The historic period we’re currently in goes by a few names: the Information Age, Digital Age, New Media Age, etc.

No matter what we call it (we kind of like Information Revolution), what defines this age is how we consume information and how we fund it.

How we consume information is through the internet. Advertising funds most of the internet. And media is how we publish advertising.

A characteristic of this digital age is that technology advances at a breakneck speed. And it has a very real impact on how advertisers handle media.

The crux of this impact is the fact that the interaction between brands and people has changed forever.

Here are two of the biggest reasons why:

1. People Have A Voice

Fundamentally, there are two ways people communicate with brands now: directly and indirectly.

+   People communicate with brands directly through social media, videos, etc. Think people responding to a spicy Wendy’s tweet.

+   People communicate with brands indirectly through their behavior regarding ads. Every click, every non-click, every ad blocked, every ad skipped, every ad shared — it’s all quantifiable.

This indirect communication means that brands have access to more audience insights than ever before.

To tell their story effectively in this digital age, brands have to understand what their audience is saying and adapt.

2. Real-Time is Possible

The best part is that this adaptation can happen in real time through programmatic technology. Or at least, it’s supposed to (read why digital media is usually not real-time).

The promise of digital media is real-time personalization at scale. It’s hitting who you want to hit, when and how you want to hit them.

With programmatic technology brands can gather and act on insights in near real-time.

These two facts mean one thing: media is more valuable than ever. It’s incredibly important for modern brands and their agencies to get media right. LumenAd can help you get there.