Alumni and guests who attended the fourth installment of the Robert Walters-NUSBSA CEO Breakfast Talk organized by NUS Business School Alumni Association (NUSBSA) on 28 March 2008 discovered that traditional media like TV is losing its audience, and that there are more to consider when marketing on Web 2.0 Internet.

"It's a brave new world," said Mr Andre Nair, Chief Strategy Officer of the JWT Group Asia Pacific, who spoke at the event held at Raffles City Convention Centre,. "We need to understand the changing media landscape."

The proliferation of media choices saw the explosion of more websites and TV channels over the last few decades. "For example, in India, there were 310 TV channels by 2007, compared to only 5 in 1991, giving the average Indian household some 115 channels to view," revealed Mr Nair as he took his audience on a "zip tour of media landscapes around the world."

Yet, traditional media like TV and print are losing their audiences. In UK, viewership declined by some 35% over a five year period. Thanks to digital video recording devices, studies showed that more than 50% of people who watched TV were fast-forwarding through commercials, resulting in lost advertising opportunities. "TV is not growing, but going (not clear what this means)," asserted Mr Nair.

As a result, traditional media is becoming digital media. TV has evolved to be "TV WHEN you want it... and WHERE you want it."

Mr Nair talked about mobile phone TV in Korea and how it has changed the way consumers behave. There may be more channels driving more viewership, but the viewing has become more fragmented. As a result, companies need to refine their strategies to target pockets of communities. "Digital media is turning mass."

Massively Multiple-player Online Games (MMOG) on the Internet, like 'World of Warcraft' and 'Lineage II' attract a third of Internet users worldwide, with the latter attracting US$1 billion in advertising dollars. There were 500,000 blogs in 2003 but 186 million today, becoming the Internet's "word of mouth."

Companies are also beginning to leverage on the changing media landscape and creating their own footprint. For instance, IBM and Adidas used virtual worlds like Second Life to engage their employees and consumers respectively, in addition to using traditional media. "Marketers need to consider a more integrated approach with a good media mix," advised Mr Nair.

With fragmentation of viewing, an increasing amount of advertising, increased skepticism and active advertising avoidance behavior in consumers, Mr Nair believed that we have moved from the age of disruption (showing of 30-second advertisements on TV and repeating it) to the age of consumer dictatorship. "The need now is engagement," he highlighted.

Mr Nair then provided guidelines for success in the brave new world, including a new road map to navigate through the mess, the need for integrated marketing, and a piece of advice for marketers to think like an entertainer. "Don't do nothing," quipped Mr Nair. "And be a leading edge, not a bleeding edge."

The breakfast talk, which is sponsored by global head-hunting firm Robert Walters, proved popular among the more than 100 that turned up. "It's interesting to hear his take on the media. Very interesting perspective of the development," said Ms Nalini Naidu, a graduate from NUS who works in the media industry.

"It's excellent! I've learnt much about the different kinds of new media. An eye-opener indeed," said Ms Christina Lim-Lam (MBA 1995) from the healthcare sector.

"It's relevant what Mr Nair shared, especially to those in the media. He is a great orator, truly cutting-edge. I hope to see more of such talks in the future. I'll whole-heartedly participate," said Mr Prajit Prakesh (MBA 2007) from an advertising company.