Print is not dead ... it's different

A comment was made by one of my students that in my class on media distribution that I focused too heavily on print. I hope that isn't true because it certainly wasn't the intent nor was it in the course outline. That said I do have an affinity for purposeful print. Print is not dead it's different and it's not just on paper.

The Print Council promotes this very message through their website and presentations where they collaborate with industry partners. Their very compelling publication "Why Print" provide ten reasons why printed content is important in everyday life. For more information on the Print Council go to: www.printcouncil.org.

So I leave you with a message of good tidings and joy as we head into the new year. I will take a break from the blog until next year.

Happy Holidays,

DD

The Power of Media ... When is it too much?

The recent revelation of Tiger Wood's "transgression" reminded me once again of the power of media. This power lies in the ability to transmit content instantly via multiple channels everywhere and to any and everyone.

This capability has proven to be life changing in many cases. Sometimes those life changing experiences are very positive and lucrative (e.g. Susan Boyle) and in other situations the experience serves as a reminder that you can't do wrong and get away with it. I am sure that Tiger and others wish they would have considered the consequences of their actions before engaging in inappropriate activities that have been played out on the world stage.

The power of media results in that constant "in your face" and "in your ears" exposure that reinforces wonderful events and disgusting acts. Media outlets work diligently to find more dirt and new angles. Technology makes it easier for this to be accomplished.

So to Tiger and others I say media is powerful and the methods for accessing information are very sophisticated. Best advice: don't do it.

DD

e-Reader Issues Solved With The 'nook'

I am sure that by now everyone has heard about the newest e-reader craze of the nook. An article found on the San Fransisco Chronicle webpage highlighted the key differences between the nook and other e-readers.

The nook was released by Barnes & Noble a couple weeks ago and is currently available on the Barnes and Noble website for $259, which is currently the same as Amazon's Kindle price. The biggest difference with this new e-reader is that it allows users to lend their copies of electronic books to any friend who has installed Barnes & Noble's e-reader application on a mobile device or personal computer. You also get free wireless access in Barnes & Noble stores, and can read books from other e-book distributors, not just what Barnes & Noble sells. It can also store and play MP3 audio files and photos and has the ability to highlight, bookmark, and let you make notes.

Most of us did not want to buy the Kindle because of the lack of these options. Do you think you may buy a nook instead, now that some of the complaints have been solved? I find it ironic that the biggest U.S. book store chain is only the latest company to enter the e-reader market; however, maybe now that Barnes & Noble has jumped on board we will feel more like the e-reader can give an official book "feel", since we can see and feel the books in a Barnes & Noble store before it is purchased for the nook.


To read the full article: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/10/20/financial/f085236D57.DTL

A Story about Multi-Channel Content Distribution

This week I have the pleasure of reviewing 13 posters representing the multi-channel distribution content strategy of select companies. These posters were the result of a project done by the students in my Media Distribution and Transmission class. Each student was required to select a company, identify their content (e.g. advertising, books, news, etc) and analyze their content distribution strategy. In addition to writing a report they were required to produce a graphic representation that would be self explanatory to any observer.

The pleasure in reviewing these posters centered around the creativity of the story that each told. The companies featured were: Amazon,Borders,Cosmopolitan,DC Entertainment, Google, Hershey's, Macy's, RJ Reynolds, Threadless, Time Warner,Victoria Secrets, Wegman's, and Whole Foods. The images included in this blog is representative of how each student was able to capture the distribution workflow in a clear, concise and creative manner.

We are at the end of our fall quarter and the results of this project lets me know that the students truly got the message about content being "King", types of distribution channels and why and when each one is used.

Well done!

Professor Distribution Diva

Will People Stick with Verizon's Droid?

The iPhone is the king of smartphones. It's appeal lies in its reliable operating system based on Mac OS X and its aesthetics, which Apple continues to win awards for. Undoubtedly, many other phone makers such as Samsung, LG, Blackberry, and now Motorola have begun to produce top quality phones. The iPhone's ability to navigate the internet in a fashion reminiscent to that of a computer web browser is not only one of its strongest assets, but also opens the door for mobile distribution of media content.

According to this article from Macworld.com, Verizon's Droid smart phone has been deemed a potential "iPhone killer" because of find craftsmanship by Motorola and a solid operating system coded by Google. With that, pre-orders of the phone have surged and internet buzz for the phone has been built on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Yet Verizon's pricing scheme may come to a surprise to many who thought they'd have the freedom to use their phone similar to iPhone users.

Verizon is charging for tethering, the ability to give internet access to devices without access, through your mobile phone. iPhone users are exempt from this cost because AT&T has chosen not to implement it at this time. The article explains that Verizon will be charging an additional $30 a month for a separate unlimited data plan to cover tethering- that's already on top of the contract monthly fee and the original $30 per month unlimited date plan for SMS/MMS, web browsing, etc.

It begs the question, what does Verizon believe it will gain from the multiple costs associated with Droid and will it ease some of the costs long after the phone's launch? Apple has since lowered the cost of its phones and altered its phone plans with AT&T since the phone's launch in 2007.

For more on Verizon's plans for the Droid, read the article from Macworld.com:
"Verizon Droid tethering will cost you"

The Transformation of News Media

A little over a week ago I had the opportunity to attend a presentation on career directions in news media. Virgil Smith, VP of Talent Management from Gannett, shared his perspective of careers in the news media industry with an audience comprised mostly of students which was significant as this is the future workforce.

The focus of this blog entry is not related to the careers in news media, but rather how "news" is distributed. Smith pointed out that Gannett is no longer a newspaper company, but rather an information company. In this realm they do not only distribute news, but other content of interest to various audiences using various mediums. He noted that people are more literate than ever and want to receive information immediately.

The way in which news content is distributed is reflective of the change in the distribution model. The newspaper is generally out of date by the time it reaches the consumer so it is necessary to have other more current and easily updatable models to rely on. According to Smith consumers will choose Gannett media for their news and information needs anytime, anywhere and in any form. These forms include newspaper, broadcast, web and mobile-wireless devices.

The world of news media is changing rapidly and the power of news media has never been greater. The transformation is here.


DD

Twitter Tees by Threadless

In Jennifer Van Grove's article Twitter Tees: Twitter Launches Official Threadless T Shirt Store Twitter has officially partnered with Threadless an online crowd sourced t shirt company to produce Twitter Tees By Threadless. Twitter Tees will function similarly to Threadless' current crowd-sourcing model in which members can log into the Threadless website in which they can nominate and vote for their favorite tweets to be printed on a t shirt. The top two tweets will be printed for sale every week. But, Threadless is not the only one profiting from Twittermania. Along with the pride of winning tweets to be printed for a limited edition tee the twitterer will also be compensated with $360 in cash and $140 dollars in Threadless gift certificate credits for future purchases in the Threadless store. The initial nominator of the winning tweet will also be rewarded with $100 in cash and a $40 dollar gift certificate.

Hows that for a maximizing social media as a business tool? Not only is Threadless maximizing on the Twitter phenomenon but it is letting its users be part of the process by voting and nominating their favorite tweets. This assures Threadless with a popular and guaranteed marketable t shirt that customers are willing to buy because they voted for it. They are not taking the risk of merely printing off thousands of t- shits that might not even sell, they are only printing the very best and most wanted certifying profit and success with every single design. Talk about lean manufacturing practices, this is a quintessential example of creating more value for less work but, in this case everyone wins.

http://mashable.com/2009/05/19/twitter-tees-by-threadless/

Effect of News Distribution on Journalism

The migration of the traditional news distribution method of print to a multichannel method has had an obvious effect on print producers and distributors. Peter Scheer of the Huffington Post, however, points out the generally overlooked effect this shift has and will have on news journalists. Questioning why schools of journalism continue to enroll students, he concludes that the craft of professional journalism is not a dying one, but rather an evolving one. Its changes are parallel to those of the industry it serves. Just as news publishers are reorganizing to push content into every media source simultaneously, journalists must be prepared to provide content that can be repurposed to any media, and even prepare it for multiple sources themselves.

Scheer also points out that many view the current state of news distribution as just print on the web. The case is that journalism can only survive if they realize that news media is more than a digital newspaper. Not only must current journalists be aware of these changes, but schools of journalism must develop curriculums that reflect this evolution of news media.

Source: With News Jobs Vanishing, Why are Journalism Schools Still Enrolling Students?

Film and Technology

The film industry is changing. Microsoft is creating Windows Media 9 for this to occur. New technology that will give better high quality movies on the Internet. No longer having to wait for buffering delays. And be able to skip through ads faster when watching a movie or video online. With this will be higher security by making better digital rights. Windows Media 9 wants to distribute a “TV-like” experience to its users with streamline videos. Film distribution on CDs and DVDs are going to be able to hold more movies on one DVD. Microsoft has 99% of DVD manufactures supporting them in making this new software for DVD players. Theater experiences could change. Instead of having the 35mm reel to play that can have wear and tear after playing it for so long and having to ship and replace it can cost a lot. Now talk of having the theaters go digital with their movies. By using an IP network movies could be sent digitally. The positive of this is that there would be now wear and tear on the movie costing less for the theaters. This also helps out advertisers wanting to put video ads on the movie screen rather than having to send film. Some theaters have tested digital movies in the theater and people have said they could not tell the difference from the digital. So far this is just going to be done for independent films if theaters choose too. But one day everything may go digital. Distributing movies via web or some sort of file base seems to be the way to go and still up and coming in areas and now even in film.

Link: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/forpros/content_provider/film/disopwhitepaper.aspx

Fine Arts Reproduction: Another Distribution Workflow Model

Many times when one thinks about media distribution the focus is largely on the distribution of printed or electronic content. There are so many others types of media: paintings, photographs, film and music .......

I was reminded of this yesterday during a research presentation focused on the reproduction of fine art. Specifically oil paintings and photographs. The objective of the research was to evaluate the image capture process for reproding fine art works to assess things like color match and image quality. Part of the presentation focused on how these reproductions are utilized. For example reproduced images of paintings are repurposed/reformatted for use on posters, post cards, artists books, cups, umbrella, etc. Once these items are created they are distributed through museum stores, book stores, through Internet retail and more.

Fine Arts Reproduction: Another distribution workflow model. Who knew?

DD

Debunking 6 Social Media Myths

"For companies, resistance to social media is futile. Millions of people are creating content for the social Web. Your competitors are already there. Your customers have been there for a long time. If your business isn't putting itself out there, it ought to be. (BusinessWeek.com)" However, the "Debunking Six Social Media Myths" article specifies the main misconceptions that business owners may have when creating a Social Media marketing technique. There first myth addresses that a social media PR campaign in not cheap and though many think of social media as a free tool may be overlooking some costs, such as hiring personnel out of staff to launch the campaign as many in site teams may not have the knowledge not time to create such a project. The second myth pertains to not everyone can do it. The 3rd is that you can make a big spalsh in a short period of time though that may be true its not true for all companies its usually true for those that already have an internet following. The 4th myth is you can do it in house which they already debunked in their first myth. The fifth is if you do something great people will find it and that seems to not be true for most businesses therefore I'm not sure why people would think it would apply to social media. Lastly, you can't measure social media marketing tools however the article does point out various sites that track those statistics for you.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2009/tc20090218_335887_page_2.htm

Ford's Social Media Strategy

Ford has used social media before, and now they're trying something new. One of their uses of social media was the Fiesta Movement. This is where they gave Fiesta models to 100 "social agents," and had them post pictures, videos, and status updates through sites like Twitter and Facebook. In an effort to get the word out about the Fiesta, they would comment on the vehicle, which would hopefully provide some fun and useful information to anyone who frequently uses social media.

Now, Ford is trying something else. It's called the Fusion 41. They're looking for 8 people, all who own 2010 Ford Fusion or Fusion Hybrid models, and who have a social media presence. Each of these people will gather a team of 4 friends, and the teams will compete in a relay race which will be documented via sites like Facebook. The team who wins will receive some rewards. The Fusion owner on the winning team will get the rest of his/her car payed off in full, while the 4 friends will receive free gas for a year.

Sounds like an interesting strategy.

via Mashable

Coca-Cola Social Media Happiness Ambassadors

"Coca-Cola is tapping regular people to be their “Happiness Ambassadors” and travel the world for the whole of 2010 and document their quest via blog posts, tweets, YouTube videos, TwitPics, and other social media mentions."

Those who are selected will travel to over 206 countries in 365 days documenting what different things make people happy around the world. This is a very innovative social media marketing campaign because it puts the experience of three regular people traveling around the world as a form of marketing a product. And it involves many different social media so there will be a written experience, video experience, and photo experience all to make their audience feel like they are right along with these three ambassadors Coca-Cola has chosen. Very cool stuff. (Via Mashable.com)

Congratulations TGI Fridays, Now The Work Begins

Restaurants are no strangers to using social media as a vehicle for an advertising campaign, as we’ve all seen examples from Chili’s (PJ Bland's), Burger King (sacrifice a friend for a free burger), and so on. Campaigns such as these typically work well with social media because “food is naturally social.”

Discussed in this article is TGI Friday’s Facebook campaign to advertise their Jack Daniel’s burgers and restaurant in general. To participate in this campaign, users were told to become a Facebook fan of a random guy named Woody, and in return, they would be rewarded with a coupon for a free hamburger. There was also a time-based element, as Woody needed 500,000 fans in just 30 days. In the end, Woody reached his goal in about a week and Fridays retaliated and boosted the number of fans needed up to one million (a goal that was also reached in no time at all).

This article discusses the negative side of this promotion: a short-lived campaign, with no long-lasting consumer relationship and very little consumer ROI (aside from the hamburger coupon). The author believes there’s very little use in building a community that offers us almost nothing in return. While it is an opportunity to earn loyalty to the company, there are still better (longer running campaigns) that can provide the same results. In the end, I'm sure we can all agree that using social media as a platform for promotions is a great idea.. as long as it has more to offer than a one-click interaction.

Article
Woody's Facebook

Marketing Small Businesses With Twitter

A small business owner Curtis Kimball opened his crème brûlée cart in San Francisco and discovered the power or virtual word of mouth. By utilizing Twitter Mr. Kimball is able to update his followers on where his cart is located, specials, and the days flavors. Many of the larger companies such as Starbucks and Dell have been using Twitter or keep their customers in the know for a while however with smaller businesses greatly outnumbering the larger ones it is proving that it can be beneficial to all since Twitter is free advertising. In order to boost popularity and awareness many smaller businesses offer promotions to new customers who hear about them through Twitter.

Cynthia Sutton-Stolle, the co-owner of Silver Barn Antiques in tiny Columbus, Texas uses Twitter to find new suppliers and customers. By posting various pieces available or wanted business has been booming in her antique shop. Additionally some small business owners use the Tweet Deck to spark conversations with people who are searching or following similar or local items such as the city your business is in.

"Twitter, which does not yet make money, is now concentrating on teaching businesses how they can join and use it, Mr. Banerji said, and the company plans to publish case studies. He is also developing products that Twitter can sell to businesses of all sizes this year, including features to verify businesses’ accounts and analyze traffic to their Twitterprofiles."

So what do you think?

Read the full Article

Microsoft Strikes Search Deals with Twitter, Facebook

If Facebook users weren't already concerned about privacy issues, they better get ready for the latest deal struck between software giant, Microsoft, and with social media titans Facebook and Twitter.

With hundreds of millions of users and log-ins each day, Facebook and Twitter have become hot spots for internet traffic. For Microsoft, which is losing ground in the web browser and search engine market, this new deal will bode well for their brand new search engine, Bing. The deal will allow certain aspects of Facebook profiles to be indexed, like status updates and wall messages. With Twitter, Microsoft is just refining its relationship with the service by making "tweet" search results rank-able or indexed by relevance. It would also make it so that links in tweets can be directly accessed through Bing search results. Yet this deal is not exclusive given that Google also has its own agreement with Twitter.

Not many details about the Facebook arrangement have been published- both due to the project's implementation sometime next year and Facebook having to redraft a new Privacy Policy for users. In the past, Facebook users have been very vocal about privacy issues and have forced Facebook to interact with users in shaping future privacy options. Privacy is less of an issue with Twitter given the nature of tweets... people sounding off on what they think and how they feel to the world without having to be a member of Twitter.

You can read more about this deal at MacWorld.com

The Smart Way to Tap Social Media

By now most business are realizing the power behind social media, and many of them are ready to jump on board. Even though most companies are taking the initiative to join networking sites, many of them are not utilizing these resources properly. G. Michael Maddock and Raphael Louis Viton wrote an article for Business Week focusing on why social media fails for some businesses and what you need to do for social media to affect your company in a positive way. Many of their points are issues that were discussed in last week's lecture.

The first rule that they address is that companies need to concentrate on an objective—what is the wanted result of employing social media? You then need to measure progress toward that goal. Without focusing on measurable objectives, it's difficult to justify further investment. They claim though that even if something is measured it doesn't mean it matters. "Sure, you can discover that 436,315 young women have commented on your blog posting about the latest in skin care, but if that activity isn't moving the sales needle, it isn't helping you".

The second tip is to check in with the competition who are also using social media. This way they can figure out which form is best for their intended use and develop a strategy. Businesses need to identify the key social media most used by their customers and then evaluate their choices by popularity and how believable the customers think they are. The whole idea of using social media is to restructure how a business views and interacts with it's customers.

The article also includes a case study that demonstrates the topic Maddock and Viton discuss.

The full article can be found at http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/may2009/ca20090526_882141.htm

Starbucks takes on Social Media

Starbucks has found success in social media, utilizing several forms of popular social media venues. Starbucks was one of the first chain coffee shops to offer Wi-Fi to its customers inside, allowing them to access the internet and therefore, social networking sites. Almost two years ago, they began to offer free iTunes downloads for certain ongs and videos with a code that you recieved in the stores each week. This allows customers to not only have Starbucks as a drink in their car and in the cafe, but also as music on a drive or on your iPod, downloaded for free through iTunes. Starbucks' success in social networking shows in their networking on popular sites. For instance, despite the hurt the coffee company has felt due to the recession, they still have thousands of followers on twitter and millions of fans on facebook. They have been tagged and shown in many photos on these sites, and some sites such as flickr have seen an increase in people trying to post the first pictures of Starbucks decorated for holidays, or more than one Starbucks in a single photograph. Celebrities have been seen with the product on twitter's twitpic, and that increase brand identity with a luxury and celebrity status. Starbucks has even gone as far as to have employees make advertisement videos for the company and post them to YouTube, another social networking site.

Perhaps the reason Starbucks has been successful at social networking, and has used it to their advantage is because they are associated with being "trendy" and "hip", taking an opportunity to increase brand recognition through all sorts of channels. Starbucks, unlike most companies, has created their own social networking site, my Starbucks Idea, where customers and patrons, even employees can post their ideas about Starbucks and the ideas are actually taken into consideration and revamped where possible. This helps customers feel wanted and worthwhile, liek their opinion maters--because it does; after all, they provide the revenue for the company. New iPhone application even allow you to pay for your coffee from your phone! You can reload and purchase gift cards and Gold Cards on the Starbucks app for the Apple iPhone, even create your drink order so you are ready to order once you get to the front of the line.

Here is the article.

50 Social Networking Sites

According to InsideCRM, for businesses, it is not enough to simply put up a blog and use banner ads to make your online presence. No, for a business it is important to have a strong presence in actual and virtual life. An essential but easy way to do that is through social networking sites. Inside CRM breaks down the types of social networking sites and who you will reach with each type.
The first group is social media or social bookmarking websites. On these sites you can bookmark your favorite websites and share them with your "friends." Companies can friend potential clients or partnering companies and share articles and websites that are pertinent to the industry or to your company and of course you can direct all of their web traffic back to the company's website. Sites in this category include Digg, StumbleUpon, Del.icio.us and Reddit.
The second group of social networking sites is professional networking sites. Signing up with these sights as a company or as an individual gives one the opportunity to recruit professionals and new talent as well as promote products, events and marketing through like minded companies and individuals. Sites in this category include LinkedIn, Care2, Xing and Tribe.
To tap into the market you have already established and connect with customers that are probably already aware of your company use social networking sites in the next category. Inside CRM classifies this group as nich social media sites. They include Sphinn, BuzzFlash.net and Tweako. Users of these sites probably already are aware of your company but it's nice to hear from current customers in a forum like these.
Social media sites aren't just for college students! Sites like Twitter, 43 Things and WetPaint are considered general social media sites but since a large amount of the average consumer use these sites they afford many oppurtunities for networking, advertising and marketing.
Lastly, there is job sites. The internet and social networking websites really come together here to give companies a wonderful oppurtunity to find all the best new talent in the industry. Web sites in this category include CareerBuilder.com, Yahoo HotJobs and Sologig.

To read the full article and to see the full list of all 50 social networking sites that InsideCRM suggests go to http://www.insidecrm.com/features/50-social-sites-012808/

The Secret Sauce: Leveraging Social Media for Business

This article was actually an open forum by Alexis Ohanian who does his work using Reddit. To him, social media is what really helps his business grow. He talks friendly and invites the customer in. Alexis came up with three lessons that people could learn when building their own business on the reddit front page.

His three lessons are:

Lesson One: Trust and Use Your Voice

- He basically stated that business's should not pay to have a consultant run your business's social media page. Have someone personalize the business social media page this way it invites customers in a friendly way. Your business should know your customers best, so be genuine to them and they will return the favor.

Lesson Two: Trust Your Customers, Let Them Help You Build Your Business

- Alexis referred back to his reddit site and what he had done. He asked his viewers what they would like to see on the website and in return updated their reddit site. He added certain links as in different topics that his customers would like and continue to use. This helped his website grow and now it has several tabs you could look through on the site.

Lesson Three: Provide Something Interesting

- As a business, you are not just selling your product, but the business name and reputation. When a company has a good name and reputation, it makes it easier to sell your product. The social media aspect is what helps keep your name and reputation up to par. Business's should also show essays about good products individual workers of the business have created. This gives an interest aspect to show customers that business's have smart minds among them.

After reading this article, business's should keep better tract of their social media website. People like to see real customer to business interaction. If a business hires someone to do the work for them, it does not look good for the business.

You can view this articel at: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/technology/article/the-secret-sauce-leveraging-social-media-for-business-alexis-ohanian

Thanks,

Jenn Ariza

Restaurants and Social Media

Restaurants are starting to use social media as a way to reach out to their customers. It is a slower process for the restaurant business because they have to prep food, run the kitchen and the restaurant, and cook. So the managers of restaurants do not have enough time in the day to keep up with their blogs. Then they don’t have enough money to higher someone to keep up on the social media such as twitter, facebook, and a company blog. But one day it will no longer be a choice with social media being up and coming in the restaurant business. Use of some of this social media in the restaurant business is that they post their menus, any specials they will be having that day, any events going on, and any themed dinners.

However, that doesn’t have the people going there give any feedback to the business owners and managers. By having twitter and having followers of the restaurant the customers can give feedback about the food or service, how they like their website, and just the general positives and negatives. This way they can improve on the restaurant and have the customers come back. Customers hearing stories of how the restaurant came up with a certain dish by reading it on the blog and learning new things will keep people interested. They would come back to the business since most of the socializing these days that are in person tends to be over food. Otherwise people tend to have an electronic life with barely in person interaction.

Are Small Businesses Engaged in Social Media?

The almost sudden advent of various forms of social media has provided the business world with an entirely new avenue for marketing. With the amount of such marketing content we are presented with on a daily basis, it is hard to believe that any business is not taking advantage of social media. In a recent cnet article, Caroline McCarthy highlights two conflicting studies on small business use of social media.

A study done by Citibank revealed that the majority of small businesses do not yet see the business value in social media, or do not have the resources to get into it. A study done by Internet2Go, provides results quite incongruous to this, claiming that nearly half of all small businesses are on facebook and the same proportion are on twitter. The second study, however, only polled members of MerchantCircle, which are businesses already utilizing, or on their way to utilizing, social media.

Citibank's results expose the large obstacles small businesses are faced with when it comes to social media. Small businesses lack the time and people required to manage this marketing avenue, as it demands high amount of maintenance and attention. And while the survey done by Internet2Go may be slightly biased and inaccurate, it does serve to show how simple it is for businesses to get into social media.

Source: Are Small Businesses Chugging Social Media Kool-Aid?

Is 'Picture the Impossible' engaging young people?

Over the summer, while in Twitter, I received an update about an innovative project that was happening between RIT, the Democrat and Chronicle, and Bing. To summarize, it is an alternate reality online game that incorporates clues in the daily newspapers and Bing Maps used as references and puzzles. You must register and the game is only until October 30, with a party for 300 of the players on Halloween.

It is an awesome step towards reaching broader audiences and incorporating new technology to engage them. I understand that we as college students are hard to market newspapers towards and perhaps for those who enjoy second-life gaming and clues will pick up a newspaper or two in pursuit of the prizes of the game. Personally, I find it hard to see what would motivate people to participate even though there are prizes and a Halloween party at the end. Although I am from Rochester and appreciate all of it's history and significance I probably would not find myself participating. I would be interested to know how many RIT students or Rochester students in general took part in the game.

Here is the link.

Small Business is Warming to Social Media

In Thursday’s class, it was discussed that larger businesses are more likely to use social media as a marketing and networking tool. Over the summer on co-op, I witnessed a small, local company use social media to their advantage. It proved to me that a company doesn’t need a large client base or geographical range to use social media effectively. This articled by Alex Salkever reviews a survey taken by Internet2Go of 2,000 small businesses with a focus on the presence of social media. The survey found that 45% of small business owners utilize Facebook or Twitter. Compared to 44% of small businesses that have websites, it appears that small businesses have taken to social media much faster than they have to websites.

What does this mean? Social media’s ability to be managed by companies themselves could take away advertising business from larger companies like Google, who rely on small-business advertisements and searches. Adobe could also face a loss if smaller companies are not in need of website-creating software. Salkever presents social media as removing the need for websites, and therefore does not iterate social media’s negative aspects: it is disruptive, and two-way communication can lead to negative comments or incorrect information causing the need for constant monitoring. Nor does he cover the aspects of websites that social media cannot reach such as high informational content and quality, and automated, secure ordering systems.

To see the original article, go here.

Social Media: It's Everywhere .... Or Is It?

We had a discussion in class on yesterday about the use of social media by businesses. A major focus of my lecture and the subsequent discussions was on the types of businesses that are using social networks and the objectives for using these tools. We looked at the strategies used by companies such as Kodak, Apple, Target and Honda. All somewhat different, but seemed to enhance their marketing strategy and their customer reach.

The general consensus was that social media is showing up everywhere and being used by more and more individuals and now businesses. As the conversation progressed we also determined that there are some businesses and organizations where social media may not be appropriate, such as human service agencies and that there are many people who have not, and have no intentions of, embracing social media outlets.

So you wonder who is using and who is not? According to a YouTube video entitled "The Social Media Revolution" the fastest growing segment of Facebook users are females between the ages of 55-65. What? OK let's move on. Another statistic that I found interesting is that while it would take 38 years to reach 50 million users via radio it only takes about 9 months to reach 50 million users ("friends") on Facebook.

If you check out the "Social Media Revolution" video you will note that the widespread and fast growing use of social media is mind boggling. More importantly the way in which it has changed the landscape of how we communicate and receive information would have been unimaginable 15 years ago when Internet was a youngster. At the end of the video the question is asked "Do you still think Social Media is a Fad?" Well no I don't, but possibly we will agree that it is not yet everywhere and used by everybody and that's OK. However at the end of the day it is a major player in the way in which content/media is distribution

DD

To view the "Social Media Revolution" video go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVXKI506w-E

Surprise hit 'Paranormal Activity' scares money out of moviegoers

The new movie Paranormal Activity is in the "first-ever major film release demanded by you." Social networks like Twitter and YouTube and word-of-mouth have helped spread the news about this movie, even without a real movie-trailer. This social networking helped this movie become a top 5 hit seller over the weekend and this was done without traditional marketing strategies.

ParanormalMovie.com has also urged fans to demand this movie to come to theaters near you. The site even posted that if the site gained 1 Million fans, it would open up nation wide. YouTube was a major contributor to spreading the word to demand the movie.

This unique marketing campaign has seemed to work and the film is basically selling itself, as stated in the article.

It is unbelievable that a movie so small could become so big just by social networking and media distribution. It is an eye opener to new movie creators that commercials on TV can become old news. Social Media is where people need to turn to because you can access millions of people on Facebook, Twitter, and especially YouTube.

This movie has great ratings and I've heard from my friends that it is one of the scariest movies to date. I will be watching it this weekend.

(This article came from CNN.com/entertainment - 'Surprise hit 'Paranormal Activity' scares money out of moviegoers' - by Lisa Respers France

BBM, texting, and email

So we are all used to getting spammed on every email account we have. Last week for instance, I got an email from AVON, a company I have never made a purchase from, to my RIT email account, an account I use for nothing but school work. AVON's email did not even have a link directing me how to be removed from their email list.

Well I used to think that email spam was annoying enough, up until I got an email telling me that my phone number may or may not be on a text messaging list that will "allow" me to recieve promotional offers to my cell phone. Now, I can be solicited via all electronic sources, rather than just my email. This summer, a PR professional that I worked with passed on her newly found knowledge that the new wave of solicitation and advertising will be text messages sent to your phone via Bluetooth when you pass a billboard or advertisement or perhaps a company's office. I understand that Billy Fuccillo would like everyone to know how HUUUGE his deals are, but I prefer to not get direct text messages from him.

When I first started text messaging, I thought it was sort of cool that I could see when another Verizon customer recieved my text messages, allowing my to ensure that my text message made it to their phone. I then learned that on BlackBerry phones and smart phones, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) allows you to not only see that a message was sent, but also when it was received and even read. Forget trying to ignore an unwanted message, because everyone now knows that you opened your text, and that six minutes later you still have not replied.

I can see where these tools can be useful in some ways. However, for the sake f privacy, I don't always want creepy dude from work knowing that I am ignoring his BBMs, and I don't want William Mattar's law firm text messaging me about being hurt in a car while I am driving. I think that often, people are motivated by selling something, but forget that sometimes more is not better. Sometimes ignorance is bliss and less is more. I think back to class last week when we discussed life without the internet, and how simple life was. Yes, I was much younger, and more naive, but life was simplier. I didn't worry if my boyfriend got my message and hasn't called me back right away. I didn't feel the need to spend money just because Victoria's Secret was having a one day 20% every purchase over $120 dollars. I didn't need to be so connected with the world all the time, and I didn't worry about forgetting my phone at home because I didn't have a cell phone. I think that all of the ways we can distribute and transmit information is overwhelming and I think perhaps in the future it would be better to look at ways to convey information without all of these channels and outlets, but to focus rather on simplifying. After all, there was a time when the daily paper was all one person needed to get anything they needed, from Classifieds to Headlines, Obituaries to Comics.

"Welcome to the Future. Your Newspaper is Here."

As a newcomer to the blogging world, I took some time to look around and investigate before I wrote my post. What I found was something very interesting, in our major we often hear about how the newspaper industry is dying out and how they need to create new ways to embrace the internet in order to survive and that exactly what The New York Times seems to be doing.

The New York Times has the Times reader 2.0 which is powered through Adobe Air. It is a digital edition which is "delivered" to your computer daily for $3.45 a week. Now im sure that a lot of people are skeptical about this what makes is so unique, why not just browse the articles free online? or maybe your thinking that there are things that only the actual paper can offer you...

The Times 2.0 is compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux. The paper is downloaded to you computer and after that you don't need the internet and you can take the file with you. You can choose how you browse the paper, look by headline, section, even by images! If you connect to the web you can get a constant update and browse image and video galleries. You can even do the crossword puzzle on your digital copy of The New York Times.

Still not sold? While there has been a lot of negative feed back, as we even discussed in class, it seems that the newspaper is the perfect thing to go digital. Its not as long as a book so you don't have to worry about your eyes getting tired. Having the capability to connect to the internet and see the updates as they happen instead of waiting for the next days paper. Also you have a weeks worth of archived papers at a time so you can go back and catch up if you weren't able to read through the whole paper in the day.

If you look at the cost to get the paper delivered 7 days its at least $5.85 if you commit to 12 weeks of subscription so your even saving money!

For the original article: https://timesreader.nytimes.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/TimesReader?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&campaignId=34U88

A World Without Internet ...

Yesterday I had an enlightening discussion with my students. The initial discussion was centered around eDistribution and eCommerce and how the Internet enables these processes. After my formal lecture I posed the following to them: "Imagine a world without Internet." I then asked them to select a process or transaction that is done via the web and discuss among themselves the impact of no Internet access.

This is where the enlightenment comes in - most of the students were not mortified at not having Internet access. In fact many of them indicated the world might be a better place without it. They went on to cite the ways in which they could function sans Internet. Once again I am reminded not to stereotype this younger generation and not to assume that since they are children of the Internet that they don't appreciate non-electronic interactions, face-to-face communications and some manual transactions.

To my students I say thank you for enlightening me.

DD

Secret Service Investigates Facebook Poll

While browsing blogs for random stories and articles, I came upon a site which I surprisingly ended up enjoying. SiliconANGLE is an open blog that seems to focus on social media, entrepreneurship, news and trends. I'd definitely suggest the site to most new media publishers looking for an interesting read.

However, that's all beside the point. The first article I stumbled on the site was "Facebook Poll Asks "Should the President Be Killed?" and Nutbars Come Out of the Woodwork." With a title that seemed so strange, I shrugged it off thinking it was simply a joke or some sort of attention grabber. Still pretty intrigued, I decided to look for more information and surprisingly, I found articles and video clips already.

On one of the many third-party applications on Facebook, a user created a poll which asked "Should Obama be killed?" Answers included "Yes," "No," "Maybe," and "If he cuts my healthcare." Overall, there were 730 users who responded to the outrageous poll, though the responses were unavailable. Once more people were aware of the poll's existence, including the Secret Service, Facebook moved to remove the poll. Facebook stated that they were unaware of the poll until early Monday (September 29), and have no record of which user created it (although they assume the third-party who created the application will have a record). Also, after the poll's removal, the Secret Service began its investigation of who was behind it and what was his or her intent in creating it.

None of the articles around seem to be full of detail, although this does simulate how quickly news can be distributed over the web through blogs, newspaper websites and social networks. A quick browse on YouTube brings up a few videos, on Facebook, there is already a poll in retaliation to the one against Obama, you can find numerous tweets about the subject from random users made on Twitter, and many blogs have already written up posts about it.. Most news articles haven't even been posted for half a day. Despite being exposed to this sort of wildfire-like spread of knowledge almost daily, I am constantly astounded by it.

SiliconANGLE (blog with the post mentioned about the poll first): www.siliconangle.net

News article from LA Times: www.latimes.com/ --

Apps Anyone?

It seems that a common buzz word these days is "Apps". Whether you are viewing the menu at UNO's Chicago Grill or the one on an iPhone there seems to be an "App" for everything. As part of the ongoing discussions in this blog "Apps" promote another key way to distribute content. iPhone Apps are being utilized in the print media industry in applications where the iPhone can be used as a medium to review customer print orders from inception to production.

One of the lectures in my Media Distribution & Transmission class this week was focused on media distribution workflow. There are many traditional workflow structures, but with so many multi-channel offerings we continually move away from the old ways of distributing content. The options are seemingly endless and the pace of technology will allow this trend to continue. So as we think about ways to disseminate content the question you may want to ask - Is there an App for that? Check out the iPhone Apps at: http://www.apple.com/iphone/apps-for-iphone/

Based on what I have seen, read and heard (multi-channel reception of information) I know that my next mobile phone will be an iPhone.

DD

Hulu to go to subscription service?

By now, many people have heard about Hulu. It's a site that allows you to watch free, and legal, TV shows and movies online. The site does have commercials during the shows, which helps to generate the revenue. It has a partnership with companies such as NBC, FOX, and ABC. These networks will distribute their content to Hulu, which will then be available for everyone's viewing. Many people use it, and prefer it to regular broadcast TV. It is a very convenient alternative.

However, recently the company has announced that they are thinking about creating subscription services, and pay-per-view tools. Now, this isn't exactly a bad thing, but I believe it may hinder the site's success. Many people began using Hulu because it was a free alternative to TV, and they didn't have to worry about being caught pirating. However, with the possible shift to being monetized, people may shy away from the idea of Hulu. This may cause those who had enjoyed Hulu to start (go back to) pirating TV shows.

The company execs within the Hulu partnership stated that they were open to any other ideas in how to monetize Hulu further down the road. I believe that alternative methods should be explored, because while the creation of subscription services is really not a bad thing at all, I do believe that it could impact some of the success that Hulu has already been exposed to. Nonetheless, Hulu is a good example of how TV has changed mediums, and I believe it shall probably continue to be so.

Original Article: http://zikkir.com/it/10936

The future of libraries, with or without books

Recently, libraries have been experiencing a revolution similar to that of the web, facing pushes to become digital and focus on public and group communication. The worry that physical books are going extinct is a pressure causing some libraries to reevaluate the way in which their institutions can remain places of free and shared information.

Jason M. Schultz, director of the Samuelson Law, Technology and Public Policy Clinic at the University of California at Berkeley Law School, describes the role of libraries being two-fold: First, they serve as places to get free information. Second, they are community centers for civic debate. Trends in social media have sent librarians creating circles of conversation mimicking that of twitter and facebook, as well as running blogs and even RFID tagged books that when scanned by phones, read the story to the listener. As libraries become more attune to technology and focus on group conversation and debate, their workers must also alter their job tasks to create topics of discussion, monitor debates, and provide technical support.

All of these changes focus on fulfilling Schultz’s second role of libraries. It appears, then, that libraries’ survival depends on their presence as a source of social commentary, discussion, and debate. If funding continues, libraries will continue to change.

To see the original article, click here: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/09/04/future.library.technology/index.html?iref=newssearch

A Word from PRINT '09

Hello,

Earlier this week I was in Chicago at the PRINT '09 trade exhibition. The PRINT show is held every 4 years and during non-PRINT years, GraphExpo is held. These shows take place at Chicago's McCormick Place which is a massive convention center. The primary exhibitors are printing equipment manufacturers, paper companies, software application firms, publishers and educational institutions.

So what does all of this have to do with media distribution? Everything. The distribution process is essential to all content created and produced for dissemination whether to 1 individual or to the masses. A venue such as PRINT '09 really emphasizes the complexities of the entire print production cycle which starts with the customer order specifying their wants and needs.

There was much to see at this show including an impressive booth display from Eastman Kodak, Xerox and Heidelberg. However, one of the significant features at this year's show was the focus on mailing, fulfillment and distribution. There was a large amount of floor space dedicated to suppliers of mailing equipment/software and mailing consulting firms. Their message was clear: A reliable distribution workflow is critical to the print production process and it involves a myriad of functions such as staging, packaging, mailing and fulfillment.

For more information on PRINT '09 and future PRINT and GraphExpo shows go to: www.gasc.org.

Kanye West's 2009 VMA outbust plasters the web in seconds

From Facebook statuses, YouTube, Perez Hilton's Blog, MTV.com, and E!Online the news of Kanye West's outburst at the 2009 Music Video Awards plastered the internet. Within minutes of "the incident" in which Taylor Swift, winner of the best female music video for 2009 is delivering her acceptance speech fellow musician Kanye West storms the stage taking the microphone from her hand to divulge his opinion that singer Beyonce has "had one of the best videos of all time". This outburst leaves Taylor Swift speechless as ragging fans and fellow peers encouragingly applaud Swift's efforts.

I would have not even known of this event until tomorrow morning, as the cable in my apartment has been down all day. But with the internet, and our generation's equivalent of word of mouth, engines such as Twitter and Facebook, I knew within seconds of the fiasco that "KANYE WEST RAN ON STAGE AND TOOK THE MIC FROM TAYLOR SWIFT WHILE SHE ACCEPTED HER AWARD AND TOLD EVERYONE THAT BEYONCE DESERVED IT. Now you know." thanks to an informative Facebook status update. Within minutes I was able to watch the video on YouTube and 30 minutes later I had multiple videos to choose from and commentary from 213 people nationwide of their views on the story via MTV.com/news.

Similarly to stories that would have not made top headlines or media frenzies in the past due to distance across continents or small town victories, live performances such as the VMAs would not have been able to be posted instantaneously without the use of technologies such as TiVo, camera phones, and numerous electronic devices that shape our world today. It is only rational that such technologies are being used to facilitate the efficiency and effectiveness of multi-channel distribution of media to the masses. We want things done fast, done right, and as cheaply as possible; and as long as there are means to facilitate these desires there will be consumers.

To read the MTV article and watch video click here:
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1621389/20090913/west_kanye.jhtml

Getting Started

Hello,

A few weeks ago when I set up this blog I let everyone know that this is a new experience for me. I have not been a blogger or a follower of blogs. However, after going to see the movie "Julie & Julia" I was motivated to create a blog about a topic that was important to me: media distribution. Will I blog daily? I think we all know the answer to that.

That said I have drafted a wonderful group of contributing writers - my students! Each week from now through mid-November one of the students from my media distribution and transmission class will be posting commentary on topics related to media distribution. For me it populates the blog and for them it adds to their class participation grade. So it's a win-win for all.

I hope you enjoy the fresh and insightful commentary that will be shared over the coming weeks by this very bright group of young people. I'll also be dropping a line here and there as well. In fact it was my intention to send this note before my students began their commentary, but I was not fast enough. The first post is there (posted 6 days early) already which definitely indicates that this group of students is awesome!

Happy reading and I'll be in touch.

Distribution Diva

Canadians Angry Over Loss of Broadcast Television

As of June 12, 2009, Americans that were still relying on braodcast cable could no longer receive any television stations via their antenne or on television rabbit ears; however, they need not fear missing American Idol or the local news. Even though the over-the-air method of broadcasting free television was coming to an end, there was a new option available to those who still wished to receive broadcast TV. that solution was a digital cable converter box that could be obtained for a small fee or in some cases, there were coucher programs that you could receive a box for free.

In his blog article, "Small Cities say it's unfair to loser TV signals," Steve Anderson describes a similar situation for many small town Canadians. Like us, Canadians are being told that their rabbit ears and other over-the-air broadcast receiving devices will no longer work after 2011; however, unlike America, there is no alternative for small town and rural Cananadians that wish to still receive free basic channels. The only solution being offered this population is to simply pay for satiellite or digital cable. The households that currently utilize the free broadcast cable are only getting 3 free channels and many are unwilling to pay for cable that will give them 60 or more channels when they are only using 3.

It has been suggested to the government and cable companies that Canada could adopt a technology like that currently used by the US and Europe. This system, called multiplexing, would allow for citizen to purchase a converter box and use that to get up to 6 free channels. Currently, the word is mum on how the rabbit-ear users will fair because cable companies and legislators seem unwilling to discuss the issue as of now.

You can read the original article here: http://democraticmedia.ca/blog-entry/small-cities-say-its-unfair-lose-tv-signals

Distribution

Distribution Resource Planning (DRP) is a planning & scheduling system for distribution networks.

Welcome!

Hello and Welcome to the World of Media Distribution!

This blog has been set up as a discussion tool for issues focused on the distribution of media. Media to include text, graphics, music, motion pictures, etc.

Why this blog? Well for one reason it is to encourage my students to publish their thoughts on the subject and second it provides a places for others to share their perspectives.

About 5 years ago I started doing research on the topic of print media distribution and was surprised to find out that not much had been published on what I considered to be a very important topic. As a result I started a focused study on the structure and trends of distribution and an on-going dialogue on this issue. This research was culminated into a book, published in 2008, entitled Print media distribution: A look at the infrastructure, systems, and trends.

As the dialogue continues and as I interact and learn from my students the need to expand the discussion beyond printed media was quite clear. Media is transmitted in many ways and cross media distribution is necessary to get messages and information out to a wider audience. Also sometimes situations and preferences dictate how media content is sent and received.

While I am not a true blogger, my plan is to periodically post commentary into this blog and I hope to attract informative comments from those who visit this site.

So let the discussion begin.

Yours truly,

Distribution Diva