The CEO of award-winning international branding agency Lambie-Nairn threw down the gauntlet to the region’s broadcasters on Sunday night, when he gave a keynote speech at the Promax Arabia 2011 conference and awards ceremony.
In his address, which was delivered at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Dubai, Christian Schroeder encouraged leading broadcast branding players in his audience to face up to new challenges and outlined how the rapid expansion of on-line broadcasting is driving the changes in his industry.
“It’s official, the broadcasting world has entered an era with no rules,” he said during his presentation at the annual event, which brings together major stakeholders from the broadcast industry.
“The dawn of the internet has seen the birth of web TV, IPTV and on-demand TV. We’ve gone from a predictable, linear one-screen experience to complete chaos. Today there are 500 million broadband users globally. In 2015 that number will be 3 billion and growing. By 2020, there will be 50 billion connected devices on a global basis,” he added.
Schroeder, who is responsible for the strategic direction and international growth of his agency across the European, Middle Eastern and Latin American markets, identified the region’s young people, and their comfort with dynamic telecommunications, as those that call the shots for the industry. He said that this continuously evolving demographic change is something that brand-builders need to sit up and take notice of, or otherwise risk losing their audiences.
“Over 50% of the region’s population is under 24 years of age. With mobile and broadband penetration predicted to soar, it is an agile, well-connected and energetic part of the world. Mobile penetration in the region stood at 88% at the end of 2009 yet is expected to rise to 130% by 2015,” he said.
“We are now faced with a young audience who are demanding more control in every aspect of their lives, including their media. Middle Eastern broadcasters need to rise to the challenge,” he added.
Despite this call to action Schroeder remained confident over the future of the region’s broadcast industry. He stated his belief that the bottom line will always be quality and that media players who can continue to air broadcasts of a high standard have nothing to fear.
“Then and now, the viewers’ needs are fundamentally the same,” he said. “Whether we’re in front of a set-top box, PC, mobile phone or tablet, it doesn’t matter. In spite of all the new technology that surrounds us, what audiences wanted then and what they want now remains largely unchanged. People want good, quality programmes,” he added.
Schroeder was appointed as CEO for Lambie Nairn in 2007. The organisation forms part of the global communications giant WPP Group and is headquartered in London. Lambie-Nairn has acquired a reputation in the world of broadcast branding and received international acclaim with its launch of the UK’s Channel 4, which went on air in 1982. The agency’s creative work for this new medium was considered by many in the industry as being a ground-breaking piece of television graphic design. Since then, they have worked with a wide range of international broadcasters including the BBC, ITV, Abu Dhabi Media, Al Kass and Sharjah TV picking up dozens of awards in the process. Lambie Nairn has also worked for major players outside of the broadcast arena including, O2, FIFA, the Qatari 2022 FIFA World Cup bid, and Renault. It now has offices in Munich, Madrid, Abu Dhabi, Prague, Bogotá, Buenos Aires and Mexico City.
Notes and media contacts
About Lambie-Nairn:For the last thirty years, Lambie-Nairn has been bringing brands to life that emotionally connect with audiences and deliver business success.
Pioneers in the world of branding and identity, they¹ve launched some of the biggest brands in the world, winning awards and redefining genres along the way.
Today, Lambie-Nairn’s work is characterised by a holistic understanding of brands across all media outputs ¬ from the big screen to the small, from online to mobile. The company has worked across all geographical markets for the likes of BBC, FIFA, Telefónica/O2, EA Games, ITV, Sainsbury’s and Hotels.com.
For more on Lambie-Nairn, please visit www.lambie-nairn.com.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Zeina El-Hakam
Account Director
Cohn & Wolfe
Tel: +971 4 3310331 ext. 415
