Tuesday, November 17, 2009

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

Friday, November 13, 2009

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

Sunday, November 8, 2009

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"

Friday, November 6, 2009

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

Monday, November 2, 2009

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?