For as long as I can remember, programmers have been taught lifelong music tastes are formed during the teenage years and there is plenty of research to support this long held belief. But data released last month by Luminate challenges this widely held assumption.

For Gen X-ers “music from the 80s and 90s could have more staying power than other decades. This is because younger generations listen to music that was that was relevant before they were teenagers/young adults at much higher rates than previous generations, while listening to music that was relevant during in their teen years at lower rates” according to Luminate.

Is should be no surprise then the Classic Hits format playing music primarily 80s music is the most popular format in the Top 25 US Radio markets* – Classic Hits stations were ranked in the Top 3 in 17 of the top 25 American radio markets according to the June 2022 Nielsen PPM ratings.

Meanwhile Luminate reports the digital consumption of current titles continues to decline whilst catalog streaming has increased 19% so far in 2022. And a song from 1985, Kate Bush “Running Up That Hill” was the #1 song in the world for several weeks in July (decades after its 1985 release) on the Billboard Global 200 chart.

“We are in the worst Doldrums music cycle in history” declared Guy Zapoleon, earlier this summer.

So, what does all this mean if you are programming a music format?

Question established programming philosophies. They may not be relevant anymore.

Open your mind to consider new possibilities. Mixing eras and genres that we once believed weren’t possible may work today.

Stay on top of trends. There’s more data than ever available to programmers, look beyond the traditional tools to identify changing consumer tastes and interests.

Success will come today to those willing to throw out the old playbook, challenge the status quo and have the courage to rewrite the rules.

Written by Ken Benson, Co-founder and partner of P1 Media Group. Ken is a multi-award-winning contemporary radio and music television programmer.He provides insights and strategies to leading media companies around the world.

Starting in February 2023, Sofia Wadensjö Karén will be the new program director at Sveriges Radio. Sofia comes most recently from her position as CEO at Utbildningsradion. Sofia replaces Björn Löfdahl, who continues as acting CEO at Sveriges Radio.

In Sofia Wadensjö Karén, Sveriges Radio gets a new program director with an exciting background and an external perspective. Sofia is a very knowledgeable and committed leader with a proven passion for good journalism and with a drive and an ability to achieve change that few possess. I am so happy that she now chooses to come to us at Sveriges Radio. She will be a great force in our company management and a perfect new program director to have by my side, says Sveriges Radio's CEO Cilla Benkö .

Sofia Wadensjö Karén has a broad and solid journalistic background with experience from both the daytime and evening press as well as magazines and in recent years also radio and television. Over the years, she has held several leading journalistic roles, including as feature manager at Aftonbladet, editor-in-chief of Tidningen Vi and CEO of Vi Media, and most recently as CEO of Utbildningsradion. Sofia Wadensjö Karén has also held a number of positions of trust in the media industry. In the years 2016–2018, for example, she was chairman of the board for Utgivarna, for many years she sat on the jury for the Stora Journalistpriset and since a couple of years ago she is the chairman of the media ethics management body (Mefo). In 2017, she received Sveriges Tidskrifter's Grand Prix, among other things, with the justification that she"inspires by fighting for free, independent journalism with high credibility" .

My entire professional life has revolved around protecting and developing good journalism, ensuring high quality at all levels and working for a strong and creative corporate culture. Now, together with all of the radio's proven skilled employees, I want to take the next step to further strengthen and develop the radio offering for the future. My time at UR has been fantastic, few roles can compete with what I do today, but the one as program director for Sveriges Radio was impossible to turn down. For me personally, it feels incredibly meaningful to be part of - and contribute to - Sveriges Radio's important mission, says incoming program director Sofia Wadensjö Karén .

Björn Löfdahl continues in the role of acting CEO at Sveriges Radio. During the autumn of 2022, in addition to being program director, he will, among other things, be responsible for reorganizing the management of the program unit at Sveriges Radio.

Björn Löfdahl's long time as program director at Sveriges Radio has been characterized by a solid knowledge of Sveriges Radio and journalism, a steady stream of ideas, passion and commitment. I will miss him enormously in that role but am very happy that he will remain at the company for a while longer, says Cilla Benkö.  

After February 2023, Björn Löfdahl will have a changed role, then as acting CEO at Sveriges Radio with special responsibility for company-wide projects.

After fifteen years in the role of program director, I feel it is time to hand over the baton. I will now focus on implementing the change in the program unit's management team, which Sofia will then take on. I look forward to working with her when she starts with us. Being program director with us is a fantastic job with many knowledgeable and fun colleagues and I wish her the best of luck, says Björn Löfdahl .

Björn Löfdahl will remain in the company management until Sofia Wadensjö Karén starts at Sveriges Radio in mid-February 2023.

Organisers of the Design in Motion Festival (DEMO) - the largest motion design festival in the world - have received 5,300 entries from more than 1,500 designers in 81 countries.

The second edition of the DEMO will take place on 6 October 2022, and will broadcast the best motion design from around the world on 5,000 digital screens in the Netherlands for 24 hours. 

The final selection of work that will be displayed by the DEMO Festival curators includes 816 entries grouped into 9 themes. The selection includes new talents, well-known designers and studios like Dirk Koy (Switzerland), ines alpha (France), Sucuk und Bratwurst (Germany), Wang & Söderström (Sweden), Yehwan Song (South Korea), BUCK Design (USA/Netherlands), Melissa Santamaría (Mexico), Hey Studio (Spain), Michiel Schuurman (Netherlands), Studio Feixen (Switzerland), PPPanik (Germany), Raman Djafari (Germany) and Hassan Rahim (USA).

Public programme and guided tours on 6 October

In the Royal Waiting Room at Amsterdam Central Station, where the first edition of DEMO took place, a public programme will be organised with in-depth talks on the motion design profession. 

The programme includes leading speakers such as Connor Campbell (UK), a motion designer known for his work for brands such as Nike, Apple and MTV, Natalia Stuyk (a video and installation artist from Spain), and 3D animation studio YONK (Netherlands) who work with Meta and the New York Times. There will also be lectures by specialists such as Sander Sturing of Studio Dumbar/DEPT® (a creative coder for the Netherlands), Yehwan Song (a web artist and designer from South Korea), and creative coder and educator Tim Rodenbröker (Germany).

Throughout the day, there will be guided tours at Amsterdam Central Station, in Rotterdam and Utrecht, where groups can visit the digital screens with a designer and get insightful explanations.

WPP today announces that it is acquiring Newcraft, a leading, data-first European ecommerce consultancy based in the Netherlands.  

Newcraft unlocks business opportunities for its global clients including Ahold Delhaize, Pon Holdings, Yakult and JDE Peet’s by combining transformation strategy with operational commerce expertise to deliver growth and tangible business results. Founded in 2007, Newcraft supports organisations in realising change, reaching growth targets and mastering digital capabilities. 

The 155-strong business will join the Wunderman Thompson global network, complementing its well-established commerce and marketing services teams in Northern Europe.  

The acquisition will further strengthen WPP’s digital commerce capabilities and reflects the company’s ongoing investment into its commerce offer for clients as consumer needs continue to change. It is aligned with WPP's accelerated growth strategy, building on existing capabilities in the areas of commerce and technology. WPP is ranked as a Leader in Forrester's global Commerce Services Wave, and already manages more than $40bn of direct and $20bn of marketplace GMV for clients and employs 13,500 commerce specialists across its agencies.

Mark Read, CEO of WPP, said: “With consumer behaviours and use of new ecommerce channels continuing to change at a rapid pace, brands need innovative solutions to reach customers and new audiences. As we continue to invest in growth areas, Newcraft’s extensive experience of transforming the digital offering of some of Europe’s leading companies will further strengthen our global commerce proposition and drive results for clients.”

Neil Stewart, CEO of Wunderman Thompson Commerce & Technology, said: “Newcraft brings a unique mix of commerce expertise in strategy and operations and fuses it with industry-specific capability across retail, FMCG, wholesale and mobility. Combined with our leading commerce technology and customer experience in the Netherlands, I’m excited about how Newcraft will help us accelerate our end-to-end commerce services for clients in the region and across the world.” 

Publicis Groupe ME&T announced that Samer Shoueiry has stepped down from his position as Chief Digital Officer at Publicis Communications ME to commence the next chapter of his career. 

Shoueiry joined Leo Burnett Beirut in 2011 with more than two decades of professional and academic experience across business, design and innovation. He served as the Regional Digital Director of Innovation and Strategy followed by Executive Head of Digital and Social Marketing. Subsequently, he took on responsibility as CEO of Publicis Communications UAE before reassuming his role as Chief Digital Officer to strengthen the Groupe’s digital transformation and accelerate data-driven creativity.

Bassel Kakish, CEO at Publicis Groupe, ME&T said: “I would like to thank Samer for his time at Publicis Groupe. He has played a central role in the digital transformation of agency and client experiences. His efforts to align the Groupe’s business transformation and innovation have strongly contributed to the robust digital foundation we have today. On behalf of everyone, I wish him the best of luck in future endeavours.”

At Publicis Communications ME, Shoueiry had regional remit across Leo Burnett, Saatchi & Saatchi, Publicis and all the Groupe’s agencies, where he oversaw the development and integration of offices and capabilities in ME. He also founded and championed the Social Content Lab and cultivated native digital design thinking to generate ground-breaking brand experiences. 

Samer Shoueiry, Chief Digital Officer at Publicis Communications ME, said: “Publicis has embedded digital at the heart of everything we do, and I would like to thank the agency for giving me the opportunity to expand and scale its digital transformation agenda. It has been a privilege to be part of the company for over a decade and work towards building more synergies between the Groupe’s strategies, and to further develop opportunities with clients across the region. I have great faith in Publicis and its innovative technology, and more so in the incredible talent, professionalism, and dedication of my colleagues, which I trust will continue to propel the Groupe to even further success.”

Sonali Bendre enthrals audiences as part of the ZEE5 Global and Lulu Group collaboration for the India Utsav celebrations.

Bollywood movies have always been appreciated and loved across the Middle East, especially in the UAE among not only Indians but also local audiences. Streaming platform ZEE5 Global is now taking this connection several notches higher.

As the leading streaming platform for South Asian content in the Middle East and the world over, ZEE5 Global boasts of the largest and most comprehensive library catering to the significant diaspora population, including over 4000 movies and one of the largest libraries of content across South Indian languages. The platform recently premiered the mega-blockbuster ‘RRR’ in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada and also ‘The Kashmir Files’, both of which were huge hits across the Middle East.

Aggressively driving partnerships in the region, ZEE5 Global recently announced its association with the LuLu Group for their India Utsav celebrations to mark the 75th Indian Independence Day. The announcement was made during an on-ground press conference at LuLu Regional Headquarters in Dubai. In the Lulu Group’s first ever simultaneous region-wide launch of this celebration, the “India Utsav” was launched across the GCC countries on 15th August 2022 at Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi.

As part of the celebrations, ZEE5 Global flew in actor Sonali Bendre, who had a special meet and greet with fans who turned up in droves on 20th August in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The Indian actress who recently made her OTT debut on ZEE5 Global with The Broken News, also shopped with the fans who were delighted to meet Sonali.

Commenting on the partnership, actor Sonali Bendre said, “It’s been such a fun experience being at the India Utsav in Dubai and interacting with everyone here. It’s great to see how everyone has participated in the activities as part of the celebrations. My association with ZEE5 Global has always been amazing and I’m so glad that my first OTT show, The Broken News on ZEE5 Global, has been much appreciated and loved by audiences across the world. I'm also excited that Duranga is receiving a positive response on ZEE5 Global, which is a creation of Rose Audio production and helmed by my husband Goldie Behl.”

Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 Global, said, “We are very happy to partner with LuLu for yet another hugely successful event to bring the entertainment factor into the shopping experience. Sonali’s presence only added to the festive spirit as fans were thrilled to meet the star. The Middle East is a very special market for us and we look forward to continuing to enthral our audiences here with the best of Bollywood blockbusters and South Asian stories.” 

In addition to this amidst upcoming festivities, the brand has also lined up a slew of new content launches and partnership announcements which will be unveiled in the next few weeks.

The company continues to re-skill, and upskill women in a diverse range of roles

Amazon reinforces commitment to the UAE Emiratisation strategy and ongoing diversity efforts

Amazon welcomed a number of new Emirati hires, with many of these roles filled by Emirati women. In support of the UAE’s national Emiratisation plan, the new hires reinforce Amazon’s ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion and contribute towards its goal of being the ‘Earth’s best employer.’ Amazon announces the new hires in time with the Emirati Women’s Day which aims to celebrate the dreams and achievements of women in the UAE.

Amazon continues to invest in UAE talent through reskilling, and upskilling its workforce, empowering them to advance their careers in one of the region’s fastest growing industries. The company has Emirati hires across multiple functions in its organization covering Finance, Human Resources, Immigration, Legal, Administration, Operations, Retail, and Marketing.

Ronaldo Mouchawar, Vice President, Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Amazon, said: “We are grateful to live in a country where there are so many impactful national and corporate initiatives to drive change and make sustainable long-term impact. We believe that diversity unlocks different perspectives, enabling us to innovate and serve the evolving needs of our customers. With Emirati Women’s Day also being commemorated this week, and our ongoing commitment to diversity, we are proud to see so many Emirati women take on roles within Amazon. I look forward to seeing what the future has in store as we continue to build it together.”

Noof Alsayed, Marketplace Account Manager, Middle East and North Africa, Amazon, commented: “While I have always been intrigued by the variety of roles offered by Amazon, most women are not aware of the breadth of opportunities available within the company. I am proud to represent Emirati women in such a fast-growing sector and thank the UAE government for driving this vision to ensure growth of our talent. I can’t wait to start the next step of my career and further explore the endless prospects that Amazon offers.”

Sara Alsawalhi, Financial Analyst, Middle East and North Africa, Amazon, added, “I am proud to have joined a company that strives to be Earth’s best employer by creating a safer, more diverse, and more productive work environment. UAE is making significant progress at multiple levels to empower women. I’m grateful for the flexibility and excellent working conditions the company offers and would encourage any woman who is interested in a fulfilling career with prospects for growth to explore opportunities with Amazon.”

Amazon’s presence in the UAE is powered by a combination of innovative technology, advanced fulfilment network, transportation services, highly skilled employees, and partners. In July this year, Amazon opened its largest delivery station in Abu Dhabi, bringing advanced last-mile delivery technology to the capital and providing the convenience of Same-Day and One-Day deliveries to customers. With a strong fulfilment network, eight delivery stations and a network of Delivery Service Partners across the UAE, Amazon continues to build and scale its operations in the UAE, while focusing on the safety, well-being, and career advancement of its employees.

Oliver Wyman’s recent Airline Economic Analysis 2021-2 found that labor shortages and inflation were the two biggest issues facing the aviation sector as it emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, making it difficult for airlines to satisfy growing demand and pushing up operational expenses.

As summer school holidays begin in the Middle East and airlines get busier, we look at what the findings mean from a regional perspective.

According to André Martins, Partner – Head of IMEA Transportation and Services at Oliver Wyman, “Airlines have been at the receiving end with the fuel price hikes and personnel shortage impacting their bottom-line”.

Key insights for the Middle East include:

Labour shortages are across the board, from pilot, to baggage handler, to ticket agent, to flight attendant, to aircraft mechanic.

The rise in the price of fuel is the main factor in rising costs.

The conflict in Ukraine has exacerbated existing stress on commodity markets and supply chains, and meant flight restrictions due to closures of airspace and sanctions. In January 2022, just before the conflict began, Middle East countries represented the second largest destination for air travelers from Russia, at 28% measured by scheduled seats (behind Europe with 42%). In the other direction, the UAE represented 9% of the share of international seats headed to Russia at the same point in time, second only to Turkey.

Compared to the spike in demand for leisure travel, business travel is recovering slowly.

Sustainable aviation is still a way off, with battery-operated and hydrogen-propelled commercial airliners facing technological and regulatory hurdles, and sustainable aviation fuel too expensive and too scarce to be a viable option. In fact, the aviation sector is likely to see an increase in emissions before they fall. Qatar Airways and Dubai Airports have both signed a pledge to work towards 10% sustainable aviation fuel by 2030, reflecting regional momentum.

Air cargo is a bright spot, driven by a growth in e-commerce during the pandemic, and shortage of truckers.

On a more positive note: “Every downturn in the global economy has proven to be the time for new market entrants in the airline industry. This time around, it has been no different – we have seen multiple airline start-ups just launch or prepare for an upcoming launch such as Akasa Air in India, the proposed new airline in Saudi Arabia, and Avelo in the US, among many others” according to Martins.

As options to consume sports multiply, leagues and media companies need to prioritize the fan experience

In this “golden age” of sports content, fans have more options than ever to watch what they love. Currently, this means navigating a combination of cable, broadcast, and streaming services across their big and small screens. Helping to usher in this age, streaming has increasingly become a favorite channel for watching live sports, especially for younger fans. With the move to streaming, sports organizations are seeking further monetization of their rights and chasing a shifting consumer base. And streaming services are looking to use live sports as a differentiator to fight off competition and reduce churn.

Examples of this emerging relationship include Amazon paying US$1 billion per season to stream NFL “Thursday Night Football”; “Friday Night Baseball” and Major League Soccer on the Apple TV+®streaming video service; and a number of US women's and men's national soccer team matches landing on HBO Max, starting 2023.1 In addition, leagues and regional sports networks (RSNs) are looking to launch their own direct-to-consumer (DTC) offerings.2 Their goals are to better control their own destiny and engage fans in a more personalized way, capturing and monetizing data.

Increased competition could lead to a better overall product, both on and off the field. This may include novel game formats, improved production quality, additional ancillary content, enhanced uses of data, and preventing teams from “tanking” (in order to retain subscribers). However, there are some dangers to watch for. As this new landscape matures, fans could face an increasingly confusing mix of options to wade through to watch their favorite teams and events: home and mobile streaming services, RSNs, and cable/satellite channels. Instead of building deeper relationships, leagues and providers may therefore be creating artificial barriers for fans. Also, by having so many options to watch a specific player or team, leagues could miss out on maximizing their potential audience because of market fragmentation.

To explore how fans feel about this unfolding future, we surveyed 500 US respondents, of which 319 were identified as sports fans.3 We found that sports fans crave content, and many pay for it; they just want to access it easily. Over half of sports fans surveyed (53%) said that they paid for a streaming video service to access sports content in the last year. But fans have some frustrations with their experiences, which could potentially reduce their level of overall engagement. Negative sentiments include feeling burdened by too many subscriptions (49%), feeling frustrated by difficulties finding content (62%), and actually missing events they wanted to see because of these difficulties (54%).

These statistics are representative of the challenge—there is no “one-size-fits-all” for the entire fan base. Fan attention is being pulled in myriad directions by different entertainment choices, and if providers aren’t careful, they could see fans drifting away.

This raises some difficult questions in the streaming era:

Will fans continue to crave this jam-packed sports ecosystem?

How can leagues build loyalty and create superfans that keep tuning in?

How can teams, leagues, and streaming providers meet the needs of younger fans, who seek more interactive and engaging entertainment experiences?

How will streaming providers incorporate and leverage fantasy, social media, betting, and other engagement channels?

What will the new data ecosystem look like, and what does it all mean for relationships with advertisers?

Recommendations for sports leaders

This market is going to take many years to develop and mature. There will likely be a long transition as licensing rights expire and change, and streaming providers build their live sports infrastructure. Those who want to reach sports fans through DTC offerings should focus on some key considerations:

Ask fundamental questions. Why do you want a DTC service? Who are you building it for? What will make it special? What aren’t you going to do? How are you going to make money? Can you be in it for the long term?

Put the fan first. If you build it, fans won’t come unless they know how to get there. Focus on overall user experience, search capabilities, and unique value for the consumer.

Create an omnichannel experience. Think about how traditional broadcasting, streaming, social media, sports betting, gaming, fantasy, and other engagement channels can all come together to support and enhance one another. Build a strategy to integrate and leverage fan data across these different areas.

Even as remote working blurs boundaries between work and life, APAC travelers are finding new ways to balance both by working from anywhere – including extended stays at hotels

Survey respondents across six of APAC’s leading tourism markets show increasing preference for flexibility, spotlighting why it matters where you stay when travelling for leisure, business, or a blend of both.

The pandemic has redefined travel, and as leading hospitality company, Hilton (NYSE: HLT), unpacks its newest survey findings1, travel trends spotlight how the past two years have not only changed how people travel, but why. Results revealed the lines between work and personal trips have become increasingly blurred - with vacation time increasingly being added to work trips. This signals a need to establish new rhythms of rest and reconnecting, emphasizing why now, more than ever, it matters where you stay.

“Our study shows that work trips are not only extended for extra down-time, but leisure travel also needs to be flexible and connected enough to allow for an element of remote working or working from anywhere,” said Ben George, senior vice president and commercial director, Hilton, Asia Pacific. “More than ever, this puts the spotlight on the stay itself and what the hotel experience can offer in totality. When you need to produce an inspiring presentation while on the move, it matters where you stay — the environment, food, amenities make all the difference.”

Blurring Lines Between Work and Life

The rise of remote working during the pandemic has accelerated an always-on culture, resulting in a greater want and need among employees to disconnect from constant video conferencing and the incessant ping of messaging apps.

43% of Indonesian and Malaysian travelers say they want to disconnect from work, but among them 95% and 81% still spend some time working while travelling with family.

Employed respondents from Singapore (66%) and Australia (64%) cannot seem to switch off their work mode, despite saying they would like to.

There is also the added stress of guilt associated with responding to work emails while on vacation, according to half of the respondents in Indonesia (59%), Australia (58%), Malaysia (57%), and Singapore (54%).

Remote Working From Stunning Locations

At the same time, there is an emerging preference among travelers to make the most of the remote working flexibility that more companies are now offering. Across the region, gainfully employed respondents would choose to do some form of work while travelling, with India (98%) ranked at the top, followed by Thailand and Indonesia (95%), Malaysia (81%), Singapore (65%), and Australia (64%).

This corresponds with extended stays at hotels, which offer an ideal environment for working from anywhere when it is preferred. Hilton’s booking data recorded an increase of up to two days in the average length of stay from 2019 to 2022 in Asia Pacific—with Singapore and Bangkok taking the lead at five and four days, respectively.

Remote Working From Stunning Locations

At the same time, there is an emerging preference among travelers to make the most of the remote working flexibility that more companies are now offering. Across the region, gainfully employed respondents would choose to do some form of work while travelling, with India (98%) ranked at the top, followed by Thailand and Indonesia (95%), Malaysia (81%), Singapore (65%), and Australia (64%).

This corresponds with extended stays at hotels, which offer an ideal environment for working from anywhere when it is preferred. Hilton’s booking data recorded an increase of up to two days in the average length of stay from 2019 to 2022 in Asia Pacific—with Singapore and Bangkok taking the lead at five and four days, respectively.

Footnotes

Survey conducted with nearly 6,000 respondents across Singapore, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and India

Among 12 activities, sitting by pool or beach ranks #1 (19%), spa treatment ranks #3 (15%), taking a nap ranks #4 (14%). Romantic dinner with spouse/significant other ranks second at 17%.