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As 2007 winds down and we all look forward to 2008 with wonder and anticipation, I'd like to wish you a very happy new year. I sincerely hope that the new year brings health, happiness and prosperity to you and your family.
2008 promises to be a year of growth for RemainComm. I hope you will be part of it. Thanks for reading and as you look for ways to improve your communication remember... remain calm.
Today you’ll find both radio (see why I talk radio each Thursday here.) and a new mobile application to go with it. A new media blogger’s double-play, sweet!
Back in early November Jumptech launched its beta version of Nabbit. This mobile application allows you to "tag" songs and commercials while listening to your favorite radio stations. I’m all about finding ways to build on the relationship between radio stations and their listeners so I was anxious to get up and running with this, especially since Jumptech is a company located right here in the Twin Cities. Hey, let’s here it for the home team. (Wow, two baseball references in one post.)
So, I head to the Nabbit website and sign up. Please keep in mind, though I do have pretty good knowledge of computers and cell phones I would not consider myself much better at installing software than the average user. Anyway, now that I’m registered, I go to set up my cell phone. Nabbit works with many of the new web-enabled “smart” phones. They have a list of models that the application has been configured to work with that provides an easy install…at least that would be the impression you would get. Of course, just my luck, my Treo 650 is not “easily” supported. Here is where the first "needs an easy button.” warning goes off. That’s cool though, remember, this is a “beta” version so the Jumptech guys are still shaking it out. After some surfing, downloading, installing and a few more e-mails to Nabbit, I’m up and running. This has become a 2 day experience. “Easy button.”
Continue reading "It’s Thursday, Must Be Radio: My week with Nabbit" »
I guess I was so obsessed with writing my blog post yesterday, I missed the 10th birthday celebration of ‘blogging”. I didn’t even remember to get a card…or go to the party. (Was there cake?)
No worries, there are plenty of posts about the big day like this one from Ars Technica and this one from one of those credited with giving birth to blogging, Dave Winer.
Now what to get blogging for its birthday…
More participants? (Hard to top, according to Technorati, 112 million.)
More readers? That’s a gift that could keep on giving (See the next gift idea.)
More ways to make money on blogging? (See the previous gift idea.)
Fewer blogs about just tech? (My geek meter is pegging.)
More blogs about how tech can impact Joe Six-pack? (Oh, oh, I have an idea…*)
Wow what do you get the blog that has everything?
*Shameless tease.
As part of a project that I’m working on, I’ve been spending
a bit of time in the world of mobile and cell phones. While clicking around the
ether I became curious about what was going to be the next big thing. That
actually led me to start wondering, if there is a “next big thing” what will it
mean for past big things, specifically SMS, or as you and I know it, text
messaging.
I’ve always been a fan of Steve Smith at Mobile Insider so,
what the heck, I’ll pose the question to him. That question, "What's next for SMS?" More specifically, will it remain just a way to talk without using voice or
paper and a way to vote for your favorite Dancing With the Stars
couple or will it become more or…for that matter…less?
Steve’s response was quite simple, “I don’t think that text is going anywhere. Until the carriers get MMS
cross-carrier compatible and alter user habits, they have nothing that is so
compatible, easy, familiar and ubiquitous for users.” This is point that I have
addressed in the past. The massive need for The Easy Button as it pertains to
using a new tool is paramount.
Steve goes on to say that familiarity and ease is also important. “A lot of people, especially younger ones, prefer the curt, uncomplicated mode of communication of the SMS environment.” He continues, “One thing we didn’t anticipate when it comes to digital communications is how much less is more for a lot of people.” In the last week, in playing with a new mobile application and juggling the bowling balls involved in accessing it, I thought, “Texting this would be so much easier.” It’s like my fondness for chocolate; for me, even with all the fancy candy out there, nothing beats a bag of M&M’s. I know them, I can get them anywhere, and their cheap...easy.
Of course, I’m
always looking for the monetization of our communication and Steve commented, “I
think SMS will remain the main revenue driver for the (mobile) carriers when it
comes to data and a primary trigger for initiating off-deck relationships with
users. It isn’t going anywhere because people like it, know it and have no viable
alternative on the horizon. Everything else is R&D and nice technologies to
wait-and-see with, but nothing even remotely challenges SMS.”
So with that said,
here’s the challenge; how do we push the capabilities of mobile farther without
making it too complicated. What is the next need for mobile users ("almond M&M's") and more
importantly, how can we satisfy it simply? Then, who will pay for it? This
platform offers so much let’s not waste it…at the same time, let’s not abuse
it. The users deserve and will demand it.
I woke to my family’s usual Sunday Morning routine. Being
the first to rise, I watch as the family staggers from their bedrooms with
sleep in their eyes. My son heads downstairs to work on his Guitar Hero chops,
my daughter climbs into our bed to watch the latest on the all important Disney
Channel, and my wife and I grab our coffee and settle in to watch CBS News
Sunday Morning.
While not as good as it was when Charles Kuralt hosted, and
despite too many reruns from the archives, as well as Charles Osgood’s annoying
obsession with rhyming and insistence on referring to the year as
“twenty-oh-seven,” CBS still manages to present some great “articles” during
it’s Sunday morning magazine show.
This morning’s piece, ”Less Talk And A Little More Conversation”, was right up the RemainComm alley. As the use of other forms of communication proliferates, the ability for people to converse is becoming more of a problem. Though the piece quickly became too film oriented, the underlying importance of the give and take of conversation, as well as the importance of listening remained front and center.
An aside; the topic of blogging came up briefly in comments
from writer Delia Ephron. She noted, "So, if you are blogging…you're
e-mailing - you aren't listening, right? You don't have to listen. It's really
just what's in your own head." Hold up there Ms. Ephron, blogging is more akin to writing than it is to conversation. Are we
comparing apples to apples here? If you’re blogging you are not e-mailing. Ephron
goes on to say, "I mean, conversation is about feelings and emotion,
that's what it should really be about. If we're not seeing it, that's the
loss." With this, I agree, though make no mistake blogging is also about sharing feelings
and emotion, conversation goes farther and includes seeing and hearing those feelings and emotions.
Now that I've got you all a twitter...(Those of you who landed here while searching for literal "pole" dancing...check your spelling and move along.)I've launched a polling application on the site. So...care to "dance?"
I think the first poll, that will be here for a week, is a great starting point. It only makes sense to see how you prefer to communicate. If you don't communicate (and that's not one of the answers) please start.
In the coming weeks I'll ask for your thoughts on all sorts of things from communication to media, to the latest on Britney...(Hey, she hasn't done anything whacky lately...hope she's okay.)
Feel free to wake the kids, alert the media, tell your friends! You can even copy the poll. I'd love your input!
This is Thursday, a day that holds a special place in
any radio guy’s heart. You see, this is the day that the Arbitron ratings diaries
kicked in. For those people that have committed to keeping a diary (and earning
a dollar doing it), this is the day the survey week begins. This day and its
importance to radio and the way it’s programmed have always been debated. But
most still consider this a very important day when it comes to ratings. For
that reason, I will spend my Thursdays posting about radio. (Sorry, no money
involved.)
Today I had the chance to enjoy lunch with one of radio’s most
respected programmers. Harve Alan whose career has included many high profile programming
positions in multiple markets, as well as VP positions for many successful
companies, is highly regarded not only by me but the industry as a whole. ( I
have even more regard for him because he picked up the tab!)
Harve recently parted company with Next Media after a brief
stint as the VP of Programming. He is now officially hanging out the shingle as
a Broadcast Consultant. I’ve always enjoyed talking with Harve and he has never
been at a loss for opinions. You can check out his blog at Harve Alan Media
when you get a chance.
We talked about everything from HD to the overall health of
radio as we know it. We both agreed that 2008 promises to be an interesting
year.
Harve’s challenge to radio? Develop great entertaining content!
I know, we’ve heard it before. However, as of late “great entertaining content”
has translated into, “Shut up and play the music.” That’s a recipe for
disaster. Harve’s thought, and I’m paraphrasing, “Three will always be a place
for the “lite” music stations of the world (those that play “lite rock and less
talk”) because that’s what the “older” audience is looking for. For the younger
audience, they want great personality.” That doesn’t mean more talk. That means
personality even on music stations. I would agree. Those in radio that think
that we will be able to compete for the ears of those under 50 with nothing but
music will witness steadily falling numbers and dollars.
Another part of our discussion centered on hyper-targeting ourselves
to death. Look, radio has formats targeted to specific demographics. That’s
what needs to be done because you can’t please everyone. At the same time, part
of your branding can’t result in excluding other secondary audiences. Harve and I talked about a station we both are familiar with that is so exclusive
to “conservative” listeners it drives away anyone that even looks moderate, let
alone liberal. His point…be a talk station that appeals to conservatives, not a
conservative talk station.
I was also anxious to find out what will make his new consultancy different from the others out there. His response, he’s not afraid of new thinking. I think the phrase was “fresh ideas mixed with calculated risk taking, aggressive interpretation, and implementation of sound strategies”. In a nutshell, take a few chances while executing the strategies that work. I hope it happens. There are not a lot of chances being taken in radio these days. Unless, of course, you count staying low enough to get through the next quarter without losing your job.
I got a peek at some info from Ipsos I-Say regarding early adopters. As usual, according to this article, the whole “gotta have the gadget” world is still predominantly male. Beyond the psychology of the report here are some basic facts from Ipsos…
According to the Ipsos study, over 44% of males consider
themselves to be technology-savvy and 51% think they have better technical
skills than the average person, whereas women aren’t as confident about their
technological abilities. Actually 34% admit that complicated electronics make
them feel apprehensive.
Almost 49% of males are excited about cutting-edge electronics compared to only 35% of females. Men also like to have the newest gadgets and high tech products (33% vs. 22%). More males than females believe they embrace new technology more quickly than the rest of society (38% vs. 23%).
Now that we’ve seen the numbers, some observations;
Continue reading "Being an Early Adopter…OK, Maybe Not the Best Way to Meet Women." »
(This post can also be found as a guest blog post at the Association of Downloadable Media)
After 3 weeks, I’ve just wrapped up a project that had me
working alongside some great folks. One of which I’ve now…gulp…convinced to
start podcasting. This guy is a nut and really needs an outlet for all the
creativity. Whether the content of what he and a friend create will attract an
audience is obviously yet to be seen. But that’s not really the point.
For years I’ve been asked what it takes to “be on the radio.”
For those same years I’ve always given one of two answers (Three, if you count
the “What are you nuts?” answer.); go to college and get a broadcast degree with
an eye toward being a more well-rounded person and to have a fall-back or hang
out at a local radio station and get to know the people. Radio folks are pretty
open to teaching and love to help people “pay their dues.” Both answers always
came along with the “work hard, it’s not for everybody and prepare to eat a lot
of mac and cheese” warnings. It also had to sound just a bit harder than it was.
C’mon, I had to justify the fact that it’s a blast getting paid for never
really growing up.
So, when Jerome asked me, all I needed to say was, “Do you have a computer?”
