Communications and Media
FountainBlue's August 10 VIP roundtable was on the topic of 'Communications and Media Trends and Predictions', hosted by ForeScout. Below are notes from the conversation.
The conversation ran a wide gamut of topics from leading communications and media in tech companies and for start-ups, to the trends around communication and media industries. Our executives in attendance agreed on the following.
Effective Communication will become ever more critical.
Everyone is responsible for communicating on point, on message, not just people who have the title and job description around communications.
The convergence of technologies and industries make for a complex, complicated and interrelated ecosystem of players - all of whom are integral to the success of the industry.
In an age of the empowered customer who insists on getting data anytime (24x7), anywhere (independent of location), anyhow (across devices), we must be prepared to respond in a timely and detailed matter.
As such, great leaders must be able to navigate:
the technologies integral to the way we run our businesses today;
the privacy concerns of consumers and companies within and outside an organization;
the convergence across industries and sectors;
the leaders in other roles within and outside their organization;
the industries adjacent to their own
The importance of collaboration between leaders and companies is key because:
The pace of change is mind-boggling. No one person can track it all.
The advancements in specific technologies are significant and ever-evolving.
The security of the brand and impact is on the line.
Knowledge and information will reside across leaders, functions, companies and industries.
Below are suggestions and best practices given the above.
Tell a story which draws out emotions and speaks to the truth.
Educate everyone within the company about appropriate communications and messages.
Learn from what others are thinking, saying and doing in this field. Change is happening quickly!
Remember that anything you've ever communicated is fair game, and may come back to haunt you!
Watch for applications who may gather data without permission, or manipulate you with the information collected even with your permission.
Be an educated Prosumer - one who creates and consumes content.
Segment your audience and strategically message to them, based on their interests and priorities.
Document in written communications who the intended audience is.
Keep your communications simple but meaningful. Speak the language of your intended audience.
Below are thoughts on trends around communications and media.
Balancing privacy, security and access will continue to be key. Emerging companies in this space will ensure maximum accessibility and flexibility - across devices, across content, between interval and external devices, while also ensuring privacy and security for everyone.
There will continue to be opportunities around collecting a comprehensive, dynamically-updated database of devices and managing them.
There will continue to be strategic consolidations between networking, telecommunications, entertainment industries and companies. Users will benefit from more seamless integrations of networks, more integrated presentations of content options, and even more safety and security functionality at the home.
There is and will continue to be an excess of content and data. There are therefore opportunities for filtering out content based on the real interest of people. Companies who do that right, without pushing their own agenda first (e.g. promoting companies who have paid more in ads), would be more respected for their authenticity and for representing the truth.
AI and ML will continue to be part of customized solutions.
Direct-to-direct communication will help ensure security, and minimize potential interception of communication - intentional or otherwise.
There's an opportunity to curate content to reflect what's really happening, the real truth, not manipulated messages. Perhaps crowdsourced creation of content, including the input of people with true identities, would help elevate the validity and the veracity of communications.
With data provided by leading marketing technology companies, both established and emerging, companies and leaders can have enough data to understand the buying decisions of targeted users. There's a huge opportunity for companies who can get this piece right.
Any way you slice it, there's a lot going on around Communications and Media trends. Connecting with other leaders and with market trends will help us all stay on top of the opportunities and challenges ahead.