For the first time, broadband gives advertisers control over output and production. Advertisers have to tackle the new, two-tier consumer media society - the TV multi channel "haves" and terrestrial channel "have nots", the new techno "haves" and the traditional "have nots". Consumers can become "editors" and advertisers can become "media owners Societe Europeenne des Satellites (SES) figures for mid-1999 show the number of digital satellite-receiving homes more than doubling in the past year - from 2.5 million to 5.5. million. Between 40% and 60% of the current SES survey of 167 million TV homes will have gone digital by 31 December 2006. By 31 December 2008, this will have increased to between 60% and 80%.
There is a growing body of evidence supporting the benefits of multimedia over single media. Advertising has become much more akin to strategy than just communication. No single agency can manage this effectively. The media marketer has to implement this strategy. These are the factors to consider: As audiences fragment and move around, so the environment in which the advertisement appears becomes a major factor in advertising impact. Creative solutions have to be media neutral. Media planning used to be about optimising individual media. Today, it's all about establishing the best combination of media. Agency impartiality in media selection is under the microscope. Mixed-media planning will be the norm.