The Post-Media Generation

Remember when TV meant 3 channels? Or even when it only meant 100 channels? How about when people who routinely wrote insights and advice were called columnists? In those days, different bits of information and entertainment were segmented and compartmentalized. When we watched the news on television it was TV news; when we read news in the papers, it was the newspaper; when we got a letter from a friend, it was a letter; when we went to a theatre, we watched a movie.

It seems so obvious, so fundamental, but it’s no longer true. Those of us who grew up knowing multiple types of media, must learn to reformat our brains because information is just content now. Whether it’s a YouTube video or Gone With the Wind, it’s all the same now in terms of packaging.

Take a deep breath and let this sink in, because your children or grandchildren already understand. Your TV is no different from your laptop or your iPad. They serve you requested content. A growing group of people are no longer satisfied paying their cable company to serve data to them through their TV. Inexpensive devices make it possible to get shows, games, YouTube videos, podcasts and movies through TVs with just an Internet connection.  Each generation of mobile device has a faster and more efficient way to capture and serve streaming data.

The generation coming up today has no patience for air times. Missed Glee? Not to worry, its available on the website or you can get it from On Demand or your DVR or your phone, or view a clip that was posted on Facebook.  Babies born today won’t have the same understanding of television that we do, but they will have a very sophisticated grasp of story. Filtering noise to get to the heart of something will be as natural and intuitive as breathing to them.

Marketing to this group will require two things – message and patience. Forget the idea that you are not the only person beating a drum about your particular product or service. You are not just competing against competitors. You are competing against EVERYTHING. To be heard, you have to speak clearly, have a real message and keep at it. Be the voice of reason in a choir of crazy. Be the authority on your subject and keep telling your story. Everyone has a compelling story to tell and that’s what will capture the imagination of the post-media generation.