‘The Opportunity For Mass Brands Has Never Been Better,’ Says Billett

‘Will the continued fragmentation of media make it impossible to launch a new mass market brand in 20 years time?’, last night’s Media Question Time panel was asked. After a little rumination between the panel and the audience, Guardian assistant editor Emily Bell piped up with, “Fragmentation, my arse.”

Bell then pointed out that online retail company Amazon is a brand of which most, if not all, of the audience is aware and that it did not exist five years ago. She rejected the idea that the fragmentation of media is leading to the end of brands with mass market appeal. “I would argue that mass marketing of brands is now much, much easier; partly because of the multiplicity of platforms and viral marketing which allows them to develop more easily,” she said.

The main effect of fragmentation will come within media planning as mass audiences disperse across various media, said the panel. Jim Hytner said: “Mass audiences will still be available in twenty years time … They may not all be watching Coronation Street but they will all be watching TV at the same time and through smart planning and buying they will be able to be targeted.”

Marie Oldham, managing partner of the Media Planning Group, said that far from dispersing brands, media fragmentation will actually give advertisers the ability to target more tightly.

John Billett said that this was a great time for mass market brands and argued that the brand is becoming more and more important as fragmentation continues. “We will have to move away from singular issue of media planning as it used to be, when its goal was to find the best medium. Now you have to find the best combination of media which will change all the time. I think the opportunity for mass brands has never been better,” he said.