One distinctive feature of the modern media world is the shift from institutions to individuals.
In other words, while most mainstream print and broadcast outlets today have declining audiences, people are flocking to consume content from high-profile personalities and creators.
Institutions are losing trust and influence. Individuals feel authentic, relatable and engaging.
We might have ambivalent feelings about this (the Delphi team certainly does), but that doesn’t mean this shift isn’t happening.
We can see it all around us:
🟣 Legacy media talent going solo on podcasts, YouTube and Substack, eg Piers Morgan, Kara Swisher
🟣 Individual journalists pushed into the limelight on audio and video, eg Ezra Klein
🟣 Businesspeople and niche B2B creators “going direct” and building big audiences on social media, eg Ryan Petersen, Steven Bartlett
🟣 Creators as the new TV for a whole generation of younger people, eg Amelia Dimoldenberg, Mr Beast, Jake Paul
When we talk to Delphi clients about what this means for their earned media activity, we emphasise three things:
🟩 Go where your audience is – We need to take individual creators and media startups as seriously as the BBC and FT.
🟩 Build up your own individual personalities – Invest in the right ambassadors and evangelists for your message and content, whether that’s the CEO or a specific product expert.
🟩 Passion and POV beats perfection – Algorithmic platforms prioritise emotive content over high production values, so speed, depth, insight and opinion are all more important than beautiful editing.
If you’re looking for a new approach to your comms that reflects today’s individual-led media landscape, drop us a line.
