15 consequences of multiple channels (media fragmentation) for the communicator (yes, Brussels too)

1. Greater audience fragmentation (i.e. audiences get their information from more channels than before)
2. More “competition” to get message to target audience i.e. far more material available from a variety of sources
3. Audiences are arguably better informed than before
4. More content production required
5. Publication on multiple channels required
6. Greater differentiation of output (content complexity and length, channel type, style, tone) required
7. Mass marketing / spray & pray doesn’t work
8. Harder to stay “on message”
9. More people have a voice thus more people “matter” e.g. think Wikipedia edits, not just pesky bloggers
10. Greater need to respond to challenges, comments, questions etc. = time, effort + risk
11. Less prep time for responding
12. Responses required in different fora, in different tones, and the communicator needs to sound like a real person (shock, horror)
13. More complex to monitor noise
14. More complex to measure
15. Different media training required

(Perhaps it’s not surprising that some PA professionals stick their head in the sand and refuse to admit digital is relevant.)