On March 25, 2010, I delivered what I thought was a reasonably sensitive presentation on the current state and possible future of the regional newspaper, and the current utility of newspaper advertising, to the New York Capital Region Chapter of the American Marketing Association (NYCRAMA). The audience – which I found upon my arrival included 20 or so employees of the Albany Times Union, a Hearst product and our region’s regional newspaper – did not entirely enjoy my brusque prognosis, delivered (at least to their ears) with all the charm of Dr. House.
Many challenged my assumptions and my data. Several approached me afterwards to suggest I didn’t know what was going on, or of all the efforts underway within the paper – blogging, youth outreach, new community focus, alternate revenue ideas (like charging for the weekly TV listing), online advertising efforts, etc. – that were working to slow the revenue slide and allow the “paper” to transition to a new era.
Perhaps.
Declining circulation… Shrinking ad revenue… Rapidly increasing free online news sources… Are these the harbingers of death for newspapers? Many media speculators would say “yes” – newspapers are dying; while others argue that they’re evolving for the digital age. And what is the fate of newspaper advertising? These are just some of the questions that will be discussed at an upcoming breakfast roundtable hosted by the New York Capital Region Chapter of the American Marketing Association entitled, “Are Newspapers Dead? The Future of Print in a Digital Age.”
The event featuring Media Logic’s Executive VP/Executive CD Ronald Ladouceur as a guest speaker will take place on Thursday, March 25 and is open to both AMA members and nonmembers. Registration is available online.
What do you think? We welcome your thoughts and comments.
In our increasingly smartphone-entrenched world, the mobile application extensions of our social networking-entangled lives can make or break a user experience. Twitter as a network depends on the user development of mobile and desktop applications to keep participation thriving. In some cases, app developers attempt to provide a seamless brand experience between the desktop and mobile world, while often the very best apps focus primarily on the screen for which they are developed. For mobile Twitter users, custom design for ease of use is paramount. Beyond the individual, an organization’s conversation managers need to be properly equipped, connected and ready to go.
No matter the platform, there are literally dozens of apps to choose from, making it a painful finger stroll through any given app store. To make things a bit easier for you, we’ve compiled some of our thoughts on a few of the Twitter apps currently available.
The social web is driving a revolution. But it is not the fact that we can now communicate with customers and prospects socially that defines this revolution. It is the fact that we can now collaborate with customers and prospects… as well as with business colleagues, marketing partners, and advocates socially.
In her excellent recent article for Advertising Age, Kunur Patel outlined the struggles big-name social media pioneers have faced trying to implement effective social media content creation and approval processes.
One of the companies, Ford, stumbled on something really remarkable.
In this installment of Conversatiated, Media Logic Account Supervisors Josh and Fred discuss Edelman’s 2010 Trust Barometer and its implications on gauging consumer trust and assessing the value of P2P advice in 2010 and beyond.
For many marketers, their first foray into social media was putting up a Facebook fan page or Twitter account – to which they randomly posted random content. Of course, this experiment failed as they attracted only a small and ragtag assortment of fans and followers.
The key to an effective social media plan is to establish the importance of strategic content. It is the act of creating (or uncovering) and distributing this content that will help you achieve your strategic objectives.
Now that the shine is off social media, isn’t it time to put it to work for your organization?
