Why Traditional Media Still Matters

Traditional media is still relevant and necessary, particularly in a market where the internet usage is still dodgy. According to The World Bank, only 37.8% of the Jamaican population have access to the internet which in comparison to the U.S. (84% of the population have access to the internet) shows that we are still pretty far behind.

Mobile is steadily following suit, according to the Planning Institute of Jamaica’s Economic and Social Survey released in 2013. Mobile broadband subscribers totaled 2.8 million by June 2013. (See article reference here)

Regardless of the increase in mobile penetration, most of the content produced is customized for the users’ experience. Which basically means most of the information is in sound bite form.

So in order for the viewer to get an in-depth story, they still need to tune in to their local news. Most people also still value media entities as reputable sources of information. Not to mention the amount of hours commuters spend listening to the radio daily.

Looking forward however, integration and creating valuable content that will resonate with the Jamaican consumer will become the key to success for the media industry. Awareness and presence will no longer be enough and brands will need to make interactions as personalized as possible.

You may have already noticed how many media houses and personalities heavily use social media. For example, ZJ Sparks has over 42,000 followers on Twitter (she won the 2014 Caribbean and Social Media Award for Best DJ on Social Media) and usually tweets during air time encouraging her Twitter followers to tune in.

The show NCB’s Capital Quest, is another great example of the integrative approach. NCB Capital Quest is a reality TV show about Small Medium Enterprise (SMEs) business owners competing for a chance to win an equity investment of up to 50 million dollars.

Social media icons appear on-screen throughout the show, reminding users to engage using the hashtag #NCBCapitalQuest. NBC’s Twitter account interacts with viewers as they share their views on social media during air time. Past episodes and more information about the show are posted on their website so viewers can watch again– keeping the brand “top of mind”– even after airtime.