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29 March 2024

Expert says need to focus on users of new media

Giorgio Ungania says old media will die if it does not change. (SUPPLIED) 

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By Staff Writer
Technology, especially internet will continue to revolutionise the communication methods, says Giorgio Ungania, corporate training manager at the SAE Institute, a global creative media education company with a branch in Dubai.

He emphasised the dependence on technology at a keynote speech at Promax/BDA Arabia in Dubai.

Promax/BDA Arabia is the world's leading association of broadcast and multimedia professionals, all of whom work in the context of an industry that, according to Ungania, is in the throes of an ongoing revolution in content production and distribution.

In addition to outlining the shifting trends in media and communications, Ungania also discussed his experience dealing with new global audiences who produce and consume information simultaneously.

He challenged media professionals to overcome key mental barriers in order to play an active role in new markets: "This session comes at an important time for the industry. Although the internet and advances in networking have caused sea changes in the way people communicate, innovations continue to emerge and it is imperative for professionals to understand where the new audiences are and how they can be reached."

He added: "The new generation of digital users are not satisfied only to consume media but they are interested in creating and sharing content via the world wide web. Middle East industry professionals need to be aware that traditional promotional tools are no longer enough, and that in order to maintain and grow their audience they need to rethink their plans."

Ungania illustrated his point through a reading of the current broadcasting landscape: "The concept of accessing contents exclusively through the TV set is obsolete. Seventy per cent of young adults in the US have a laptop running while they are watching TV; this means we have to keep the audience engaged. Online distribution will be more prominent and as a consequence the "old" media will collapse if it does not shift towards the new demands."