The Death of the Newspaper = Me Having to Pay to Read NYT Online?

Pretty much from the start of my college career, professors have been preaching that newspapers are dying and eventually will become obselete in the world of mass communication. And it does make sense. I prefer my news right now and do not want to have to wait for the next day’s paper to arrive at my door, but charging me to read something that has always been free? This is blasphemy. Newspapers recieve the majority of their funding from advertising dollars anyway. And what is the overhead costs of making news free online? Think of all the money they would save by making everything online. So why charge NYT? But NYT is not the first to arrive to the party,  Rupert Murdoch, the chairman and controlling shareholder of News Corporation, has already been charging consumers to access the Washington Street Journal. (Thank you WVU for free Lexis-Nexis).

iTunes better be watching the magazine industry, because it sounds like the magazine industry is looking to replicate Apple’s technology. If they really think that Apple will just roll over, think again. According to NYT, magazine publishers:

have banded together to try to create their own version of the iTunes store, aiming for a day when they can sell enhanced versions of what they have been giving away. And more and more media companies are planning to charge for apps on iPhones and other mobile devices, as well as on the Amazon Kindle and other e-readers.

And these are the days of our lives…LOL. Emerging media, always changing so better not blink.

This is the Face of Emerging Media and She has the Fashion World at her Feet

Tavi Gevinson, author of Style Rookie

There is no age requirement to take advantage of the audience afforded by emerging media. Blogs have opened the door for anyone – no matter where they live – to publicize their personal style. Tavi Gevinson, author of Style Rookie has the fashion world foaming at the mouth. According to a New York Times article, Tavi ”was feted by designers, filming promotions for Target, flown to Tokyo for a party with the label Comme des Garçons and writing a review of the collections for no less than Harper’s Bazaar.” Pretty good for a 13-year-old right? She was a special guest in the front rows of New York Fashion Week shows, making the rounds from Maria Cornejo to Marc Jacobs and Alexander Wang.

 Bryan Boy, another emerging, popular fashion blogger has even got a purse named after him in the Marc Jacobs collection.  Bryan Boy, a blogger who is obsessed with fashion’s elite designers even is seated only two seats away from Anna Wintour reports NYT. The NYT described at the shows this year, there were more seats reserved for editors from Fashionista, Fashionologie, Fashiontoast, Fashionair and others, and fewer for reporters from regional newspapers that can no longer afford the expense of covering the runways due to the economy. But the truth is, fashion bloggers like Bryan Boy do not want to be pitted against journalists. According to Bryan Boy himself:

 ”I’ve said this before many, many times… what’s beautiful about the internet though is that it opened up a platform for anyone who wants to be heard. Whether you’re a 13-year old who posts commentary about the latest collections or an 18-year old girl from Texas who wants to share photos of her (very expensive, if I may add) footwear acquisitions, everyone is entitled to to be heard online and for some people to downplay such voices as mere noise or worst, online flotsam and jetsam, is, a bit harsh.”

WVU is Training Tomorrow’s Digital Marketers

 

West Virginia University is again stepping up to the plate to keep their programs relevant to the changing business landscape. The university is the only other school besides Northwestern University to offer a master’s degree in integrated marketing communication and now will offer a graduate certificate in digital marketing. According to the school:

The Digital Marketing Communications (DMC) Certificate Program from the P.I. Reed School of Journalism at WVU is designed for professionals who want to strengthen their skills in digital marketing communications.

Professionals interested in obtaining their certificate should start by visiting the program’s Web site to obtain admissi0ns requirements. The program Web site states that most professionals complete one of the five courses per nine-week term. The school is also very flexible in terms of admissions:

Students are admitted to the Digital Marketing Communications Graduate Certificate program three times per year, in the Early Fall and Early Spring sessions. The Digital Marketing Communications Graduate Certificate program operates on a rolling admissions process.

The five courses offered to students are fresh and innovative. Students can expect to take the following five courses to complete their graduate certificate:

• Introduction to Digital Marketing
• Social Media and Marketing
• Viral, Buzz & W.O.M. Marketing
• Web Analytics
• Digital Production for Interactive Media

The program is brand new, and just the start of changes at the PI Reed School of Journalism.  For more information about the certificate and requirements, and information regarding the already in place integrated marketing communications program, visit the program’s Web site here.

What PR Firm has the Most Interactive Web site? EDELMAN…Were you that surprised?

Despite recent controversy, Edelman has grown to be a great example of how corporate institutions can employ emerging media to build their brand. Not only is this a testimony of their capabilities to their clients, but to students like myself studying the changing world of mass communication. Forget direct mail pieces, bring on the CEO blogs representing corporate leadership, wikis, Facebook groups and Tweets.

Richard Edelman has been able to build the Edelman brand as one of the most recognizable and acclaimed PR agencies since 1952. As busy as being the president and CEO of the “PR Agency of the Year 2009″ may be, he still finds time to contribute to the blogosphere in his 6am blog. On top of his blog, he also maintains his own personal Twitter account.  This only contributes to the brand, as many know, you want a company that can deliver on new media intiatives, and this just illustrates that Edelman is all about embracing the new.

Even though the brand operates around the globe, employees can access other offices and colleagues by visiting the speak up page of the Edelman Web site. This page links up Twitter and blogging accounts to keep tabs on corporate members and divisions. There is even a blog for corporate change and employee engagment. The most recent post gives employees a reading list they may want to start to learn more about impending changes in 2010. The blog which addresses employee relations is a great way to foster a community environment and make such a large brand feel like a small, intimate office.

Edelman is doing all the right things.

Keeping Up with Your Favorite CEOs in the Blogosphere

CEOs of large multi-national organizations are keeping consumers up-to-date with an in-depth view of their brands and the day-to-day happenings in the industry in which they operate.

Emerging Media superpower CEOs are staying true to form by keeping up their personal blogs for avid followers. Jonathon Schwartz, chief executive officer and president of Sun Microsystems has beenvlogging and  blogging since June 28, 2004. It has provided a great way for customers to understand where the company is and where it is going.

Another great CEO blogger is Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist. Craig Newmark, a former software engineer and former employee of IBM, started Craigslist in San Francisco in 1995.  He started his blog in September of 1993.

J. Willard Marriott Jr., CEO of  Marriott International, most commonly known as “Bill” on his blog writes as if he is writing to family members. While Bill does not update as frequently as the other two examples, he does update once a week on average to keep the blog relevant and up-to-date. Bill’s blog is one of my favorite examples of how blogs can create a face for a brand, and make a brand seem more appealing and human.  Compared to Schwartz’s and Newmark’s blogs, it is easy to navigate, read and search for key terms. The blog was designed for ease of use. The verbage is also easy to understand and is designed for the every day consumer.

While these are only three examples, it definitely shows that the corporate Blogosphere is very diverse and provides consumers a way to keep tabs on their favorite brand leaders.

Honda has a new home on Facebook

The Honda Facebook Fan Portal

 Brands are making their presence known on Facebook. Their influence is everywhere from their advertisements to their Facebook fan pages and their sponsored advergames. The social network that began as a way for students to keep in touch with their peers has grown into an international branding triathalon. So who is performing better than ever due to their ever-evolving presence on Facebook? Honda.

Honda not only has a brand fan page, but each of its models have their own Facebook fan pages. The brand has described its presence on Facebook as a social experiment. In August, Honda quietly launched an official Facebook page, themed “Everybody Knows Somebody Who Loves a Honda,” to recruit fans of the brand. According to Advertising Age, owners are encouraged to join as overall Honda fans as well as fans of a specific model, and to learn how they are connected to friends, family members and other owners around the world. Visitors can upload photos of their cars or link up to owners of their favorite old Honda.

Currently the fan page has over 250,000 members, or just about 2 million ‘connections.’ But has it really increased the sales for Honda? That is still to be determined. They have been successful in getting interactive connections established with customers. What is wonderful about Honda is the fact that every promotional piece they take on is uniform to its other efforts in the marketing mix. From its fan page on Facebook to its television commercials, the brand has a unique feel of a family, and who is not loyal to their family?

Universities’ Web Sites Going Mobile-Friendly

Were you aware that your alma-mater has a mobile-friendly Web site? Neither did I until I checked out West Virginia University’s mobile Web site. West Virginia University’s mobile Web site puts vital information about the university at the finger tips of students on the go. Students can learn about emergency bulletins, athletic events, view an interactive campus map, check out campus news and events and browse the university-wide directory for faculty, staff and students. West Virginia University even has its own iPhone application, iWVU. Students using the iWVU application can access:

• Interactive Campus Map
• Mountain Line Bus Route Planning through Google Maps
• Emergency Services Contact Sheet
• Library Information and Schedules
• Live Streaming U92 Radio
• Football Schedule and Information
• On-Campus Dining Information, including menus and hours
• PRT Operating Schedule and Maps
• Links to relevant internet resources

Duke University has also launched a mobile-friendly Web site and even step it up a notch. Currently students and other browsers can view:

• Places: Look up dining locations on campus and see what’s on the menu, and get location information on all Events@Duke and buzz events, as well
• DukeCard: Check balances, add money to accounts, review recent transactions, even cancel a lost or stolen card
• Events:Check out listings from Events@Duke and the student calendar, buzz, and then view event locations on the campus map
• Map:Search for Duke buildings, find them on the map and see your relative location, and zoom or pan across the map using the multi-touch interface
• News:See all Duke’s news feeds consolidated in one place, and depend on the new icon to inform you when you receive an emergency alert or IT outage notice
• Images: Get access to thousands of digital images from the Duke Libraries’ collections, and choose from a separate set of Duke wallpapers to customize the look of your iPhone screen
• Directory: Look up Duke faculty, staff and students, store contacts with a few taps, and use the e-mail or phone capabilities of your device to connect
• Athletics: Pick up Duke sports news, schedules and up-to-the-minute scores
• Courses:Pull course descriptions, times and locations from the Duke course schedule, and tap to map the location or contact the professor
• Videos: Get Duke iTunes U and YouTube content

Gone are the days when we have to access course descriptions and register in person, we just need a PDA phone and a few minutes between our first cup of coffee and work.

Hollywood Goes Viral

Gone are the days when we can keep advertising campaigns “vanilla.” Marketers have to step up their game and bring something new to the table. The feature film Iron Man 2, is  jumping on board the viral marketing campaign. Paramount Pictures has sent Superhero Hype what appears to be a fictional newspaper clipping detailing information on Tony Stark and his decision to reveal himself to the world as the heroic Iron Man.

So what exactly is viral marketing? That seems to be one definition that is clearly not agreed upon. For years marketers have tried to create innovative ways to incorporate their products and services into entertaining tactics to provide consumers a fresh perspective of their brand. This viral marketing has taken many shapes and sizes including social networking applications, YouTube videos, and advergaming. Below I have identified my top two favorite viral marketing campaigns.

1. Jack’s Links: a company that sells beef jerky and other hydrogenised meat products started to use advergaming as an advertising tactic during its ‘Messing with Sasquatch’ campaign. The first game, “Swing Big Stick,” allowed a player to swing a big stick, at woodland creatures. The second game, “Smash with Club” has the player smashing critters with a club. The third game is titled, “Don’t Wake Sasquatch.” The object of the game is to grab eight bags of Jack’s Links while Sasquatch sleeps. The fourth game, “Take Back the Jack” allows the customer to be Sasquatch and throw squirrels at hikers to prevent them from taking their Jack’s Links. In addition to thousands of Sasquatch-themed first-place prizes, each of the games gives one grand-prize winner $50,000 to “Feed Your Wild Side” any way he or she would like.

2. To promote last fall’s edgy vampire series True Blood, HBO created fake “Tru:Blood” beverage ads, vampire tolerance PSAs on YouTube, and a seemingly functional vampire-human dating site called LoveBitten.net. The stunts helped True Blood’s Sunday night viewership grow 66% over the course of its first season — faster than The Sopranos did. True Blood has even tapped their way into social networking.

There is an iPhone Application for that?

According to the Apple iPhone category list of approved applications, there are over 4,211 applications iPhone users can download to increase their mobile using experience. But did they know that this is another way for companies and brands to market products and services to customers that may not embrace traditional media? Customers can plan cruises by browing different cruise lines deck plans and get the latest rates for mortgage loans and apply directly through the iPhone application.

The Washington Post recently reported that Apple has made as much as $45 million from the sales of iPhone apps. However, the true profit for Apple has been in iPhone sales, stimulated by the more than 50,000 apps available in the App Store. Fortune reports that the iPhone’s sales increased by a remarkable 245 percent  in 2008. In June of 2009, Apple announced the 10 most downloaded apps of all time:

Tap Tap Revenge – games – 32%

Backgrounds – entertainment – 27%

Touch Hockey: FS5 – games – 26%

Facebook - social networking – 26%

Pac-Man – games – 25%

iBowl – games – 24%

MySpace Mobile – social networking – 23%

Google Earth – travel – 22%

Labyrinth – games – 22%

Pandora – music – 21%

Speaking of Pandora, it in itself is a mobile marketing giant. According to a BusinessWeek article, “Pandora, a nine-year-old, free online service that lets users design “radio stations” based on their musical preferences. Since Pandora launched a mobile edition two years ago, it has signed up 6 million people (total users for mobile and Web versions is 27 million). ” Advertisers are trying out Pandora in myriad ways. Sometimes it’s as a direct marketing tool. Domino’s, for example, puts up ads that urge people to call in for a pizza directly from their phones.

 

Progressive Insurance Wants You to Play a Game

Advergaming is taking the advertising world by storm. Advergaming is a way for customers to play interactive games on websites that are a form of branded entertainment.  A great example of a brand utilizing advergaming to reach customers is Progressive Insurance. Progressive’s new online game Route-Rageous challenges players to earn points “driving” around town by laying out a driving route using arrows, speed markers, and different types of vehicles. Along the way, drivers must avoid colliding with other vehicles, navigate jumps, and stay on the road. Running errands and collecting coins earns players points, while riskier driving behavior, like jumping ramps, costs points.

Route-rageous! has been played more than 1 million times since it launched on Yahoo! Games in August 2009, making it the 11th most popular game on the site. This is actually the second online advergame launched by Progressive. The first, Special Investigations Unit: Case of the Crooked Crackup allows users to investigate a suspicious car insurance claim. Users are to find the clues at the accident scene to solve the crime. Progressive’s Crooked Crackup game has been played more than 2 million times since it launched on Yahoo! Games in 2007 according to Progressive Insurance.

So what is the strong attraction to advergaming? According to a Brand Strategy Article: ” The fundamental success of gaming as an activity is due to the desire everyone has to beat their rivals and impress their peers. Advergaming taps into these motivations and uses them to create an online experience that supports brands’ marketing objectives. Gaming can be used to drive brand awareness, educate people about product features or provide compelling calls to action. Conventional marketing campaigns, such as those on TV, struggle to compete for the attention of a passive audience.  Advergaming uses basic psychology to guarantee the audience actively participates in the brand experience and has fun while doing it.”