viewers
use other devices while watching. TV commercials still remain the core of media
buying, but they need to be supplemented with digital for an optimum effect.

Change in Media Landscape

Change in consumer behavior leads to a change in media buying for retailers. When
I entered Media Buying, I was specialized in Broadcasting, but now I have to
actively learn and understand social and digital ads. When the consumer looks
down on their digital tablet or mobile device I need to make sure that our
reach extends there too. Our presence needs to be on both TV and their mobile
device.

Strategy and Hybrid Usage of Digital Media

The most important role in this changing environment becomes that of a strategist,
somebody who understands all parts of the media. When evaluating the media
strategy, we need to look at the budget for both online and traditional, to
ensure the integration of multiple touch points to achieve the ideal frequency.
This combination creates new hybrid usage of digital media, where online
strategy needs to come to the forefront, in order for client’s advertising to
be effective.

Conclusion

With the new generation’s eroding attention spans, media buyers need to take a
holistic view of both emerging behavior trends and the consequences it has on
the effectiveness of the media reach. Retailers need to adjust their media
strategy to include touch points of social and digital, because it will go a
long way towards staying relevant within the consumer’s mind. 

Buffy O'Connor, Media Director & Multi-Screen Fan

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