Fragmentation of Media, Good or Bad?

Thanks to the growth of Smartphones, tablets, and any new technology that may spring up before you are finished reading this, it is becoming more and more difficult for marketers to effectively communicate a message.

Ten years ago, when people sat down to watch TV, they sat down to watch TV. Today, people sit with the television on and a tablet or Smartphone in hand, dividing his or her attention between multiple mediums.

According to an article on Mashable, about half of U.S. mobile phone owners use their device while watching TV. Cell phone users not only look up information online in real time and keep themselves occupied during commercials via handheld devices, they are also interacting with friends.

Given this information, how can we really tell if our communications message is effective?  We may be reaching them, but is our message actually getting through to the consumer?

The table below shows how media has changed over time. Back when advertisers only had the choice of “traditional media” ­- TV, radio, print, and outdoor. Today, marketers can reach an audience via everything from mobile apps to the front of public transit cards, as recently adopted by NY MetroCards (BusinessWeek.com).

Additionally, it is becoming increasingly more important for agencies to adapt to these new technologies and keep up with the changing media. Agencies must factor in the ever-fragmenting media when developing communications programs to reach an audience when and where they consume their media.

What do you think? Do you look at this as a challenge for marketers to capture the audience’s full attention, or an opportunity to more effectively reach them?

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