Read more about how designing with accessibility in mind benefits not just those with disabilities, but everyone.
Dare to lead: Practical media strategies for thriving in a tech-driven world
The Flemish media sector faces exciting challenges. While international tech giants continue to gain ground and traditional business models come under pressure, AI is evolving at lightning speed. At the same time, audiences are demanding better, more personalized experiences. Yet, there are opportunities for media companies bold enough to innovate. Here are six targeted strategies to strengthen your connection with your audience and create lasting impact—from smart AI usage to building trust and deepening engagement with your brand.
6 guidelines for thriving in the new media era
1. From content to connection, from news to habit
Ask yourself this: “How would my audience’s life change if my content disappeared tomorrow?”
This question forces you to think about two critical aspects of content: hard relevance and social relevance.
A. The relevance of your content
The future of content creation, where AI plays an ever-growing role, demands a new mindset. AI is not a threat but a tool to create better, more targeted content. It’s not about quantity—it’s about quality. Use AI to make your content smarter, more personal, and more valuable to your audience.
Hard relevance—how well your content meets the needs and questions of your audience—is what will tie users to your brand. Frameworks like Dmitry Shishkin’s User Needs Model or Thomas Baekdal’s push for relevance-driven news can inspire and guide you to create content that directly addresses users' needs.
B. Social relevance and social proof
Beyond hard relevance, social relevance is key. People crave connection and human interaction. Social proof plays a vital role in this. When your content inspires approval and shared experiences, it builds trust and fosters FOMO (fear of missing out). This amplifies its impact. Social media platforms are masters at combining relevance and engagement, transforming audiences into loyal, habitual users.
Content without context is noise; true connection happens when you address both needs and community.
2. Engage your users, forget the trends
In the race for innovation, many media companies become obsessed with technology, trends, and chasing the latest AI hype—losing sight of what truly matters: understanding and serving their users' needs.
Real insights powered by AI
Modern AI tools, combined with data, make gathering real user insights easier than ever. AI helps identify behavioral patterns, test ideas, and collect feedback at unprecedented speed. However, engaging real users is essential for capturing nuances that AI might miss. Validating your products through direct interaction makes them stronger and more relevant.
Loyalty through engagement
Engaging users is an investment in loyalty. Engaged users are your most powerful ambassadors. They help grow your brand, enhance your reputation, and inspire future innovation. By involving them early in the process, you create a win-win scenario: your products become more relevant, and your audience feels heard and valued.
Technology is a catalyst, but true growth happens when you don’t just reach users—you truly engage them.
3. Build a vault of trust
What do apps do with my data? How is AI output generated, and is it accurate? Am I speaking to a person or a bot? Increasingly, users are concerned about privacy and the reliability of information. In our AI- and data-driven era, trust has become a critical competitive advantage.
Transparency and responsibility
You build trust with extreme transparency and by fostering an honest, intimate relationship with your users. Hyper-personalization can strengthen that bond, but it requires ethical data usage. Knowing your users and processing their data responsibly is key.
Personal data vaults
A great example of responsible data use is the personal data vault, like Jouw.ID in the Netherlands. Users decide once what data companies can access, browse anonymously, and still enjoy a personalized experience. For platforms and publishers, this is a game changer: compliance, lower risks of data breaches, higher conversion rates, and more valuable data.
Strategic benefits
Solutions like data vaults not only enhance user trust but also provide a solid foundation for turning user insights into actionable strategies.
Trust is not a luxury; it’s a necessity: be transparent, act responsibly, and build an unbreakable bond with your audience.
4. Authentic and real stories
The latest AI models of 2025 are approaching human intelligence and transforming how we work and create. Embrace AI as your assistant. Just as you grow by surrounding yourself with smart people, you can improve by leveraging AI as an ally.
Safeguarding authenticity with AI
For the media sector, AI has two crucial roles: firstly, acting as a gatekeeper for authenticity and secondly, delivering real, meaningful stories. While AI is becoming more powerful, it still struggles to distinguish AI-generated content. A “human in the loop” is essential for fact-checking, refining narratives, and ensuring authenticity. Media must be the referees, a beacon of trust in a time where fact and fiction increasingly blur.
Opportunities for authentic stories
Research by the Reuters Institute and VUB shows that trust in news media remains stable in Flanders1, yet news avoidance is on the rise. This presents an opportunity: offer relevant, accessible, and authentic stories.
Without high-quality, unique content, AI risks becoming degenerative. Media have a responsibility to act as a gatekeeper and guide their audience through a sea of AI-generated noise toward real, valuable stories.
5. Accessibility as a strategic asset
Accessibility isn’t just essential for some—it’s beneficial for all. A user-friendly, inclusive experience sets your brand apart, broadens your reach, and strengthens trust. Starting June 2025, accessibility will be mandatory under the European Accessibility Act. Technologies and services—from banking apps to train tickets—must meet WCAG 2.2 guidelines.
AI-powered accessibility: Practical examples
AI offers powerful tools for improving digital accessibility. Automatic captions or voice-controlled interfaces can make solutions more inclusive. A striking example is how Time Magazine made its debate on Donald Trump as “Person of the Year 2024” accessible through multiple formats. By aligning text, video, and audio, they allowed users to choose how they consumed the story.
Another example is Google’s Notebook LM, which turns source material into a fictional audio conversation, perfect for users who prefer listening over reading. This kind of adaptive content tailors information to reading levels, context, or personal preferences.
Accessibility isn’t a limitation—it’s the key to growth and impact.
6. From silos to synergy, from fragmentation to collaboration
Channels aren’t what they used to be. YouTube is now the most popular podcast platform, Microsoft is entering book publishing, and TikTok is booming as a shopping platform. Traditional websites are no longer the primary destination for audiences or advertisers—traffic and ad revenue trends make that clear.
Adapting to new channels
Go where your audience is, understand what they’re doing there, and find ways to add value. Experiment with new channels like niche streaming services, community platforms, podcast events, shopping experiences, and innovative formats such as interactive content. TikTok’s live shopping and YouTube’s growing podcast and livestreaming focus are prime examples.
Collaborations for new opportunities
Beyond product innovation, unconventional partnerships offer enormous potential. Collaborate with other sectors—like gaming, sports events, or cultural organizations—to reach new audiences. International examples show how synergy creates success: Apple TV integrates channels seamlessly, YouTube invests in TV content, Netflix expands into live events and gaming, Amazon Prime thrives with niche channels, and The New York Times collaborates with smaller, local news outlets to expand subscriptions, such as the Belgian newspaper De Standaard.
The future isn’t in traditional channels but in daring to innovate, connecting sectors, and creating value where your audience lives.
Conclusion: Boldness shapes the future
Courage—that’s what counts. The future of media isn’t about caution; it’s about daring. Daring to invest in relevance, to rebuild trust, and to embrace technology without losing the human touch.
AI is your ally, not your replacement. Authenticity is your weapon, not a luxury. Accessibility is your asset, not an obligation. 2025 isn’t a resting point—it’s a launchpad. The companies that thrive will be those unafraid to dominate new channels, forge unexpected partnerships, and truly connect with their audience’s daily lives. Now is the time to think big, take risks, and claim your place in the future. Because those who don’t dare risk becoming irrelevant.
References
By Jelle Van den Bergh