Musings

How do you tell a great story?

Be it through flowery adjectives, stunning visuals or the clever use of today’s many branding tools (hello, social influencers!), it’s undeniable that effective communication through words or pictures — or both — is essential.

We are living in exciting times; the evolution of media platforms as we know them is well underway. Print, digital, social, and beyond — we’re discovering new ways to send messages, convey visuals and shout about products and services. A new frontier, if you will, is waiting to be discovered as media companies scramble to find ways to engage and attract viewers, listeners and readers who are gravitating towards URL-driven entertainment avenues.

Who can blame them? These days, a slow Wifi connection is almost apocalyptic — such is our need to be connected, 24/7. Traditional platforms delivering information and entertainment — I’m talking about you, TV, radio and magazines — are quickly falling behind in the race for content-hungry consumers, struggling to find their footing against the tsunami that is digital media.

The mobile phone is the new desktop. TVs in homes, if they still exist, are increasingly for the sole purpose of a Comcast tool to beam Netflix offerings in all their HD glory. Alternative ‘radio stations’ like Spotify have long replaced conventional options, which are still relied on for 20 minutes of music and DJ chatter on the drive to work. And the only time most people flip through a magazine is in a clinic, hair salon or sometimes, the backseat of a Comfort cab.

What does the future hold? We will find out, as more are forced to embrace the mobile society and all its demands. But it bears repeating that creatives are still responsible for producing quality content — as defined by its various audience segments — that informs, educates and inspires.