Christian Schroeder, CEO of award-winning international branding agency Lambie-Nairn, gave a keynote speech at the Promax Arabia 2011 conference and awards ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Dubai. The speech addressed broadcast branding players to lead them to new challenges and on the rapid expansion of on-line broadcasting in his industry.

"It's official, the broadcasting world has entered an era with no rules," he said during his presentation at the annual event, which brings together major stakeholders from the broadcast industry.
"Today there are 500 million broadband users globally. In 2015 that number will be 3 billion and growing. By 2020, there will be 50 billion connected devices on a global basis," he added.

Schroeder, who is responsible for the strategic direction and international growth of his agency across the European, Middle Eastern and Latin American markets, identified the region's young people, and their comfort with dynamic telecommunications, as those that call the shots for the industry. He said that this continuously evolving demographic change is something that brand-builders need to sit up and take notice of, or otherwise risk losing their audiences.

"We are now faced with a young audience who are demanding more control in every aspect of their lives, including their media. Middle Eastern broadcasters need to rise to the challenge," he added.
Despite this call to action Schroeder remained confident over the future of the region's broadcast industry.

"Then and now, the viewers' needs are fundamentally the same," he said. "Whether we're in front of a set-top box, PC, mobile phone or tablet, it doesn't matter.

Schroeder was appointed as CEO for Lambie Nairn in 2007. The organisation forms part of the global communications giant WPP Group and is headquartered in London. Lambie-Nairn has acquired a reputation in the world of broadcast branding and received international acclaim with its launch of the UK's Channel 4, which went on air in 1982.