The Democratization of Media: A Perspective

The mass market is dying, and with it, the old marketing paradigms. Fragmentation of the media, channel proliferation, and simultaneous media consumption have all assisted in the demise of the "mass media". In its place are mass confusion, mass distraction and mass clutter. But why would you want to reach a mass audience anyway? Who markets a product designed for all consumers? The process that is replacing the old system is very different. The consumer is taking charge - and the result is the democratization of our brands.

The idea of brand democratization is that the power of the people directs much of what happens to brands. What the public says about them is what they will become. Simply put, perception becomes reality.

If a company attempts to convey a message that is not supported by actual experience with the product, then the feedback will overwhelm the message and the audience will know the truth. On the flip side, if a brand experience supports or exceeds the message, then the audience will publicly praise the brand. Part of what makes brands such as Apple and Adidas so strong is a loyal audience's support for the brand messaging. They spread the word that these brands are as good as, if not better than, they advertise themselves to be.

Brand democratization flows from the globalization of the audience and the development of communities. In the past, communities were limited by geographic constraints. But as the global economy becomes stronger and the Internet and digital media break down physical barriers, we see the growth of communities of like-minded individuals. A teenager in Wyoming can now share world and lifestyle views with a teenager in Sri Lanka. With the growth and development of these digital communities, word-of-mouth becomes stronger, more potent, and more wide-reaching than ever before. In the past, you could at least attempt to control an outbreak of bad press. In today's marketplace that's just not possible. The old adage of "any news is good news" has never been so false.

In journalism, there is talk of a "filter." The filter traditionally represents the role of mass media outposts to digest the information before they pass it on to the public. In this globalized economy, the filter is quickly being removed and replaced with a direct line to the public. As they become easier to contact, they increasingly process the information through their own personal filters and send it back out to the world. This process becomes even more accessible with self-publication. MySpace, Facebook blogs, podcasts, consumer reviews... all of these make it easier for the individual to influence other consumers - sometimes in great numbers. The "mass" is redefined and reformulated with each posting.

The movie business has recently witnessed the worst box office slump in its history. This isn't because the audience is not interested or because the movies are worse than ever before (there have always been bad movies). Rather it is because individual movie goers can spread their own negative reviews and disappointment faster and wider than ever before. Instant, negative messaging can deter a loosely defined "mass" from spending $12 on a movie ticket.

The democratization of brands may be the single most important development in marketing and advertising in 50 years. Technology has created it, but technology cannot control it. Technology has made it easier for the audience to truly own the brand.

The question is, have marketers recognized this revolution in time?

For more information, please contact:

Steve Levy President, Market Research Eastern Canada Ipsos Reid 416.324.2107 [email protected]