W e’ve been talking to agents up and down the country to find out their views on the future of the industry and we’ll be publishing the results over the next couple of weeks.
Their views make informative reading. Of course, everyone expects the pace of change to be rapid and for the Internet and digital television to have a bigger influence on the industry.
But interestingly, most are confident about the future. And they feel it is consortia like ARTAC Worldchoice and Advantage which can play a big role.
Provided they have a unified membership, the consortia hold the balance of power in the industry. They’ve already proved that they can have a big influence on the market and if their brands can become more established, they can drive business through the Internet, where brands will be increasingly important.
With everything, there’s a price to pay for joining a club and with the consortia it’s a loss of some independence. But that’s a price worth paying if it means a prosperous future.
Those who stay outside the consortia – the ‘pure independents’ as some like to call them – face an uncertain future against the might of the big players.
I am sure those running the consortia realise the important role they have and they must be innovative and forward thinking to best serve their members.
Jeremy Skidmore – editor