Speakers examine media trends at 2009 Media Thinking Congress

Brier spoke about creative development in media and how the vast majaority of content being created is personal. He pointed to Facebook as a major driving force of this.

Next up was Mark Holden, managing partner of PHD Australia, who spoke about how technology will drive change in media agencies in the next five years and what it will mean for advertisers.

Holden pointed to the technological changes including batteries that have 10 times the power of those currently available, the introduction of Fibre to the home (FTTH) which could make a speed of 100 Mbps a reality, 4G, OLED screens and walls, 3D screens and LED contact lenses.

He described how these technological changes will affect media. According to him the primary change will be the blurring of boundaries between entertainment and advertising, consumer and publishing, online and TV.

Another keynote speaker at the event was Marcel Fenez, global leader of entertainment and media practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers. Fenez talked about PwC's research on future insights and kicked off the session by outlining three key areas of discussion: consumer viewpoint, advertising outlook and industry viewpoint. From a consumer point of view he noted that the media landscape has changed with audiences consuming content in a different manner. "The concept of primetime with the exception of live sports and events is dead. Consuming content as and when is the new trend,” he said.

Fenez also talked at length about the challenges of hiring and retaining talent. "Digital natives have to have a seat at the table. The agencies need to create an environment where they flourish."

Patrick Stahle, chairman and CEO Asia-Pacific of Aegis Media closed the speaker sessions at today’s event. He talked about the new media models that the industry will witness in the next few years and how it has become difficult for agencies to get a piece of the advertising budget. “The advertising model is broken,” he said. “The circle is broken. The challenge is we do not know about the new model but $500 billion dollars is up for grabs if you find the new model.”

The Media Thinking Congress brought together some of the brightest minds in media planning and provided an opportunity for the industry to assess the state of state of media planning, buying, innovation and creativity in Asia and beyond, placing the industry focus firmly on the importance of the media function in today’s economy.

For more information on the Media Thinking Congress click here.