Voxpop

The closure of English & Pockett, reported in last week’s issue, was attributed to the ailing market for broadcast design services. How, and why, has this market changed in recent years?

Is the broadcast design market ailing, or has it just changed? I think it has changed. Simply put, the changes are: the broadcasters grew in number, the market fragmented, the revenues shrunk, while technology became cheaper, so anybody could be a designer, and is. It’s a buyer’s market – price is often the deciding factor and free- pitching the norm. There are two choices: go freelance, or extend your offering beyond broadcasting, which has been the Lambie-Nairn approach. English & Pockett will be missed. It was good, and sometimes great.
Martin Lambie-Nairn, Founder, Lambie-Nairn

People worry about the explosion in channels, multiple platforms and reduced budgets. But what about the explosion in media, the multiple markets? Design is a barometer of the economy. Success lies with dynamic, creative consultancies that reflect the market. Creative boutiques will flourish, those that play the old game will struggle. It’s simple economics. The antidote is creativity. It keeps things fresh. It excites. It will help us ride through the economic waves rather than trying to get over them.
Gary Holt, Founder, Holt Branding

The broadcast market is changing rapidly. TV viewing is moving away from traditional linear channels towards new forms of on-demand content. This change is affecting the creative skills required by media brands. Design solutions have to work across multiple platforms and consultancies should aim to work across broadcast design, Web development and short-form content creation to help clients. These are exciting times for creative and technical people to collaborate to create fresh interpretations of how a media brand can work on screens.
Andy Bryant, Creative director, Red Bee Media

I’m sorry to see the closure of English & Pockett – I knew Darrell Pockett and the original partners when ‘all this was just fields’. They did some great work over the years. The broadcast market has changed – budgets are tighter, in-house departments more sophisticated and more aggressively marketed and every day sees the launch of another competitor. On the other hand, more channels in more territories equals more opportunity for the whole industry.
Brian Eley, Partner and creative director, Dunning Eley Jones