Every industry can learn from history, and ours is no different. The communications industry - marketing, advertising, and PR - has had a history of shrinking then expanding, then repeating the
cycle. As an industry we have done so for financial gain. In a time period where we're shrinking, we're finding efficiencies. In a time period where we're expanding, we're increasing
profits. We are coming off of a time period where business, not just media, was expanding, but we're entering a period of extreme efficiency - the business of our industry will shrink in every
sense of the word for the foreseeable future. Keeping that in mind, the options we have with regard to media will expand and with that the options will become more fragmented. A successful agency
partner will no longer be a specialized partner focused on one segment of the industry, or one niche, but rather a partner that understands the basic premise of communication - an assignment, a
strategy, the right message, and the right outlets - with the ability to efficiently execute. While media will continue to fragment, the business of media will take an opposite path, and those who are
nimble will become the power agency's in the next evolution of our industry.
Frank O'Brien, Founder, Conversation, www.convoagency.com
