​Want to know what keeps Nancy Dubuc, John Landgraf, and Charlie Collier up at night? How to maintain a distinct brand identity while trying to compete with an ever-increasing number of outlets doing scripted programming.

The trio of cable execs—who run A&E Networks, FX Networks, and AMC, respectively—sat down with Advertising Age this week to discuss the future of the industry as it grapples with competition, cord-cutting, and the dash for advertising cash.

Five big takeaways?

1. Brand is more important than ever.

Landgraf pointed out that when they premiered “The Shield, there were 30 scripted programs on premium and basic cable. Last year, there were 180. And that’s not counting streaming services and new players coming online.

“The importance of being a valued and trusted curator has never been more critical, and it’s time to really hunker down and think hard about how you convey that through your brand,” Dubuc said.

2. AMC is treating the “Mad Men” finale like a major sports event.

Collier told the magazine that they’re not putting the final episode of “Mad Men” in the upfront, but will be holding it back for scatter.

“That is something of a posture, because we know there’s demand with our originals, we know these are our biggest events, and we’re going to come to market with the posture that says, ‘The demand is there, and we will sell it almost like a sporting event. It is going to be a pop-culture moment and we’re coming to market as such,’” Collier said.

3. Linear is still king

While the execs said it’s important to nurture a TV Everywhere experience for their viewers and keep them within the brand experience on whichever platform they’re on, linear is still the focus.

““We don’t want to bury our heads in the sand, we know what’s happening out there, but the reality of how the content is being consumed is still overwhelmingly on a linear—either live or DVR—playback experience,” Dubuc said.

4. Everyone needs Nielsen to up its game

There was universal agreement that measurement was the biggest problem facing the advertising industry these days. And they don’t think Nielsen is anywhere close to getting its act together.

“Nielsen has got to figure out the tablet. And they have to figure it out fast,” Dubuc said.

“We’re losing the ability to calculate the audience,” Landgraf added.

5. Cable’s success doesn’t mean they should act like broadcasters

“That would be the death of us if we started thinking more like a broadcaster,” Dubuc said.

Read More: Advertising Age

Brief Take: In an increasingly competitive video landscape, a clearly defined and recognized brand is more important than ever.

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