Introduction
In my last posting, I mentioned that the emergence of media independents and specialists have had dramatic consequences. Today, let us explore some of those consequences.

Definition of Media
The first big change is the fact that the very nature of media has changed. Fifteen years ago, media covered only TV, radio, print, outdoor and cinema. Today, media is defined as anything that can reach and influence consumers. This obviously means that media professionals today have to have a much wider range of skill sets compared to fifteen years ago.

Unfortunately, this is not actually the case. Many media professionals today still have capabilities only in the areas of traditional media, defined as TV, radio, print, outdoor and cinema. A whole range of specialist companies offer services in other areas, including mobile telephony, the digital space, CRM, viral marketing, sponsorship, etc. However, this has resulted in expertise being held in silos and being operationally driven. Nobody holds the brand’s strategic requirements in mind. It is only this type of a strategist who can decide which communication arms are most valuable to realize the brand’s objectives.

Commercial Terms
The birth of media specialists has meant that these companies now have to operate a separate P/L. The focus has therefore shifted to meeting financial targets. This has resulted in heavy pricing cuts. So much so that the industry is has become almost financially unviable.

Training
With 100% energies being expended on the bottom line, training staff to handle the evolving media complexities has taken a back seat. There has been practically no training in the media industry for the last fifteen years. This has resulted in the quality of professionals taking a beating.

Media as an Attractive Destination
As India booms, jobs are available in plenty for Gen Y. As the media industry has not really re-invented itself over the past few years, it is not an attractive destination for many youngsters today. Yet, the magic of the media industry still has a place – we need to re-discover this magic and evangelize it to the world.