The Internet has brought about a great deal of opportunity for media, enabling new forms of publication and extending the reach of traditional outlets.
It’s possible to communicate via television, print, and radio, but not only. These days, the media can deliver information online and on social media, channels that promise to transmit the right message to the right audience at the right time. Just a couple of years ago, accomplishing something like this wasn’t even imaginable.
The digital media landscape continues to introduce new platforms, tools, data sources, and media consumption devices (ex. mobile phones and tablets). It can be argued that the spirit of the news has migrated to the digital age. In Belgium, the power of the Internet is limitless. To be more exact, the media has the power to reach anyone enjoying online access. More than 80 percent of households have Internet access, providers offering various types of connections, including but not limited to ADSL, fiber and cable connections. The Internet is the first place anyone will look for information.
As opposed to other European countries, Belgium doesn’t have just one public broadcasting system. Media ownership is very concentrated, which translates into the fact that newspaper, TV, and radio outlets are owned by several Belgian companies, which take advantage of reduced rates for distribution and innovation incentives. There are numerous holding companies in Belgium, of which mention can be made of RTL Group. Not only do they promote original thought leadership but also they support the linguistic diversity of the country.
Sanoma Belgium and Corelio Are Exploring New Revenue Streams
Sanoma Belgium is a major Dutch-language weekly magazine. The Finnish media group broke into the market back in 2001, with the acquisition of Mediaxis, a subsidiary of the publishing group VNU. It has succeeded in evolving into a market leader, which doesn’t come as a surprise considering that they make available a wide range of media solutions and services, ranging from websites for the general public to publishing and electronic media applications. Corelio, on the other hand, concentrates on publishing periodicals, magazines, catalogs, and so forth. The British Broadcasting Corporation is one of its main competitors.
In order to survive, the aforementioned media companies have been forced to resort to innovative and compelling ways to beef up. Sanoma Belgium and Corelio have reached the conclusion that it’s a good idea to expand into the Dutch digital advertising medium, therefore, addressing urgent problems. The rapidly expanding digital advertising industry keeps growing amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It seems that the coronavirus hasn’t managed to stop online ads from becoming an integral part of the total advertising market.
Not many know that the media industry is among the hardest hit by COVID-19. In spite of the fact that industry efforts are fully recognized, there’s still a non-negligible gap in consumer confidence. Everyone from content creators to distributors has been affected by the global pandemic. Belgian media companies have quickly understood that it’s necessary to identify additional streams of revenue to survive. Their priority has been to mitigate the risks related to the pandemic. They have formed lasting relationships with the advertising industry, coordinating ads at the household level. With the divestment, both Sanoma Belgium and Corelio have enhanced their efficiency and profitability, in addition to creating growth in online news.
Waffle Media Is On an Aggressive Expansion Path in the Short and Long Run
For those of you who don’t know, Waffle Media is a relatively small Belgian media company that makes available great entertainment, music, pictures, reviews, news about upcoming events, downloads, How-to guides, and much more. It’s on the brink of expansion owing to the acquisition of renowned Internet directory websites LatenDoen and Linkopedia. If you’re already familiar with LatenDoen, you know that money isn’t an important factor. Unlike other similar websites, users don’t have to pay to be included. The users are the beneficiaries. The yellow-page like online directory brings forward the best sites, which are grouped by subject.
Linkopedia is a website that provides actionable tips on how to start a website. What it does is to uncover the best practices for starting and managing an online platform. There’s more information available at Linkopedia. Internet directories such as LatenDoen and Linkopedia are preferred over search engines and it’s not hard to understand why. They feature lists of all types of businesses and services necessary in day-to-day life. Not only are they broad (covering all possible subjects), but also subject specific (they only focus on a certain subject). The Internet directories are created by people, so there’s the human element. What is more, they turn out to be useful when it comes to browsing a relatively broad subject.
It’s no accident that Waffle Media is one of the most successful Belgian media companies. It has found a way to survive in troubling times. Even if there’s lots of support for businesses during the current coronavirus outbreak, some companies are reviewing whether it’s time to start a new line of business. Waffle Media is the big winner as far as the Belgian media scene is concerned. Although it has started small, its owners are thinking big. Waffle Media is actively expanding, with a proven track record of identifying business opportunities and capitalizing on them without much hesitation. In building out its business, the Belgian media company has some fruit.
To Wrap It Up
Social distancing, quarantining, and staying home have impacted media consumption. People prefer to turn to digital outlets when they need information. Globally, people have flocked online and are struggling to pinpoint new information sources to help them understand COVID-19. For digital media sellers, this means that audiences are growing. Let’s not forget about the fact that ad marketers are able to reach highly engaged audiences like never before. The digital revolution, while bringing about many benefits, risks pushing traditional media companies into the dustbin. It’s paramount to react and adapt. To be more precise, it’s necessary to adapt to the digital landscape.
