Media executive search viewpoint on media sector recovery

Is the economy out of the woods yet?

Apparently not. Most experts say that 2010 will be just as challenging for the media sector as 2009; consumer and business confidence will remain low, and advertisers and subscribers will be increasingly selective.

Here at the media executive search firm, many of our clients used 2009 as a time to reappraise their products. Broadly speaking, their aims were to cut costs without reducing quality; refocus content to meet the needs of readers, advertisers and subscribers; and profitably widen the product portfolio.

Of course, this has often meant bringing in new senior personnel. Whether editors, sales and marketing directors, MDs or CEOs, some candidates are better suited for difficult times than others. Finding good people is tough: and the difference between good people and the not-so-good is often failure.

Between them, the founders of Martin Tripp Associates have been placing people in senior media roles for over twenty years. We have worked across all forms of traditional and new media, as well as the information, events, and games sectors, in Europe, Asia, and the US.

Whether there is a media sector recovery yet or not, we can be sure that the market will never stop evolving – and where talent really counts, our job is to help our clients stay on top of the challenges and stay ahead of their competition.