Wednesday, December 20. 2006
Well, having harped on about blogs at various seminars, conferences and workshops, I thought it was about time I took to the keyboard and started my own. However, rather than tell you about my weekend hobbies or recent holiday trips, we at markettiers4dc thought it would make sense to write a blog on Convergence, where I could point out recent articles of interest or developments that we've spotted in the industry, and where you can then use this area as an opportunity to provide feedback and share your thoughts on how the broadcast media and the PR industry are adapting to these changing times.
So to kick off, for those of you who may have missed it, I recently provided a Digital Essay for PR Week, and therefore (OK call me lazy!) here it is as my opening posting. Please do give us your feeedback.
Digital Essay - PR Week December 2006
In the past couple of weeks I have downloaded the BBC Breakfast Takeaway to watch on my iPod (a summary of the morning’s headlines) and watched the Webcameron Channel on YouTube (David Cameron’s personal broadcasts from his desk). These are just two very recent examples of how the escalation in development of new broadcast techniques has been embraced by those who see them as an opportunity. The challenge is for the PR industry to consider how to apply these techniques within their broadcast strategies moving forward.
On the plus side we are now seeing not a day go by without a brief being received within which is a request to record a podcast, set up an RSS feed, or produce a web TV programme. The issue however that often concerns me, is whether or not the objective is simply to be seen to be doing them because it’s ‘fashionable’ rather than understanding the full value they can bring in the correct circumstances.
There’s been so much development within digital broadcast media during 2006, with the rise in podcasts, video blogs, User Generated Content, ipTV and alike, that it’s no wonder that many have struggled to keep pace with this the developments. What can be seen however is that as we move into to 2007 and the broadcast landscape begins to settle, the clear conclusion is that the Internet, the driving force behind these changes, must now be incorporated within a broadcast media plan that has to be given higher priority within the overall PR strategy, otherwise you will ultimately lose out.
Of course, there is still absolute value in traditional broadcast techniques. The issue, however, is how and where you use them, as the platform and media owners that one would approach historically are expanding, creating greater opportunities, and more importantly delivering highly targeted and indexed coverage.
A question we can start to ask ourselves, therefore, is what is more effective, a ‘TV’ interview with BBC Breakfast or one for bbc.co.uk? Likewise, what would be more valuable, a face-to-face interview that appears in the FT as text, or a ‘TV’-style interview that appears on FT.com? Naturally, the answer is not straight forward! But by asking these questions, we can begin to understand how the broadcast media landscape is changing. For instance, with The Telegraph currently in the process of building its own ‘radio’ studios, what is becoming clear is that the traditional boundaries of media owners are changing and that broadcast and print media are beginning to work a lot closer together and harder for each other.
Having worked within the PR industry and specialised in Broadcast for over 15 years, I am re-energised and encouraged by this sea of change. In the same way that I no longer have as many 24/7 restrictions for capacity within the media owners that I target, there must be a similar excitement for those dealing with traditional print media owners where they no longer have the same pagination restrictions. And the reason is simple. All ‘switched-on’ media owners are now using the technological capabilities that the Internet provides to publish or broadcast without those ‘traditional’ restrictions.
And on the subject of restrictions, a huge benefit for the PR industry is that the traditional Broadcast regulator, Ofcom, does not currently apply the same restrictions to broadcasting when it is via the Internet. Therefore, if I conduct an interview with my local TV or radio station, I have limitations in what I can say, yet if I film or record the same interview with a major ISP or web portal, such as MSN or AOL, then it would not fall under the same restrictions!
So what does this all mean for us in the communications business?
Good news is the answer. The powerful broadcast techniques that have stood the test of time for many years, that of a ‘TV’ or ‘Radio’ Interview, or pre-produced radio or TV content remain as key as ever, except now, they have a greater number of outlets to reach your target audience.
We should also not ignore the key fact that, in a market where advertising avoidance is rising and that content is king, the PR/communications industry is best placed to take advantage, as it is this industry who are the masters of content. Audiences are now more communications-literate than ever before and so the skills of the PR industry can assist brands to ensure that they remain in control of image and character, helping to create cut-through and success.
Whilst these developments in broadcast media are a huge opportunity it also needs to be acknowledged that they can be a threat too. Audiences have become more demanding and less patient and as such, pressure is mounting almost daily on media owners to provide up-to-date and immediate content. This in turn is placing pressure on the PR industry to ensure it can keep up with these time pressures. Hence, the need to be available 24/7 is ever increasing. How many organisations have a broadcast communications infrastructure that allows them to respond with speed and effectively?
This convergence media environment we now live within also encompasses a huge growth in ‘Citizen Journalism’ and to this end, whilst for many years we have focused our attention on building relationships with key media commentators, we need to acknowledge that the commentators of this current market includes millions of consumers who are well opinionated and listened to by a potential worldwide audience. One need only look at the ‘success’ of web sites such as YouTube and how it has provided simple access to a worldwide community for anyone wishing to produce and share their own broadcast material.
It’s no wonder, therefore, that the Tory leader, David Cameron, has started to incorporate online social networks into his broadcast communications strategy, with the launch of Webcameron! What remains to be seen is how well other brands, also keen to win our vote, whether at the polling stations or at retail outlets, enter this new digital broadcast world.
So to kick off, for those of you who may have missed it, I recently provided a Digital Essay for PR Week, and therefore (OK call me lazy!) here it is as my opening posting. Please do give us your feeedback.
Digital Essay - PR Week December 2006
In the past couple of weeks I have downloaded the BBC Breakfast Takeaway to watch on my iPod (a summary of the morning’s headlines) and watched the Webcameron Channel on YouTube (David Cameron’s personal broadcasts from his desk). These are just two very recent examples of how the escalation in development of new broadcast techniques has been embraced by those who see them as an opportunity. The challenge is for the PR industry to consider how to apply these techniques within their broadcast strategies moving forward.
On the plus side we are now seeing not a day go by without a brief being received within which is a request to record a podcast, set up an RSS feed, or produce a web TV programme. The issue however that often concerns me, is whether or not the objective is simply to be seen to be doing them because it’s ‘fashionable’ rather than understanding the full value they can bring in the correct circumstances.
There’s been so much development within digital broadcast media during 2006, with the rise in podcasts, video blogs, User Generated Content, ipTV and alike, that it’s no wonder that many have struggled to keep pace with this the developments. What can be seen however is that as we move into to 2007 and the broadcast landscape begins to settle, the clear conclusion is that the Internet, the driving force behind these changes, must now be incorporated within a broadcast media plan that has to be given higher priority within the overall PR strategy, otherwise you will ultimately lose out.
Of course, there is still absolute value in traditional broadcast techniques. The issue, however, is how and where you use them, as the platform and media owners that one would approach historically are expanding, creating greater opportunities, and more importantly delivering highly targeted and indexed coverage.
A question we can start to ask ourselves, therefore, is what is more effective, a ‘TV’ interview with BBC Breakfast or one for bbc.co.uk? Likewise, what would be more valuable, a face-to-face interview that appears in the FT as text, or a ‘TV’-style interview that appears on FT.com? Naturally, the answer is not straight forward! But by asking these questions, we can begin to understand how the broadcast media landscape is changing. For instance, with The Telegraph currently in the process of building its own ‘radio’ studios, what is becoming clear is that the traditional boundaries of media owners are changing and that broadcast and print media are beginning to work a lot closer together and harder for each other.
Having worked within the PR industry and specialised in Broadcast for over 15 years, I am re-energised and encouraged by this sea of change. In the same way that I no longer have as many 24/7 restrictions for capacity within the media owners that I target, there must be a similar excitement for those dealing with traditional print media owners where they no longer have the same pagination restrictions. And the reason is simple. All ‘switched-on’ media owners are now using the technological capabilities that the Internet provides to publish or broadcast without those ‘traditional’ restrictions.
And on the subject of restrictions, a huge benefit for the PR industry is that the traditional Broadcast regulator, Ofcom, does not currently apply the same restrictions to broadcasting when it is via the Internet. Therefore, if I conduct an interview with my local TV or radio station, I have limitations in what I can say, yet if I film or record the same interview with a major ISP or web portal, such as MSN or AOL, then it would not fall under the same restrictions!
So what does this all mean for us in the communications business?
Good news is the answer. The powerful broadcast techniques that have stood the test of time for many years, that of a ‘TV’ or ‘Radio’ Interview, or pre-produced radio or TV content remain as key as ever, except now, they have a greater number of outlets to reach your target audience.
We should also not ignore the key fact that, in a market where advertising avoidance is rising and that content is king, the PR/communications industry is best placed to take advantage, as it is this industry who are the masters of content. Audiences are now more communications-literate than ever before and so the skills of the PR industry can assist brands to ensure that they remain in control of image and character, helping to create cut-through and success.
Whilst these developments in broadcast media are a huge opportunity it also needs to be acknowledged that they can be a threat too. Audiences have become more demanding and less patient and as such, pressure is mounting almost daily on media owners to provide up-to-date and immediate content. This in turn is placing pressure on the PR industry to ensure it can keep up with these time pressures. Hence, the need to be available 24/7 is ever increasing. How many organisations have a broadcast communications infrastructure that allows them to respond with speed and effectively?
This convergence media environment we now live within also encompasses a huge growth in ‘Citizen Journalism’ and to this end, whilst for many years we have focused our attention on building relationships with key media commentators, we need to acknowledge that the commentators of this current market includes millions of consumers who are well opinionated and listened to by a potential worldwide audience. One need only look at the ‘success’ of web sites such as YouTube and how it has provided simple access to a worldwide community for anyone wishing to produce and share their own broadcast material.
It’s no wonder, therefore, that the Tory leader, David Cameron, has started to incorporate online social networks into his broadcast communications strategy, with the launch of Webcameron! What remains to be seen is how well other brands, also keen to win our vote, whether at the polling stations or at retail outlets, enter this new digital broadcast world.
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