LiveEarth–a Tipping Point for Online vs. Broadcast Media?

Earlier this year I observed that the Virginia Tech tragedy may have been the mass media coming of age moment for social media such as MySpace and Facebook when millions turned to those sites for information and solace.

The recent Live Earth concert may be a tipping point for the shift in viewing of major events to online streaming video versus broadcast. The broadcast numbers were paltry given the media buzz and talent, but the video streams set a global record. Clearly millions – many of them in the highly-prized 18-49 year old demo, had better things to do on a Saturday night than watch television. So, download it and watch later – or maybe not.

Can it be long before many major broadcast events – awards shows, series premieres and finales, sporting events – go this route? If so, the blockbuster event programming that advertisers have long counted on to launch new initiatives and networks have relied on for revenue and promoting new programming could become marginalized – like radio and daily newspapers.

This shift increases the urgency around identifying new ways to engage audiences. It’s not merely a matter of finding another mass media outlet – those days are likely gone. Marketers must first gain a deep understanding the niche audiences that will really drive their business and then meet them in all the places they are – online, on-air, in print and out-of-home.

This story first appeared in PR Week Blogs (targetgreen.prweekblogs.com)