Creating Better Media Solutions
Marketing is about generating interest from people. Whether the business sells to consumers (B2C) or other businesses (B2B), all businesses sell to people (B2P). And people are interested in what value you can provide for them. This is captured in a quote by the President of Western Media Group, David St Laurent:
“Experience has taught me that when you focus on what you bring to the client’s table, as opposed to what you take away from it, a better solution is always found.�?
As David explains, business solutions flourish when people are brought together to create mutual value. That is why the BCITMA is proud to create new solutions for the professional development of students by partnering with Western Media Group. They are both an annual sponsor for the entire student club and one of the sponsors for the Regional Conference.
ABOUT WESTERN MEDIA GROUP
Western Media Group is a media marketing company based in Vancouver. The company acts as a go-between for advertisers and media suppliers; Western Media Group represents media partners and helps them to find new customers, while also working with advertisers to find the best possible media platforms that fit their needs.
As an agent, Western Media Group has both the reach to deliver media across multiple platforms and countries while also providing the flexibility to meet the needs of smaller and medium-sized markets. They are a media solutions company that specializes in bringing disparate parties together to find the best possible solutions for clients.
THE ADVANTAGE FOR CUSTOMERS
Western Media Group was revolutionary for combining and selling media solutions across four independent media platforms: radio, television, outdoor and online. Not only is this convenient for clients, but the company is able to offer better solutions; Western Media Group is one of only a few companies to incorporate the products of independent media suppliers across multiple platforms to create customized solutions that specifically fit the client’s needs.
The Problem
Western Media Group is able to provide the best customer solutions because they play by fewer rules. There are many major media companies that offer advertising products across a range of media platforms, such as radio, television and outdoor media. For the advertiser, however, the problem is that these companies may be self-interested; these media companies will have an obligation to recommend platforms owned by their own company rather than those of competing firms. As a result, even if competing media companies have a better solution available, the advertiser will likely not have access to it.
Another related problem for advertisers is that the size of the company itself can obscure the creation of better media solutions. Let’s say you are trying to sell a used bike, and want to advertise it on an e-commerce website. Which site would you choose? Probably large, well-known trading websites such as Craigslist and Ebay. These sites have great awareness and can reach a significant population of people, but they may not be the best solution for selling a bike. For instance, there may be smaller websites and online forums that cater to a dedicated community of biking enthusiasts; while the audience itself is smaller, these avid bikers would likely be more much more receptive to buying a bike and be willing to pay a higher price.
The advertising industry works in much the same way. Independent media companies that cater to smaller, specialized audiences can often provide tailored solutions for specific advertisers. However, due to the greater awareness and scale of major media companies, many advertisers will not find these smaller firms. Customers may also find it too time-consuming to find, negotiate and advertise with many independent companies.
The Solution
Western Media Group acts as an agent to bridge the gap between advertisers and media suppliers. Unlike major media companies that sell across media platforms but are inhibited by their own company rules, Western Media Group only has to abide by one rule: find the best possible advertising solution across all the media partners represented by the company. Their advantage lies in being able to leverage their relationships and knowledge of media partners – something advertisers do not always have access to – to create added value for customers.
As a result, Western Media Group is able to solve all the aforementioned issues that prevent advertisers from finding the best possible media solutions for their needs. They solve the corporate self-interest issue because they do not own media platforms, they represent them; Western Media Group is free to pick the best platforms for meeting customer objectives. They solve the size issue by representing both large media companies and smaller independent firms, allowing them to be found by advertisers.
And finally they solve the fragmentation issue by consolidating all their media partners into one group. When advertisers enlist Western Media Group, the customer is able to reach the services offered by all represented media partners and does not have to contact each one separately. This leads to more convenience, more collaboration and more solutions. You can find out more about what Western Media Group does by clicking on the link.
Written by: Matthew Kwong
