So now content is at the top of the chain. Not sure that has ever been any different, but now the programming framework to consume and distribute it is decaying. Why?

We all want what we want when we want it. Simple. The media empires don't support such.

The intersection with marketing, advertising and communication doesn't really work so well anymore as defined by said decaying framework. It's why media are in such a tizzy. What does the modern brand look like/act like? Apple, Google? Where does media fit?

So leave it to Umair to illustrate how this works now and why.

What if brands really thought of themselves as producers? Not advertisers. Not communication pushers. But, conveners of like-minded consumers. What would that look like? What would that act like?

According to Nike.

"We're not in the business of keeping the media companies alive," Mr. Edwards says he tells many media executives. "We're in the business of connecting with consumers."