Mr. Anil Kumar, Senior Business Director-MediaCom(http://www.mediacom.com ) addressed the participants of IIM Indore PGP at Mumbai on1 December 2013 and shared his thoughts on “Media Mix for an upcoming company and Integration between electronic & social media”.
The interaction left all the students bedazzled with all the new ideas and creative innovations that come up in the media industry.
Here are the excerpts from his interview:
1. Media industry has diversified manifolds with the evolution of online media. How is the industry reacting to it and what lies in the future?
Mr. Anil Kumar: Media is nothing but content. With the evolution of online media and advancement in technology only thing that has changed is the form in which it is delivered now. Earlier forms like newspaper and television were used to deliver content now new media is used which is much more interactive than earlier ones. In India, still both the forms of media, new as well as traditional are used. This is because India is a diversified country which differs in the level of advancement and acceptance of new technology from state to state and region to region. In states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, new media is still not that wide spread and television still remains the most consumed media.
2. With the growing number of MBA students graduating every year, what kind of roles/ scope does the media industry offer us?
Mr. Anil Kumar: In our industry, we have a category called the media planners/ buyers. For this category, companies generally hire MBA students who plan the media strategy for the clients. They act as the thinkers as well as the doers. They formulate the strategy and then execute the same.
3. The new media is much more interactive in nature than the traditional media and the control has shifted to the consumers. Does it pose any risk, as in the current scenario negative publicity catches attention very fast and spreads even faster?
Mr. Anil Kumar: One cannot do much about it as it is inevitable. Being proactive is the only solution. Keep anticipating and take measures accordingly. Here remedial approach works rather than precautionary approach.
4. What is your core message to the MBA graduates?
Mr. Anil Kumar: Follow your passion!! Plain and simple, do what you like.