As brands start to live and participate in a platform world, the perception of media shifts completely. The goals shift from acquisition to engagement and retention. The channels evolve from mass media heavy to personalized, behavioral driven platforms. The approach shifts from a one-way message to true two-way relationships based on consumer interactions and intentions. All of this manifests into a media mix and messaging that evolves based on how a specific consumer segment or consumer interacts with the brand and message. 

The activation of media in this respect must be built off a strategically crafted user journey and experience. A brand must curate and define how a consumer segment and individual consumers may interact within the brand ecosystem over time and with different triggers. This dynamic map provides the basic elements of where, how and why we should activate media to support the brand goals throughout the lifetime of the consumer. 

This will require looking at media spends and strategy across various teams within an organization. Not only do we need to understand how to drive new consumers into the funnel, but once we understand the consumer behavior and needs, we need to be able to shift the media mix to respond. There may be a time where a consumer purchases on the first message, or a current owner needs service and loyalty messaging, or a consumer just started their search for a product. This is where the journey comes into play and the alignment between business units is crucial for success. The role that media plays in a platform world is based on the consumer need, not the business need. We, as organizations, need to act accordingly.

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