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From the MIA co-chairs
When we were asked to co-chair the MIAs, the first thing that came to mind was "How will we fit it into our busy schedules?" The average person sleeps approximately one hour less per day now than a decade ago, trying to fulfill everything they have planned.
We obviously went on to aeeept the offer.
While we speculated that it would require too much of our time and energy, we would be lying it we said it required that much. In fact, one ot our biggest tasks-or so we thought-would he to recruit 25 or so jury members, a challenge given everyone's hectic schedules. We contacted industry opinion leaders across the country and without exception they jumped on the otter to judge the MIAs.
Media innovation has clearly moved up in importance over the years, and many marketers are realizing that more time needs to be invested in seeking new ways of reaching the consumer. Thanks to advancements in technology, advertising intrusiveness is at an all-time high and consumers have a multitude ot tillering tools that put them in control of what they want to lie exposed to.
Does this mean advertising is doomed to die? Just like we were promised a paperless society with the arrival of the computer?
The MIA submissions are clear indications that while the ways of the past may he disappearing, media is far from dead. In fact, media is HOT. We can no longer rely on media vehicles Io solely push our message on the consumer: peoples time is too scarce. We need to find ways of surprising them with inhumation that is relevant and worthy of their time.
Media professionals are probably more sleep deprived than the average human being and they will continue to be, all for the sake of properly reaching the consumer and winning a MIA.
Bravo to everyone who invested lime in the MIAs and to all those putting in the needed time to find alternative ways ot etteetively reaching consumers.
Sandy Perlman,
director of marketing communications,
Microsoft Canada,
Missauga, Ont.
John Tarantino,
vice-president, media director,
Cossette Media,
Montreal
About the Media Innovation Awards
The Media Innovation Wards (MIAs), marking its seventh anniversary in 2006, is Canada's premiere awards...