A RETORSPECTIVE ON MEDIA AND IMPACT OF THE NEW PARADIGM ON YOUR B USINESS

A lot of attention is being paid to the recent bridal magazine closings, but it is easy to miss the big picture of the new and reordered media paradigm.

First, let's take a big step back and look at the US Post Office. Why the Post Office? Well, fifty years ago there were over 70,000 post offices serving slightly more than half the current US population. Back then, parents, siblings and others waited for their favorite mail to arrive. Today, before children can read or write they are exposed to the internet. As we move forward, Post Offices in the US continue to decline with less than half the amount of outlets serving a larger population.

Fast forward from the 70's through the 90's, the golden age of television and we witness the demise of alternate media vehicles such as once dominant large circulation publications such as Life, Look and Readers Digest (filed for bankruptcy in 2009). By the early 90's, publishing morphed into special interest and other magazines tailored to focused demographics rather than just general interest. Television expanded aggressively from the three major networks to a phalanx of cable channels too numerous to mention in this brief retrospective.

The really big trend with network television is they also could no longer depend on their large audiences and had to be more content driven like print and deal with the realities collectively and individually of smaller more qualified audience to ensure survival and prosperity.

Meanwhile newspapers have become more akin to General Motors, once being the king of the auto business. With over 100 major newspapers going out of business in the last year, survivors have found the changing media landscape pockmarked with challenges.

First, savvy marketers have more options than ever before to match their products with compatible marketing and media. In general, print provides sight: radio delivers sound and television encompasses both. On the other hand, online provides all the above with enhanced ability to be interactive and instantaneous.

I saw the writing on the wall four years ago with the convergence of the internet and on-line medium. I have not looked back since. The formation and promotion of my websites, http://www.MarryCaribbean.com, http://www.GlobalWeddingResource.com and others. We continue to gain new perspectives and an intimate relationship, particularly with engaged couples looking to get married or honeymoon in the Caribbean. Today the online world is taking a more prominent role in the selection, education and decision process of the entire bridal market.