Video produced by Time To Get Social

It’s funny how technological and new media advances are exponential, audience acceptance of the same a bit less so, and the embrace of it all on the part of media professionals at a dark ages pace. We all see it coming, the warning signs have turned tangible in Web 2.0 and yet, movement on the new media / supplier side always seems to be the tardy party. It takes a loud, credible voice and not the bravery of the innocents to call us out and point out that the media Emperors are naked. Yesterday at NATPE, Michael Eisner, stepped up, called it like it most assuredly is, and told us how old media is not only indecently exposed, but on “a death march”.

Eisner tells us that made-for-the-web content is the now and the future.  Unveiling his latest web series, “The Booth“, the former Disney boss, described how the modern audience and the new finance and distribution realities mean that premiere digital content will be the way producers and audience go forward.  At its core, Eisner is telling us what we all already know, but that the financial and distribution sectors are still too afraid to accept. The audience is in charge.

All content and distribution must be crafted on their terms. Those terms demand that we give them content that is personal, relevant, authentic, and is available to them on ALL platforms (format customized for each platform and experience) on demand in the 360 Transmedia Universe where the modern audience lives. As Eisner pointed out, for millions, the web, mobile and other platforms are where they consume content. As we have said here many times before, Eisner echoed that, in a single generation, the TV- bound, passive, “lean back” audience will be a thing of the past.

He’s not just talking about how it will turn out, rather, judging from his content offerings, he shows that he knows what the audience will want—content that is consumable in one big meal, small cumulative snacks, or anything in between. And in a hint to the future, even beyond the platform agnostic universe that is just around the corner, he boldly reduces broadcast television to a second run repository (I don’t completely agree—”events” will still engender mass, quasi-communal consumption). So, reruns of our digital shows might just be the savior for the 10pm slot? Damn, Michael, you could have saved NBC a bit of angst had you spoken up sooner!

The big scary paradigm shift in technology, entertainment and advertising (don’t worry everything else is converging too) is akin to the implosion of the music industry. We spent years building up obstacles between the music and the fans and trying to ignore the fact that they were always in control. When the dust finally settles this time around, we’ll all be able to see clearly that, in the crowded world of content, we need to provide as clear a path as possible between your music and your fans. Great content is like music; it might be brilliant but without anyone around to hear it, nobody will ever get to experience the greatness. Episode 5 explains the Joe Digital special formula we like to follow:

High Quality Content + Strategic Distribution = Loyal Participants

Next week, in Episode 6, we’ll take a look at why it’s so important to craft an honest story when starting  the conversation with your audience.

Episode 5 features: Zach Jordan

The Digital Decision Series

The rules of engagement have changed and so have the ways we communicate with each other in business and entertainment. The Digital Decision Series is a weekly video blog featuring leading experts and an in depth look at the massive paradigm shift happening across every media channel today. Our goal is to harness the collective power and wisdom of a myriad of disciplines through interviews with working professionals, in a variety of media related industries, in an effort to find some answers and gain a better understanding about exactly what these new communication tools mean for business, entertainment, branding, and marketing.

We’ll cover content, metrics, social media, gaming, technology and multi-platform distribution and how the new 360 or Transmedia storytelling maxims are applicable to every business sector looking to reach out and engage people with a compelling, relevant and entertaining message. Our thought leaders come from a variety of backgrounds: from marketing to music, television to gaming. Collectively, they will unfold the story of the great media paradigm shift and suggest ways in which we can all approach communication in business, education, and entertainment more effectively in the digital space and beyond. In the end, we hope this series sheds some light on the amazing opportunities presented and offers some solutions that have a positive impact on your engagement in the digital landscape.  Episode 2 takes a closer look at why it’s so crucial to customize every approach to messaging and story and using the best digital tools for the job.

Episode 1 Features:

Suzanne Diamond, Tim Mosher, Jason Feinberg, and Zach Jordan

The brand police are knocking at the door.  You can run but you can’t hide!

In today’s Ad Age, Jack Neff writes about Good Guide, a consumer brand rating site that has already put their scale of 1-10 on over 75,000 products.  While consumer watchdogs have been around a long, long time, this more recent entry highlights a rising note that we have mentioned in prior posts—in the digital age of massive choice, one of the biggest consumer demands will be authenticity.  GoodGuide highlights the fact that the engaged consumer will not tolerate the brand that mouths claims that are not demonstrably accurate.

Utilizing their academic backgrounds, UC Berkeley professor, Dara O’Rourke,  and his colleagues use the power of various databases, consumer input and the want / need for a reinvigorated policing source, Good Guide seems to have most of the modern marketing maxims in play.   They are delivering objective information on the authenticity of consumer brands—proving their own authenticity (the lack of ads helps).  They are creating a genuine partnership between their site, the brands, and the consumer by both utilizing consumer input and informing brands, very transparently, about how they can improve their scores and, thus, their standing with the public.  They are also delivering all of this in the mandatory personal way.  Within brand conglomerates, divisions can work on their own ratings.  For the consumer, O’Rourke says they will soon allow users to create their own personalized scales based upon how each of them weigh the various indicia of “good”.

It all seems to be working.  Awareness of the site is rising. Brands are actively engaging.  Aileen Zerrudo, the Director of Communications for Clorox notes that they are genuinely listening to what the consumer is saying via GoodGuide.  Moreover, the company claims that click to conversion rates from the site to Amazon.com are 5-10 times higher than most retailers’ traditional returns.   A well-known brand actually wanting to listen, improve and increase market share?  I’m betting that the smart brand begins to actively seek out these kinds of relationships.

So how does a brand fare well with GoodGuide and, presumably, turn the maybe consumer into a loyal participant?  According to GoodGuide: (1) Change Ingredients to meet the desire for natural; (2) Quality Management (avoid recall disasters); (3) Internal Policies matter (fair labor, CSR, etc.); (4) Green and Responsible (a clean record and sustainable production); and (5) Be Transparent (if you hide data, we will find it).

So let’s say a brand follows the rules and carries the day with a “10″.  Now they just need to pat themselves on the back and incorporate how they got there into every aspect of their marketing.  By following the same rules in their marketing (being authentic, delivering personal value, being transparent, and actually caring enough to engage), brands will ride the wave instead of ending up in the trough.  Tout your score (in the right manner of course—sorry nitpickers) and score big with the public.  In the end, quality and authenticity need to become key elements of a brand’s story.  Deliver that story to the audience on their terms and you end up with quality, loyal, and passionate participants.

You can produce a strip, prime time chat show, even with a high cost talent like Leno, for a fraction of the investment required for an hour drama or half hour sitcom. Period.  On the “Zucker is wise” front, you have lower cost, less risk of audience rejection of 95% of your original offerings (if they like Leno, they will just keep coming back and NBC can pre-book that), and you get to plant your flag in the “new”  10pm slot with a tried and true brand while others must follow.  If broadcast does become the repository for reality and event TV, NBC might reap the rewards of being first to embrace.

On the other side, you give up the major windfall that the occasional hit narrative delivers here and abroad for years and years to come in syndication. NO one will argue that chat is evergreen (though original reality formats may be).  I’m having a hard time trying to figure out how the move toward inexpensive programming will balance out against the loss of the annuity of a “Friends” or “Seinfeld”.  Part of the answer may be a top to bottom embrace of the need for reinvention of the overall approach to broadcast, cable, and digital and who becomes who in the content zoo.  I’m betting on NBC.

If the Leno project works, NBC owns 10pm and has the luxury of exporting the model and success to 8-10 pm.  NBC reinvents broadcast prime time.  Where do the dramas and quality narrative go?  NBC’s cable unit.  Their cable outlets have been their success story for years and, under Jeff Gaspin, have become quality content profit centers.  There is no reason why FX should own the quality ribbon. Of course, that move will necessitate lower production budgets and the current scripted programming sources will go kicking and screaming.  As Zucker mentioned however, lower cost doesn’t have to mean lower quality.  Examples of budget and content bravery abound.  Lower budgets, lower risk, even bigger windfalls when they find a hit—and the ability to genuinely brand their cable channels.

And what about digital?  NBC is banking on Hulu.  Fine for now.  But if they genuinely want to be the Mother of Reinvention, they must actively pursue a custom strategy for serving the digital landscape.  Yes, they will offer their shows on line.  Fine.  But for a growing and evolving digital generation it won’t be enough to shoehorn “TV” into the content offerings.  The audience will increasingly demand customized, personal, quality content that is crafted for who they are, where they consume, how they consume and what they wish to consume.  They won’t be sold, won’t be washed over with message, and won’t engage unless you invite them in.  No one has the answers yet. But if NBC wants to genuinely lead the way and reap the rewards of audience loyalty, THIS is where the tough work needs to be done.  What does the online user between 7 and 11pm want?  Has anyone really bothered to find out?  That answer will be the linchpin to success.

NBC will figure out the new world of  broadcast, it will build on its cable success and we’ll see if it can address digital.   If they bother with all three prongs, they will clean everyone’s clock by being the content source that creates the 360 degree, on demand, content and distribution plan that is the future.

Everyone knows their TV and Internet are on a crash course with each other and when these worlds collide, the way we experience entertainment will never be the same. It won’t be too much longer before we’ll all be checking our Facebook, and other time sucking web accounts, for photos and video messages from our friends, while simultaneously watching our favorite TV shows and VOD movies. These viewing experiences will also continue on our mobile devices, out of home networks and into live events.

We increasingly demand a 360 storytelling experience that breathes life into these new, integrated platforms by allowing us the opportunity to participate in our favorite TV shows, online games and other digital content. While technology will continue to be a key component of this new entertainment experience, applications are useless without the spine and structure of a great story, characters and a relevant and entertaining message.

The 360 storytelling sphere of possibilities is merely shallow hush unless each and every digital venue delivers platform specific, customized content that tells a story that reaches, entertains and retains audience loyalty. Future success depends upon STORY STRUCTURE, KNOWING YOUR AUDIENCE and STRATEGIC DISTRIBUTION.

PART I: STORY STRUCTURE

We can agree there is already a morass of content that is difficult to manage. Tomorrow will be even more of a challenge as more content, and on more platforms, comes into the fold. Whether we’re talking about brand ideas or entertainment properties, it’s crucial to structure stories that cater to audiences wherever they choose to experience your story.

This is especially true if we consider that, in the 360 story environment, the point where the viewer enters and exits your story is constantly in flux and is left entirely in the viewers’ control. However, if you structure an engaging story with the 360 environment in mind, you can provide a more entertaining experience that (1) stands out in the growing sea of content and (2) creates deeper levels of engagement. Before you begin to think about the technological applications and distribution options, here are a few key questions to ask yourself:

1. What is my story?
2. Who is my audience?
3. Why will my audience care?
4. How can I build emotional connections between my characters and my audience?

Knowing your story is only half the battle. Knowing your audience and the ways they want to receive your story is of equal importance. Tune in tomorrow for PART II: KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE.

photo: OhGizmo!

1.  Craft an informative, relevant and entertaining brand story

All the technologies, websites and social networking tools are useless unless there is a compelling message.  Everyone has access to these tools, but it’s the understanding of these tools as they relate to your brand story that really make them valuable.  It’s also very important to know your audience and their threshold for total running time.  You can often get people to pay better attention and watch more of your content if you break it into smaller bite size chunks.  This will also help people distribute your content more readily if they like it.

2.  Know your audience and what brand messaging they respond to

There’s a growing sea of content and audiences continue to fragment.  While it may take some time and some leg work, you can now find out where your audience is viewing related content on different video platforms and social networking hubs.  Locate the passion centers that are relevant to your messaging and connect with these audiences by using familiar language and terminology.  Get to your audience at their time of need and you will have loyal participants for life.  Forget the ways of spam!  Now it’s about being personal and specific.  Find the relevant groups on Facebook, Vimeo, YouTube and Flickr and reach out to these people.  Engage them.  If it’s great content, they’ll thank you for it.

3.  Shoot in HD

TVs are already shipping with Ethernet ports and the days of Internet TV are upon us.  While it may be somewhat more efficient to shoot on standard DV for web use only, the name of the game today is future proofing your brand story and messaging.  Once your high quality content is in the digital ether, it will be there for years to come.  If you are shooting efficiently, there will be footage you may not utilize right away and can monetize through other channels and platforms.  Additionally, your footage you shoot for online use may eventually appear on a 42″ OLED in somebody’s living room.  The way to stand out, is to make sure you have a high quality story that is shot on HD so that you can maximize your budget and your brand’s reach.

4.  Utilize interactive storytelling techniques

TV audiences are considered “lean back” as they don’t invite participation (unless it’s high quality and emotionally charged content!).  The new “lean forward” audience DEMANDS to be engaged.  Now that you have an interesting story, what elements are you going to include that will allow your audience to interact with your messaging and play along?  Make a list of all the relevant social networking tools that can be used to enhance and amplify your brand messaging.  This may come in the form of a widget, Facebook application, or iPhone application.

5.  Craft a relevant distribution strategy

The Joe Digital equation: High Quality Content + Strategic Distribution = Loyal Participants was born out of the idea that all great content can and will resonate with audiences only if it’s brought to them at their time of need and on the appropriate platform.  You might think that making a video and putting up on YouTube is a distribution strategy, but think again.  By the year 2013, we will be drowning in video content.  Know your audience and research where they are interacting with your messaging and video content.  In some cases you can put your video up on the larger sites like YouTube, but you will have to do an incredible amount of marketing to drive the eyeballs to your video if your audience only plays on MSN or Yahoo.  In this new digital playing field, it’s not about volume, it’s about loyalty.  Find out where your audience lives, get to them at their time of need with something interesting, authentic and relevant and they’re yours forever.

Photo Credit: Rick M

One of the key components of our company’s branding mantra is the need for personal engagement through authentic messaging.  Our formula always stresses (1) specific and personal = loyal and (2) keep it real.  In other words, no brand is going to earn consumer attention and loyalty without delivering something of real value (content) that can get past what we like to call the extremely sensitive BS meter that exists in today’s marketplace.  In a recent post, Diane Verde Nieto (CEO of Clownfish, London) takes this point to an even more granular level that we should all take to heart.  It’s not just about “getting past” the BS meter.  It’s about doing so because your brand genuinely lives and breathes your brand message.  Diane points out that corporate social responsibility (“CSR”) efforts, in which brands incorporate their corporate causes into brand messaging, are a key route to building a loyal relationship with the target audience.

So, so true.  A great CSR effort can make a major difference in the eyes of the audience and the returned favor of loyalty.  But like all things, it has to be done correctly, which as the author points out, mean honestly.  In this market where the consumer wants and demand it all on their terms, honesty is paramount.  All brand content has to be authentic.  CSR driven content must be even more.

I was recently discussing with some colleagues the need for brands to do what Diane suggests, walk the walk at the core of their business.  That means, don’t just take on a cause and promote your “stuff” with it via window dressing.  Rather, prove to your audience that you are for real by making your CSR effort internal and sincere and not just for the public’s eyes only.  This means that from the ground up in the company, the CSR must be a 24/7 subtext of the business.  Employees, management, hell, even outside vendors have to live it.  Be this genuine and your content effort will do a lot more than get past the BS meter.  You will be believed, trusted—and remembered.

If good brand storytelling is about hitting emotional touchstones, I can’t think of a more emotional campaign than matching up brand CSR and the things that your target audience genuinely cares about.  Per the post, women do need soap—but they choose Dove because the brand (via their self-esteem, female oriented content efforts) literally cares about all of the other things that women care about in their daily lives.  Dove passes the sniff test because, in fact, they care….inside and out.

The opposite.  Look at some of the failures where brands have disingenously jumped on the healthy or green wagons.  When a brand’s message is no more than profit driven “fashion”, they can smell the rat. We won’t be fooled or green washed.

There are lots of “green” organizations for example.  But which of them deserve and earn our trust?  The ones you can believe because they have proven credibility.  Case in point?  We recently did a video celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Friends of the Earth.  It was a labor of love and we know the content is going to help this Godfather of environmental activism because they are, demonstrably, the unrelenting, uncompromising organization that was there before anyone would listen and is still in the thick of battle now that we know we’re killing the planet.  Our company (hence my vendor argument) lives this way.  It was a creative and passionate marriage that we hope continues for a long time.

It’s tough out there.  In a prior post we talked about the new “Simplifiers” who don’t want to be sold “stuff”, but rather, offered personal, important experiences.  So how does a brand differentiate itself and earn the attention it needs to prosper?  Don’t “sell”.  Present something people need / want  and place it organically in the context of the bigger picture.  Connect with the things in our every day lives that matter.  Do so honestly and with integrity.  It’s human nature.  Common cause, common experience equals community.  I don’t want to emotionally connect with soap, but I might with the soap community that cares.

As a guy who still likes to touch paper, I fear she is correct.  The more I think about it, however, the more I am starting to realize that my fears are unwarranted.  The key fear that I share, apparently, with many others is that we will be reduced to taking our news from the uninitiated, ill-informed, biased sources that are the Mongol hordes besieging the traditional news media.  This is, in reality, unlikely to happen as it ignores all human experience, human taste and behavior and the lessons we have already learned from other periodic assaults on the media status quo.

Yes, there is a LOT of drivel out there.  That said, has the print and broadcast news world been devoid of its respective share of the same?  I have two thoughts.  First, people vote with their eyeballs and ears.  Second, we forget that there is market segmentation when it comes to content demand.  As the digital world evolves, why would those fundamentals of human behavior change?  The platform is really going to alter who we are, what we want, and when we want it in such a drastic way?  Really?

My first point goes to the quality fear.  Why do we assume that quality won’t rise to the top?  Why do we assume that the experienced professionals we hold dear won’t adapt, move on to other platforms and figure out a way to evolve their business?  The entire content space, right now, is a bit of a wheat field and, of course, we are still trying to figure out a new system of sifting the wheat from the chaff.  But that does not mean that we are eons away from new models that allow intelligent choice and the development of a pecking order when it comes to digital media sources.  There is a Murrow out there–and I am betting more than just one.

Secondly, it is not like the public has en masse, always turned their attention to the in depth, detailed reporting that most say they will miss. The market has always been segmented into the New York Times Crowd, the USA Today Crowd, The Star crowd and all of the nuanced mini markets in between.  There is no doubt that the dust will settle and the audience will self-select similar segments to which they will throw their support.  For those who want “journalism”, there will be journalists and quality content.  For those who like the brightly colored pictures and care little about fact checking and objectivity,  there will be plenty to go around.

When a guy like me (a paper toucher) finds himself checking news online, on my phone, etc. then you know times are a changin’.  As in all things, I think the news delivery / quality issue will find a new equilibrium.  Everyone will get what they want—only now there will be no more waiting for the paper to be tossed under the lawn sprinkler on Sunday morning.  I think we will all be ok with that.