According to Barbara Zaccone, president of an online marketing company, as reported in a recent Star-Ledger article, social media “presents an opportunity for small business to promote word-of-mouth marketing.” She went on, “It really is the only way companies are engaging and talking to their customers and potential costumer.” Which makes this generation of small business owners able to connect in real time with real customers – a distinct advantage over traditional business models of the past.

So there is a clear recognition of the potential and power of using social media to promote a small business but an obvious disconnect in how to go about actually doing it. A March 2011 Techweb article reported on a Techaisle study finding that “seven in ten small businesses plan to use social media in the next 12 months.” This is a promising statistic until you read the second half which reports that, “many of them are unsure what they will gain by doing so.” With the internet providing such a powerful marketing tool at the low price of free! it’s no wonder that small businesses consider it a no-brainer to utilize. How then do you continue the user-friendly advantage while implementing a precise strategy that is available, attainable and that will ensure the success of the small business/social media partnering?

There is a plethora of information on the net that map out a successful social media business model. A short comparison reveals these consistent trends: 

Branding your personality…

Now more than ever, providing a consistent message to your customers is essential. Whatever platforms that your business is using (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc.) it is important that not only your message is the same, but so is your personality. An article in the Wichita Eagle suggested always using the same overall look in the different social media venues. Use the same picture, name, color scheme and language to ensure that when your potential customers see you on Facebook or Twitter or Youtube or whatever the next social media craze is, they know that it’s you. It is important to note that it is not just about advertising your product but more about putting out your personality.

Friends, not costumers

This may sound a bit controversial – aren’t small businesses trying to build their customer base through the use of social media?  Of course, but by its very nature, social media is about more than selling a product – it’s about creating a relationship. That’s where some small businesses may get it wrong. An article in the Toronto Sun from 2010 reported on a study by Andrew Ballenthin, a Canadian marketing guru, which found that “more than 90% of business owners aren’t using social media to its full potential for personal branding.” Frank J Kenny, a small business growth expert and consultant with over 20 years of experience puts it this way, “its social networking, not social advertising.” Your “friends” are people who will advocate for you, appreciate your product and tell people about their “friend.” Your customers are those that will do business with you, but aren’t necessarily concerned about starting a relationship. Think about it this way. We recognize McDonald’s – we know their products, we know their prices, brand-wise we know who they are. But do any of us have a relationship with Micky D’s? No. Or at least I hope not – Supersize Me anyone? Compare this to the relationship that my husband and I have with Reba, the owner of Reba’s restaurant in Newton, KS. She knows us by name, she knows that we have children and she knows what specials we like. On the all too few occasions that we get a “date-night” we tend to frequent her establishment because we know the personal attention we will get.  And that makes us feel good about the money we are spending. And case in point, here I am telling you about my friend, Reba. 

Social media provides a direct line from the consumer to the business owner. As Kenny aptly describes, “If it’s just business to you and you don’t think of your customers as friends then social media isn’t for you.” Which again makes social media a prime marketing tool because for the most part, that personal relationship is what small businesses have over large corporations.

A relationship means give and take…

When you think about your friends, you think about two way communication. You talk they listen, then they talk and you listen. It’s the same way with social media. Or as Meaghan Edelstein puts it, “successful social media marketing begins and ends with respect for your audience… Listening to consumers is as important as sharing messages with them.” Just as friends want to feel valued, so do your customers. Facebook is a great place to post updates but if that’s all that you’re doing, you are missing out on a great opportunity for interaction with your clients. In addition, when they know that they are being listened to, they are more likely to interact with your product on-line and off. By using social media to dialogue with your public as opposed to just talking at them, you are “creating a situation where your customers will gladly become your sales people,” (Kenny). Or, as Carl Rigoni puts it in a Herald Sun article by Claire Heaney, “When you listen to your customers, you not only gain their trust, but the trust of their social circles through word of mouth.”

 All of these suggestions make a lot of sense and are obviously thoroughly researched by their respective authors. However, which of these suggestions are actually implementable strategies that the small business owner with little social media or technological background would conceivably know about? Small businesses usually start with a little bit of capital but much more elbow grease and dreams of triumph. Considering the amount of information available, what can a new upstart small business reasonably expect to implement that will give them the greatest social media advantage and still remain realistic, and most importantly, doable. 

Here’s a quick list of implementable strategies and specifics that small businesses can employ now.

Creativity is often found in groups. The great thing about social networking is that it is social. That goes fo r improving it too. In all of the local businesses that we visited (see previous posts) one thing remained consistent throughout, they relied heavily on group discussion. Whether it was weekly meetings, several employees posting or tweeting or just bouncing ideas off of each other, these professionals used their group knowledge and creativity to the fullest.

Websites: A website gives information, location, hours, product information and the rest of the details. This can easily be linked from your Twitter, Facebook, or even from Youtube videos as well as most other social media outlets. Use social media for its intended purpose:  social networking. 

Twitter: If you’re tweeting, recognize that it is posted in real time, not a long time ago. According to Edelstein, “Twitter is a quick and easy way for brands to share updates and ideas with their consumers, and it’s also a good place to watch trends and listen to what your demographic is excited about.”

Facebook: It is the most utilized social media platform for small businesses. The Techaisle study found that nearly one in three of the respondents to their study were using Facebook. This medium is about plugging into an existing community (the Facebook nation) and creating a new one (your businesses’ community).  Talk to your community about your latest news, ask fun questions, and start discussion topics. Utilize your Facebook presence as a way to encourage dialogue between you and your friends and between your friends and each other. Don’t use it exclusively as a way to market your product. That’s not what your followers want, they just want to be your friend. “A lot of businesses hop on social media, and I watch them time and time again fail with push marketing,” says Darcy Chalifoux, vice-president for Concorde Entertainment Group.

Blogging: Blogging provides an opportunity for you to spread new ideas about your business and another way to create dialogue with your friends. In addition, as Edelstein points out, “daily blog posts improve search engine optimization and provide a constant source of up-to-date information for your consumers.”  You can link these from your website or link your website from your blog. User friendly blog providers are readily available. Posterous.com?  Hmmm. 

Youtube: According to Edestein, Youtube is one of the “largest sources of search traffic.” While photographs can add depth to your business, video can add an even deeper layer. Try to produce something of quality with the tools that you have. Be creative and keep the same personality that you’ve branded yourself with. Remember, brief is better, not many people will sit through a 15 minute Youtube video.

The above list of social media outlets represents the most widely used tools at this point. There are literally hundreds of additional social media platforms that are available. It is essential for the small business owner to research the tool before you jump on to use it. It may not be for you. In this day and age, it could be considered a hindrance if your small business doesn’t have a social media presence. However, business owners should be weary…

“Creating an account on any social media platform that sits void of interaction, discussion, or content is not social media marketing.

It’s failure.”

So let’s review…

Personality wins. Post often. Ask questions. Respond to theirs. They’re not just customers, they’re friendomers (or custofriends – your choice) And finally, be nice… always.

Rebecca Black is my hero.

There. I said it. This spunky tween whose YouTube video has gone viral has shown more poise, intelligence and class than any of the on-line personalities that have lambasted her for having the Worst. Song. Ever. (Really? Ever? Have you heard pretty much anything by Brittany Spears?)

This made for internet teen-pop sensation has been taunted, her video has been spoofed by thousands, she’s been the punch line for jokes, she’s been threatened and she’s been requested to kill herself. Did I mention she’s 13? According to a Good Morning America poll, 76% of respondents said that the attacks were justified. Keep in mind that these attacks were not mere statements of discontent. They were personal attacks.

“I hope you cut yourself.”

 “I hope you get an eating disorder so you’ll look pretty.”

“I hope you cut yourself and die.”

 This kind of bile is hard to even comprehend but keep in mind that their target is a 13 year old child. Of course there is a story behind the video, but that has largely been ignored. It is apparently much more fun to taunt a middle school kid than to find out what really happened. Black didn’t write the song or produce the video. She didn’t even put it up on YouTube. She was made aware of a production company who had the grand idea of creating pop videos for teenage wannabe stars. And so she simply paid them to help her realize her dream of making a slick music video. Like those recording studios that used to be in the mall (my friend Heidi and I did fantastic version of Don’t Worry Be Happy when we were in 6^th grade). Only this time, the video went viral and was garnering so many nasty comments that the producers of the video offered to take it down. But our heroine said no. She told them to leave it. She told The Daily Beast, “I decided not to give the haters the satisfaction that they got me so bad I gave up.” In addition, all of the money she’s garnering off of iTunes downloads and the like is actually being donated to charity, and then her college fund. Which is pretty forward thinking for a 13 year old.

I tried to friend Rebecca Black on Facebook, so I could tell her that I was proud of her and that I think she’s just fine – she doesn’t need to starve herself. But I couldn’t tell which one was her from the dozens of Rebecca Black’s listed on facebook with her photo. Which illustrates a major problem with the social network giant. With no one overseeing this huge conglomerate of networking, its best attributes can become the greatest detriment to its users. In short, even jerks can be on Facebook. And not everyone is as strong as Rebecca Black.

Have you ever typed anything you would never say? 

"Pheobe Prince a recent Irish immigrant, hanged herself Jan. 14 (2010)after nearly three months of routine torment by students at South Hadley High School, via text message, and through the social networking site, Facebook.” 

We’ve all heard the horror stories of tormented youngsters who feel helpless in the face of constant bullying and who see no other way out than taking their own life. Shocking. Frustrating. And becoming less and less unheard of. 

What it is about Facebook and social media that promote this kind of horrid behavior? A recent article in the New York Times speculates that the anonymity of the internet may be partially to blame. “The practice of withholding the identity of the speaker is strategic, and one purpose of the strategy (this is the second problem with anonymity) is to avoid responsibility and accountability for what one is saying” reports Stanley Fish. The article also discusses the legal ramifications of the anonymity that the internet provides. In these cases, the law seems to be on the side of the attacker since the website or media outlet is not held legally responsible. But all is not lost. Phoebe’s tormenters were charged with contributing to her suicide as well as violating her civil rights. A case of cyber bullying that ended with the perpetrators being held accountable.

And yet the problem seems deeper than that. In March, a conference on bullying was held at the White House where cyber bullying was given major attention. Justin Patchin, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center, reports that one in five teens have been the victim of cyber bullying. Among the guests were Facebook representatives including Joe Sullivan, Facebook's chief security officer. Facebook, who has received criticism for their privacy settings and information sharing, appears to have stepped to the plate to combat cyber bullying. Teaming with MTV and other sponsors, they’ve created athinline.org where students can go to find information and help.

On-line social networking has become so common place and so accessible that it has become its own reality. And the on-line world is becoming less and less connected with the real one. If you ask anyone if they would tell at 13 year old girl to starve or cut herself to her face, of course they would say no. But on-line it’s different. Somehow on line those same words don’t have the same meaning when they’re typed out instead of said directly to the person. However, it is vitally important for everyone to remember that there is a person at the other end of that text.

I can only hope that the processes and procedures that Facebook has put into place will become common knowledge for students. For those who have fake profiles made or who feel that they are the target of on-line bullying, in the bottom left hand corner of all profiles there is a link to “Report/Block This Person.” If you click on it, you will have the option to report a Facebook user who is pretending to be someone else or has created a fake profile, has an inappropriate profile photo, is bullying or harassing you. And you always have the option to block anyone so that they cannot contact you. All of this is very easy to do – I found this out after I reported a REBECCA BLACK IMPERSON-HATER!

Jimmy Wong Saves the Internet

It is very easy to get overwrought with the destructive powers of Facebook and other social media networks. We know that our information is being sold to the highest bidder. We know that any new tool can be used in a negative way. But at the same time, networking can produce a positive result. Take for example the recent campaign launched against Kansas Governor Sam Brownback’s proposal to defund the Kansas Arts Commission. A grassroots group, primarily started on Facebook helped to launch a statewide protest and spurred art lovers into action. The starting point was a Facebook page. Which turned into a rally. Which then spurred a website that imagined Kansas Without the Arts. Which eventually led to the senate voting down the proposal. This kind of social networking can be a source of empowerment and social action.

However, I can’t write this blog post without mentioning my favorite recent demonstration that highlights the power of new media. While cyber bullying is certainly nothing to be taken lightly, cyberspace does have the potential to level the playing field a bit. Take into consideration the story of Jimmy Wong. This mild mannered cyber hero took a hate filled racist tirade by a UCLA student and turned it into a catchy in-your-face chivalrous dis of the highest degree. In his article, “Jimmy Wong Saves the Internet” commentator Dave Pell tells us how “Jimmy Wong reminded [him] that the tools that can be deployed by the so-called cyber bullies are also freely available to those they harass.”And I wholeheartedly agree. I hate that the world we live in provides tools of destruction for those who would use it. But I love the fact that for those who choose to use the force for good, the potential of social media is boundless.

I cannot remember a time in my professional career that I have been jealous of someone else’s job. Being a theatre geek teaching theatre at a small private college where I have creative control over the product that we offer is one thing. Add to that the fact that every day I come into work I get the opportunity to pass on my love for the art to students who share that passion and it is literally a dream come true.

As with any job, creative or not, there is a lot more to it than just the fun stuff. And yet a recent visit to the advertising firm of Sullivan, Higdon & Sink highlighted the fact that when you’re in the right job and the right career, all of it can be the fun stuff.

Let me be clear, I have no illusions that the fantastic advertising campaigns that this company is producing comes easily or without an incredible amount of work and attention to detail. Yet the panel representatives comprised of Lathi de Silva, Greg Standifer,and Tom Bertels illustrated the kind of passion, enthusiasm and drive that make any production team a good one, whether that be at a theatre company or an ad agency.

We hate sheep… but we like purple cows.

According to Bertels, around 10 years ago the company underwent a major change that started with the idea of “treating ourselves like the client.” They came up with the “We hate sheep” mantra. What started out as a one or two year ad campaign quickly turned into a ten year brand identity. The concept was simple, the group was interested in providing communication and campaigns that “[stood] out from the flock.” There was some anxiousness from some that the campaign might be seen as frivolous but what they found was while this simple message was quirky, it was memorable. And it defined their company’s mission. A mission that has served them very well.

 Sullivan, Higdon & Sink, (their friends call them SHS) has turned that mantra into their focused reality. Even their offices look different. In 1994, the company decided to implement some structural changes that were radically different then that of the standard top-down hierarchy that was (and for the most part still is) the typical set up for an advertising agency. Employees are compartmentalized literally and physically so that the individual worker can stay focused on their specified area. Proponents of this type of management would most likely boast that it streamlines the process making a powerhouse assembly line that Henry Ford would be proud of. While this arrangement may work for some, the group at SHS (we’re friends now) needed something different.

After switching to a model of highly structured teams (as opposed to highly structured hierarchy) the SHS team recognized the need for a new building to house their new business model. Of course, they didn’t come to this conclusion the old fashioned way either.  A Wichita Eagle Article from 1996 that highlighted the then new digs reported that “about 40 percent of the SHS staff served on a task force that decided whether and where to move, and what the look, feel, function and spirit of the new building would be like.” Sink and Higdon were quoted in that same article supporting the staff’s ability to make the call, "We wanted people living day to day in the re-engineered office concept to lead us," Sink said. "It taught us to empower people and to trust empowering people."  

When we toured their offices, I was especially tickled with the symbolism of using office doors as the movable walls for their office cubicles. This agency is tearing down the walls of mundane-ville literally. This set up and business model has particular interest to me as an instructor of theatre and was one of the reasons that I was so taken with their agency. Danielle Sacks, in his November 2010 article focused on the change in advertising agencies, reporting that the new business model is like an improv troupe. “Creative teams… need to behave more like improv actors—story building instead of storytelling.” I started an improv troupe at Bethel College this year and I can tell you that the skill set needed for story building can be the difference between a great performance and a depressing one. An improv troupe is very much a team, as is any design staff that is working together on a particular production. Theatre is a collaborative art form – there’s even a text book with this title. And while I know that this business model isn’t for everyone, when we’re talking about creative minds bringing an idea into reality, I know from experience that this model works. And I have to believe that a big reason for SHS’s success is their ability to utilize the creativity that the individual brings to the table by collaborating with other likeminded individuals.

Tag: Members of the Bethel College Improv Troupe at Pages Bookstore in Newton, KS

"Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower." ~Steve Jobs

In addition, all of the panels we’ve met with (The Wichita Eagle, the Catholic Diocese of Wichita, and KWCH) have alluded to the fact that social media has seen a major shift in the last 5 years and it will continue to morph and change. It seems that the only thing that is consistent about new, new media is that it’s not consistent. It would seem then, that this idea of team management would position a company to handle this ever moving medium. It’s like a live stage production – everyone has their particular jobs to do but they are done together and in constant communication with one another. From the actors, to the back stage hands to the stage manager, to the audience – everyone working together to be present at this live performance. And from my perspective, social media is certainly a live entity.   

As someone who is required to use her creative skills on a daily basis, I was particularly inspired by the way that they go about serving their client. Namely, creatively. The various ad campaigns that they highlighted for us were amazing. I was inspired just looking at them. Not so much from the ad itself, but more from the creative innovation behind the ad. Take for example the Women’s NCAA ad campaign implemented in Old Town.

When Wichita was selected to host a round of the Women’s NCAA tournament, the city knew that if they could generate some excitement around the event it might inspire the location selection team to choose Wichita for other tournaments, as in, the Men’s NCAA. SHS wisely found their target audience  by focusing on Old Town bars and eateries. They produced coasters that featured an augmented reality code allowing bar goers the fun of shooting hoops through a virtual basketball seen on their iphone when held over the coaster. While this might sound like a scene from Futurama, SHS has already been implanting campaigns like this all over the country. And this creative use of technology and media is why SHS is a force to be reckoned with.

Technology... the knack of so arranging the world that we don't have to experience it.  ~Max Frisch

In the December 2010 article entitled, 11 Public Relation Trends for 2011 , I was pleased to read about some of the “trends” to watch for in 2011. Two in particular. The first being the necessity of good storytelling. “Good content and storytelling is paramount to breaking through the clutter,” suggests Linda Welter Cohen. The second being that relationships with organizations are still paramount. “A public relationship is the end goal; communication is merely the means to an end,” writes Stephanie McFarland. This may be the only downside to the SHS machine. In our tour and panel discussion, all of the campaigns that were highlighted were all very shiny and new. Clever and convincing to be sure, but all required the latest gadget or gizmo to view it on as well as the fastest internet speed. None of this is necessarily bad. To the contrary, we know this is where technology is taking us. When I asked Tom Bertels if he thought companies that didn’t embrace social media and new technology would be able to survive, he simply answered, “no, not really.” I tend to agree with this assessment, especially considering all that we’ve learned this semester.  However, there is still a huge portion of the population that is not there yet. I wonder how this ad agency deals with those who don’t have an iphone or the latest ap. Sometimes, there just isn’t “an ap for that.” What then?

I suppose this leads to a larger question, perhaps one that has been forming the entire semester. Is there such a thing as “too new.” As in, so new and innovative that it alienates those it intends to target?

The jury is still out for me.  

Still…

Sullivan, Higdon & Sink, if you’re looking for a new talent that is a good storyteller with a dramatic flair, I’m you’re gal. You just have to let me form an employee improv troupe and produce a musical now and then. “We Hate Sheep – The Musical!”

Ok, maybe I’ll just stick to what I’m good at. If you promise to do the same.

The Un Television Television 

In January my 10 year old daughter began a journey of no television for one year. The reward? At the end of that time she will be able to get her ears pierced. This is the same offer that my father posed for me at the age of 13.  I either had to wait until I was 18 to get holes in my ears or go the year without television. At 13, 18 seems a lifetime away. I went the year.  

Since than my relationship with television has been a little sketchy. I honestly try and avoid it for the precise reason that television producers want me to watch it. It sucks me in and before I know it, I’ve been sitting there for two hours having accomplished nothing other than watching another rerun of Law and Order or the latest episode of Cupcake Wars. To me, this is essentially wasting two hours of my life. And so, to ask my daughter to go outside and play or read a book or do anything aside from following in the footsteps of mainstream Americans and metemorphisize into a couch potato seems like a pretty reasonable idea. 

 And yet, I have already noticed a problem with our arrangement. Whereas when I was 13 there was only television and VHS movies to contend with, my daughter has Wii, youtube, the internet and a her nintido DS that tempt her attention. In addition, we agreed on no television for a year but it seems the television and the way we view that paricular medium has morphed and changed into something that is distinctly not television but somehow still functions as such. 

So it was with a bit of trepedation that I found myself at the KWCH studios in Wichita to listen to the General Sales Manager of Sunflower Broadcasting, Brian McDonough as well as Shawn Hilferty, digital manager for the company. I mentally shook my head when McDonugh posed that “the newspaper business has been bad for the past 5 years,” which is a direct contradiction to what we heard at the Wichita Eagle the previous week. The past 5 years have made it necessary for ALL news media organizations to reevaluate and reinvegerate how they are offering their product to their consumers. And while I disagreed with the assesment that newspapers are going the way of the dinosaour, I did find a lot to agree with in McDonough and Hilferty’s presentation.

The Game is on for Wichita!

McDonough was adamant that the market for Wichita and the surrounding area is ripe for the picking. He shared with us a variety of the ways that KWCH is attempting to capitalize on that market. With Catch it Kansas, Fetchtoto.com, KSCW Crew and their presence on Facebook and Twitter, Sunflower Broadcasting seems to be jumping in with both feet. While the Wichita Eagle Panel talked at length about the importance of multiplie platforms, it seems that KWCH has taken that same philosophy a step further. Not only are they offering content on a variety of platforms, but they are offering a variety of content on those platforms. In addition, they are all connected to each other.

In a rare moment of family television time, our family of four sat down to watch Mash on the CW. Had I not been taking this course on new media and have just visited the KWCH station, I might not have noticed how plugged in their advertising was. Every commercial break had a least one advertisement for another Sunflower Broadcasting product. There was  a plug for Fetchtoto.com, there was one highlighting the CW crew and directing audiences to follow them on Facebook. One commercial encouraged viewers to go to the KWCH webpage and get linked in to all of the events going on in Wichita, which of course would expose them to the multiple platforms they offer. This kind of layered advertising is effective and economical. 

Sunflower Broadcasting is positioning itself to be a major contender in the Wichita market and they are doing it by offering a multitude of products to large audience. As Mayra Ocampo posted, while The Wichita Eagle’s model is to “follow the leader,”( the leader being the general public) Sunflower Broadcasting’s model seems to be “follow the gold.” That is, the Eagle has positioned itself to offer what the public asks for and KWCH has decided to offer what the public wants before they ask. Both models rely on the individual organization’s read on the public and both would seem to be working for each institution. However, there is a distinct and important difference. According to their individual established models, The Eagle will continue to serve the past and the present, while  KWCH is trying to harness the present and the future. By using their research models to better understand what consumers are currently viewing and utilizing, they make an educated guess as to what consumers will desire in the future.

A striking example of this is the new local Spanish channel that Sunflower Broadcasting will be debuting this spring. With the recent demographic information that was just released last week, it is obvious that the Spanish speaking population is exploding. Sunflower Broadcasting pinpointed this trend before the news was released and has already put in motion a project that could prove extremely profitable for them. Again, this is their network banking on yet another program that will draw in their viewer, whereas it would seem other news organizations might be content to wait until there is a specific need from this demographic.

This isn’t to suggest that one model is better than the other. Realistically, the Spanish channel could very well be a bust. But the philosophy behind the gamble is one that recognizes that to make big money, you might have to take a big risk.

Television vs. Print

As a theatre director, the major difference that jumped out at me immediately was the way that both organizations handled their content material. One of the things that I impress upon my own students is that theatre is a visual medium. The text is there for us to read certainly, but theatre is LIVE and it isn’t truly theatre unless we SEE it. In the same way, The Eagle is still working from the premise that news is text based while KWCH is working from the opposite direction, that news is a visually based. Herein lies a distinct advantage for the television model and is something to consider. Is new, new media text based or visually based? Certainly, we find elements of both. Even our blog posts are required to have a certain word count  (I’m currently at 1,122 incase you were wondering) but the thing that makes them interesting in their visual appeal. The blogs that I follow are all photo based, weaving stories and antecdotes inbetween. As McDonough noted, “video is king, but pictures are right behind.” Even a brief side by side look at the webpages of kansas.com and kwch.com shows a distinct difference. Certainly, there are those that prefer the Eagle’s stylings over KWCH’s web layout. However, I would contend that the direction media users are going is away from text, not towards it. Which for The Eagle, would mean a move away from text based towards visually based if they want to follow the public. 

Still, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention another distinct difference I find between the two news media organizations. I firmly believe that The Eagle is still operating under the notion that what they provide is a service – educating and informing the general public with news that is important to our world. KWCH is providing that same service, and largerly for the same reasons, but there is an additional motivating force for television, namely profit. To be clear, newspapers are watching their bottom line and no one is suggesting that they turn their organization into a not-for-profit, but a deeply held value in the newsroom is that news and information is essential for society to function and that they are providing that service. Television has taken that same idea and added the caveat of turning a profit. Again, one system isn’t better than the other, making a profit isn’t bad. Money can provide better programming and better coverage. But in this new, new media age, profit is the driving force and those who aren’t willing to aknowledge that position themselves in an extreme disadvantage.

The Future is Now.

Having been nose deep in Bethel College’s production of Picasso at the Lapin Agile, I am reminded of the line that Pablo Picasso gives towards the end of the play.

"I could dream it forever and still not do it,

but when the time comes for it to be done,

God, I want to be ready for it,

to be ready for the moment of convergence between the thing done and the doing of it,

between the thing to be made and its maker"

Coming into the Elliot School of Communication with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theater Performance has been an interesting experience. Sure, communication certainly happens on both the dramatic stage as well as the media stage and while I have been at times overwhelmed with the differences, the two share some pretty strong similarities. Storytelling is still king on the stage and in the news. Good journalism continues to be about good story telling and that I have some experience in.

What I don’t have experience in is a deep understanding of this supposed crisis that journalism is in. Ever since the internet reared its ugly head, according to some, the plight of the news journalism team has continued to be in decline. In June of last year, the FCC even held a series of workshops entitled, “How Will Journalism Survive the Internet Age?” I’m no expert, but considering the question, I would say that there’s a bit of a negative connotation to this conundrum. And so instead of recognizing the potential that the internet represents, we’re asked to consider the destructive nature of the World Wide Web to journalists. I’m not suggesting that there isn’t cause for alarm, my stack of readings for this blog certainly gave me cause for a bit of concern, but not this four alarm fire that seems to be the industry’s position.

 Perhaps a better question to ask would be, how can we utilize this new and ever changing tool to our advantage? In “Life Beyond Print: Newspaper Journalists’ Digital Appetite” the authors from Media Management Center take a look at the changing news room. More specifically the study looked at what American journalists are really yearning for. According to their report, the study indicates that “most journalists are eager to compete in a digital world and almost half say their newsroom’s transition from print to digital is moving too slowly.” Doesn’t really sound like surviving, more like thriving.  Or perhaps driving…

In “Six Competencies for the Next Generation News Organization,” Moser-Wellman and her team go a step further to offer suggestions on what current news rooms can do to harness the energy and capabilities of the ever expanding internet and digital media outlets. They identify six standard practices that could help any news room advance into the digital age by utilizing what they have, as well as expanding into areas and populations that are not currently being developed.

We got a first-hand look at how some of these strategies are being implemented when we met with The Wichita Eagle’s Editor Sherry Chisenhall who led a panel discussion that included Jason Schlitz their interactive sales manager and John Boogert their Deputy editor (emphasis in interactive media). The conversation revolved around what their news organization is doing to adapt to the “Internet Age.” And, it appears they are doing quite a lot.

Chisenhall and her team talked at length about the need for multiple platforms.  A quick perusal of the Eagle’s on-line web page shows off their commitment to strengthening that capability. Readers can engage the content through reading the on-line article, making use of the RSS feed, following on Twitter or reading a variety of blogs. Of course there is still the option of reading the paper on newsprint. Still, The Eagle has already positioned itself to be the leading supplier of news for the area, and they are already driving that market to their website. Chisenhall speculates that the Eagle reaches as many people digitally as it does with print. 

Further, John Boogert, head of the Eagle’s interactive team, asserts that the multiplatform Eagle must be dominant in all forms; print, digital and mobile. This recognition of the growing shift towards mobile media was spot on. According to the Moser-Wellman, "higher-end cell technology can deliver flexible, personal and on-demand media experiences” (7). This emphasis on mobile news on demand seems to be the trend and if The Eagle has not conquered it completely, they are aware of it and look to be closing in on this potential market.                      

The Eagle already has a core group of users and they now are in the position of targeting that following by engaging and communicating to them directly. The question was posed as to whether or not Eagle staff members who have blogs were discouraged from utilizing their identity and content as an Eagle reporter. Chisenhall quickly answered that they were encouraged to engage their audiences in these different formats. The various Eagle reporters are a brand in and of themselves and publicizing themselves is just another way to drive followers to the Eagle’s content.

By driving users to their website and other media, The Eagle is also able to get a more in-depth perspective on the level of engagement from their consumers. This is especially helpful information for their marketing department. According to Jason Schlitz, The Eagle’s interactive sales manager, digital revenue was up 54% from 2009. And they’re already ahead 42% from last year. This would indicate that they seem to be utilizing the new technology to their advantage which allows them to engage the right consumer.

Still, the strength of any news organization lies in its reporting and its continued ability to supply good story telling. The Six Competencies Article is adamant that in the digital age, this must be done differently and The Eagle is meeting that challenge. A prime example is Roy Wenzl’s series, “The Miracle of Father Kapaun.” This eight part series was not only an illustration of beautiful storytelling, but the interactive components garnered several awards for Wenzl and the Eagle, and attracted attention from media experts as well.  

According to Chisenhall, the last three to five years have offered a barometer of just how fast the news field is changing. News agencies are going to at best, continue to play catch up with new and advancing technologies. Those that don’t and have an open resistance to a digital strategy, aren’t going to be around. And while the six competencies are some great suggestions, for me the overall perspective offered by Chisenhall was the greatest indication of why the Eagle has continued to thrive in the new media age. The news business “is always going to be changing,” she said. There is “no destination.” “You always have to be willing to change your mind.” This is a wise philosophy and one that will serve them well as new platforms, strategies and technologies continue to revolutionize the news industry. 

Justin. Bieber. Even the mere utterance of his name can launch tween girls into a screaming fit while their parents can only tilt their collective heads in confusion. While this young starlet is a media phenomenon and has inspired a myriad of code names and pop lingo descriptions of his fans (Beliebers, Bieberholics, Biebettes), I will admit to being a tad perplexed when NPR chose to critique boy wonder’s recent move to the big screen with his popumentary, “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.” I listened to my radio (yes, radio) with much of the wonder that I’m sure many of the parent’s feel while watching their daughters scream and cry watching Bieber’s YouTube videos. Why in the world would NPR choose to cover this seemingly insignificant pop singer? And then David Edelstein quotes the movie, describing Bieber as, “the first social-network superstar.” The gist of the report? Justin Bieber is a self made, media superstar who has risen to a worldwide force through sheer Bieberness… and a little help from YouTube.

His story is that familiar made for America climb to greatness: young talent ushered in by chance. Only in this case usher was really Usher and chance was YouTube. This youngster began posting his own videos and kept posting as his audience grew until agents starting noticing and he was eventually signed by Usher. An “if you build it they will come” moment, “broadcast yourself” style. An NPR listener posted regarding the online article,  

Nancy Jennings (pfallsgirl) wrote:

For all of you who can't seem to fathom why NPR is reporting on Justin Bieber or this movie - you're missing the point. Justin Bieber is iconic at this moment in time, just as the Beatles were 50 years ago, or Michael Jackson was 30 years ago.

Justin Bieber is the first mega music star created solely on/from the internet. The Beatles had to do concerts and albums to obtain international fame; Michael Jackson had television and MTV videos; Justin will be remembered for being the first international music star who found fame solely on the basis of YouTube and other internet websites. 

Although he obtained this position without corporate sponsorship or music label dollars, this movie is designed to change all of that. There are people itching to make money off of this phenomenon, and it will be interesting to see how it all goes - another chapter in the "what is the purpose of the internet?" philosophical debate. 

THAT is why it's a story of interest to the NPR audience.

Saturday, February 12, 2011 01:34:21

A profound point and one that hits at some of the main ideas that were being suggested in the chapter on YouTube in New New Media by Paul Levinson. Levinson overviews such YouTube legends as Obama Girl (Levinson, 58 – 60) and “Food Fight” (69 – 70). Bieber used the updated word of mouth phenomenon, or “going viral”, with his own persona. And now, having harnessed the magic of YouTube, he has very wisely continued to permeate into the media market with constant tweeting and an online presence that is unshakable. An interview with his manager Scooter Braun, even suggests strategies for using this new, new media to your advantage. One of those being to let your audience create a sense of ownership. Could it be true that we would take the advice of a pop strategist whose client can’t even vote yet? Absolutely. Because his strategy is working.

That same strategy may have been what helped move Obama into the White House. Braun remarked in that on-line article that, “People feel more connected to Justin, and they deserve to, because they made him.” Obama’s early presence on YouTube (via Obama Girl and the CNN-YouTube Democratic Debates) in the 2008 Presidential elections continued into his presidency with his FDR-like “fireside chats.” In this instance however, Obama has utilized YouTube. “Like a president on radio, a president on YouTube is still conveying reassurance, but it is reassurance for people on the move, accustomed to being in the driver’s seat about when and how they receive their information, getting their news on screens on the go, including presidential addresses, whenever and wherever they want it,” (Levinson, 68). Ownership anyone?

And Obama’s Republican counterparts have jumped on the bandwagon. From a Politics Daily on-line article, Pew researcher Aaron Smith is quoted as saying, "Online social networks are no longer dominated by young adults, who were gung-ho for Obama in 2008. The social networking population has grown both larger and older in the last two years, and as a result you have a lot more GOP-supporting folks who are using these sites to get involved just as their young counterparts are. That's the major difference between the last two election cycles." Before the State of the Union address, Republicans and Tea Partiers were using YouTube to spin the president’s message before he had the chance to even post it on YouTube, much less deliver it on live television.

So where does this leave us? While politicians are quickly learning how to outmaneuver each other with clever YouTube videos, teen pop singers are causing millions of young girls to scream and cry. Levinson makes two very important points that are worth expounding on. Anybody can “make” anyone and they can do it for free. That is, YouTube is a non-excluding entity. Anyone with a video camera can post themselves onto the net, and furthermore, they can do so for free. This means that the talent and the talent-less are on equal footing so long as the video is clever and you’ve got enough friends to watch it to at least get you started (allowing it to rack up internet hits). My 10 year old daughter is currently obsessed with “Fred”, a helium voiced preteen whose humoris apparently right at her 10 year old level. “Fred” doesn’t appear to have a super slick writing team that is being paid millions of dollars to franchise this geeky pre-teen. “Fred” has figured out that YouTube recipe that Justin Bieber and Barack Obama have already been banking on. Connect with your audience and give them what they want. Apparently, “Fred’s” audience is 10 year olds. Not a bad marketing plan.

Marketing brands and products on YouTube also means free advertising for billion dollar companies that can afford to pay for commercials. However, their fans often prefer to find them on YouTube, reiterating that ownership motif that Bieber has continued to illustrate. My 5 year old’s current favorites are Grocery Store Wars and Celebrity Lullabies with Ricky Gervais. Both have not only caught his attention, but that of his cash carrying mother as well. Any of the mythic Super Bowl million dollar commercials can be found on YouTube, many of them before they even aired on the television network (such as the adorable Volkswagen Commercial: The Force). Now that the audience has the brand, products, next super star and politician at their finger tips, the world seems to be heading in the direction of the all powerful consumer.

But are we ready for that? Levinson ends his chapter on YouTube with a simple, but powerful image of one of his students who was, at the time of the book’s printing, a Russian citizen. “Unlike television in her country,” Levinson tells us, “YouTube is not controlled by her government” (82). Even the YouTube website itself encourages you to, “Join the largest worldwide video sharing community.” What does that mean for the all powerful consumer? If we are enabled to have free, instant access and ownership over our world, does that make us responsible for that world? As Dave Pell quips in his article of the same title, “Are We Ready to Watch Over the World?” That kind of ownership scares me a little bit. And I hope that it at least gives pause to the media savvy. If we have access to a media outlet that is not run by governments but instead posts “the truth” as suggested by Levinson’s Russian student, what are we to be held accountable for?

Type the word, Egypt, into the YouTube search engine and you are sure to get uplifting Egyptian Democratic Revolution coverage. That is the “truth” that is currently accessible. But what if the outcome had not been as such? What if the “truth” showed us the opposite picture, as can be seen when you type in the search, Sudan, or Nigeria. Since it is the consumer who posits YouTube posts to “go viral,” then in a sense it could be we that are responsible for a crisis being swept under the social media rug.

Ownership can be a strong motivator, but failure to adequately take care of what you own can lead to a world that I would prefer not think about. As businesses, politicians and superstars continue to utilize YouTube and social media to connect with their audiences, it is important for audiences to remember who has the power in the first place. Most importantly, we cannot ignore the responsibilities and the ramifications of what that power means. Belieb that.

Recently, we allowed our ten year old daughter to get an e-mail address. She had been requesting one ever since our friends moved to Colombia for a three year stint with Mennonite Central Committee. We had resisted for over a year due in large part to the fact that once her presence was on-line, her presence would be on-line.

In this new world of information technology, where access to the world is at your fingertips, the idea of a ten year old child being exposed to that world is intimidating. At the same time, she has already been exposed to the onslaught of media technology. She uses it at school, she plays on-line games at home (under parent supervision), she uses my phone to text her friends. By the time she’s in high school she will have had more interaction with media technology than I will. And she’ll keep going.

The explosion of access to media and the content available to consumers is growing at such a fast pace that it is almost impossible for me to understand or predict what the future of media technology will be. Whether that is the “new media” that I am just beginning to get a handle on or the “new new media” as described by Paul Levinson, the world and it’s way of communication are quickly morphing into something that is difficult for me to recognize. I look at the current media explosion in three different capacities. As a teacher, as a theatre artist and as a mother. And, as is common for all ideas of worth, all three personas see the benefit and the ills of the direction that media consumerism is going.

As a teacher I am fascinated by the amount of information that is currently at the fingertips of myself and my students. As one who grew up with the familiarity of the Dewey Decimal system, the fact that I can “Google” my query and come up with legitimate results is an amazing thing. My own research has benefited from the World Wide Web and continues to do so. Suddenly, articles and information that I would have had to search for for hours are instantly available. In addition, there is simply more information to find. Working in the field of education, this idea of readily accessible information on nearly any topic that one can imagine is simply wonderful.

And yet, from my perspective, the accessibility of all of that information has taken a toll on the students I work with. Because Google has become a verb, something that you do, students seem to come into the college classroom incapable of in-depth research. Indeed, the concept of research is something that is seemingly new to some. If you can’t Google the word and find what you are looking for instantly, then obviously it isn’t there to find! Critical thinking skills are taking a hit because instant gratification, even in research skills, is permeating throughout all media outlets. It is becoming the expectation, not exception.

I also worry, as a teacher, about the amount of information that is being manufactured. With the population increasingly getting their news and information from on-line sources, the media is being pressured to produce news in real time. While this is an important and useful service for the public, I do worry that getting the news out first might eventually usurp the all important step of getting the news out right. Case in point: In the recent Arizona tragedy in which Representative Gabrielle Giffords was shot, during the media frenzy that marked the world hearing of the event, The New York Times mistakenly reported that Gifford’s had been killed. A recent article in the New York Times itself documented how the mistake had been made. The article even discussed the fall out of the commentators blaming Republican rhetoric for the violent outbreak. Without having all of the facts the media entities swooped down on the idea of blaming the deep political divides and discussed it long enough for everyone else to jump on board. With so much information available, who is responsible for ensuring that the information is based in fact?

As a theatre director, I am also fascinated with the influence of media on modern audiences. It is a well used adage that theatre is the mirror of humanity. The plays and stories that we see on stage are largely a reflection of the people in the audience watching them. Many scholars have made the argument that the texts depict the audience and society of the time when the plays were written. What do current plays say about today’s audiences and what will they say about tomorrow’s? I enjoy and support the idea of shared information, where the consumer becomes the creator and the creator becomes merely the starting point. Audiences who have that amount of ownership are much more engaged and connected to the successful outcome. This is a good thing. The idea of shared ideas, shared productivity, and a general knowledge utopia is an extraordinary thought.

Yet at the same time I worry about the loss of the person to person exchange that is so vital to theater’s very existence. You can’t have a play without a live audience. And I can’t imagine a scenario where a live audience means one that is connected by a smart phone. The ability to post thoughts on a blog and have people respond to your ideas as you reciprocate and respond to theirs is an elegant notion, but what of the person to person exchange over a cup of coffee or mug of beer? There is something to be said for being in the now and in the present AND in the physical company of those you are exchanging “blog posts” with.

I’ve been swimming with these ideas in my head for a week now, reading required texts for our media class and sitting with my own thoughts about new, new media. I have listened to the continuing saga of the Wikileaks story in which information was held hostage, I have watched updates about the Arizona shootings and observed the original notions of Republican rhetoric and blood libel be gently ushered to the side, and I have followed the health care debate on the floor of the senate as the nation prepares to be addressed by its elected leader. And I have done all this using the wireless internet in my home to check several different websites, Googling for the latest updates, while listening to downloaded podcasts to my iPod, and following tweets on my smart phone.

 I have many, many reservations about the direction that media is going. Realistically I know that it is simply the speed in which the new technology is taking place, a speed in which I am only beginning to feel comfortable with. But I am also a beneficiary of the new new media. I cannot live without my Smartphone and I am indebted to facebook friends who post and comment on news stories that inspire and challenge me. I grow impatient when news and information that affects me directly is not readily available and I admit to texting as opposed to calling, because it’s simpler. I am a product of the media outlets that serve me and I am thoroughly enjoying swimming in the benefits. Admittedly, most of my reservations lie in my inability to trust that other media consumers will have the wherewithal to sift through the information jungle. Which I acknowledge brings me a lot closer to hypocritical than I would like.

I look forward to further exploration of media technology. It is my hope that I can come away with a better understanding of how audiences are mirroring the world around them. New new media is an essential part of our new new world and those who can understand that stand the best chance of using it for good.  Perhaps I’ll feel more comfortable with my place in the midst of all of it, perhaps not. In any event, while I am contemplating my media identity, my daughter was thrilled to receive an e-mail from a friend in a different part of the world. And for that I am grateful.