Professor Ilhem Allagui delivered the keynote address at the International Conference on Communication Studies hosted by the University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Oman. The conference explored the impact of digital media evolution on accelerating the transition toward a media-inclusive society.
In her address, Allagui discussed how the media landscape in the Middle East and North Africa has been altered in response to the pandemic as more people used their mobile devices to connect, work, and enjoy entertainment. “The coronavirus pandemic,” Allagui said, “disrupted the ways people in the region use the internet and consume media content.” She notes three types of disruption to media consumption, “first, is an intensified and accelerated media usage; second, is the emergence of creative opportunities with novel media platforms and branded content opportunities; and third, a new willingness to pay for media content, much-anticipated by the media to scale up their capabilities.”
“All over the world, the media landscape and consumer behaviors have changed in response to the disruptions caused by the pandemic... highly-engaged audiences have provided an opportunity for media platforms with a paid-subscriber base and advertisers to expand their reach.”
With people around the world eager to access information and remain updated on the rapidly changing pandemic, Allagui pointed out that media consumption has surged to an all-time high and this trend is altering the landscape for advertisers. In developed and emerging markets this has given emerging social media platforms a chance to leverage enhanced engagement and consumers’ willingness to pay for media content.
“All over the world, the media landscape and consumer behaviors have changed in response to the disruptions caused by the pandemic,” said Allagui, noting that “highly-engaged audiences have provided an opportunity for media platforms with a paid-subscriber base and advertisers to expand their reach.”
Additionally, the new media landscape has caused fragmentation in the socio-cultural and economic realms, including the fragmentation of audiences, market fragmentation, and users’ fragmentation due to the digital divide. “More than ever, at this critical time, media need to work with advertisers hand in hand to explore new and creative opportunities that present value to the fragmented audiences on one hand, and ensure that media can monetize on various platforms on the other hand,” said Allagui.
A digital media scholar, Allagui’s research focuses on advertising, big data, digital marketing, and online culture in the Middle East and North Africa region. Her most recent publication, Advertising in MENA Goes Digital, explores the dynamics of the advertising industry in the region.
