How mass media should learn from its true consumers

The Harvard Business Review’s Peter Merholz recently picked up on a blog post about how mass media today doesn’t know who its customers are.

A key point brought up is that in mass media, readers, watchers, and audience are the product which are served up to the actual customers, the advertisers.

So how will mass media actually engage their audiences, instead of trying to shove “advertiser-friendly” crap down their throats? Their first step should be to listen to their customers.

The primary mistake being made in mass media according to Peter is in classified listings targeting advertisers instead of the social media content. Market gains will be made by engaging the increasingly powerful audience, refuting existing assumptions, and working with customs as they engage with the content. Market domination will come from a multichannel approach to facilitate a pathway to customer interests through a holistic approach without being everything to everyone.

Examples include that of Craigslist. It is simple and ugly, but no one can displace it in the market. This is due to one simple reason, it is designed for the consumer, and trusted by the customer. It was designed with the audience in mind.

The paradigm shift in mass media will be the movement away from the advertiser to serve the audience its true customer.