originally uploaded by http://www.intersectionofonlineandoffline.com

Ok, I’ll admit it….I’m a little bit addicted to social networks. Using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+ is an important part of my work, but it probably fair to say that over the course of a day I am exceeding what is needed to effectively get the job done. When you add the many different blogs and websites I check daily for great content and industry news, I am beginning to consume an amazing amount of media.

And then it becomes a default habit, something that can easily fill the day and lead you down endless clickable rabbit holes.

I’m sure I’m not alone. These days we’re consuming more media than anytime in history. Its accessible 24/7 and sometimes it seems that we are too. The lines between work and play have become so blurred that we tend to suffer an inevitable burnout.

This year I am totally rethinking how I consume media with the aim to improve my productivity and put some more space between work and play. The approach I am adopting is based on dedicated devices and apps for different functions:

My laptop (which is also my workstation plugged into larger monitor) is now only to be used for client work, “productive work” and emails.

Client work is usually run through Basecamp and Highrise. Internally, my team and I use Yammer to communicate, share and collaborate. All 3 of these applications can also be accessed on iPhone or iPad if we’re on the move.

“Productive work” is predominantly writing; reports, posts for various websites, analytics and business proposals. I use WordPress, Joomla, Google Docs for writing. I only check work emails at work.

I also use the laptop to share material from our various websites to social networks via Su.Pr or Hootsuite as they have great analytics, but I am not opening my social networks on the computer.

I have decided to switch to my iPhone for social networking. Because it is a totally different device don’t find myself checking in aimlessly as much. Whereas I previously flitted between multiple tabs on my browser, I now tend to finish whatever task I am using the computer for first then, walk away and take a break from my desk when I decide to check my favourite networks. The result so far is less chatter, more concise communications and far fewer interruptions.

I have used Google Reader for years to help sort my RSS subscriptions and it has served me well, but now I have removed RSS feeds from my laptop as they also tended to distract me each day as new posts piled up in Reader demanding to be viewed. Instead, I have my most valuable feeds coming into Flipboard on my iPhone or iPad.

While I’ve been using Flipboard on the iPad since it launched, the release of the iPhone app has made it even better. Once again, it allows me to walk away from my workstation for a break or to check during idle time. The way Flipboard presents feeds and social media links is brilliant and best of all I can share to my social networks or bookmark for later at the click of a button.

Lets face it…chatting online can be fun, but its the information and links we share that is of most value and Flipboard is an excellent way to filter this. I find that I am actually discovering more information from a wider range of sources this way than going to my default lists and searches. This in turn broadens my actual engagement with my network.

Away from the office I am using my iPhone for posting my usual (non work related) Twitter, Facebook, G+, Instagram updates and chats.

So far the new arrangements seem to be for the better. I’ve been able to batch my real work, force myself to walk away for breaks (rather than be anchored to my desk all day) and differentiate more between social for work and social for play. I already feel slightly less addicted and a little more in control. (It has nothing to do with my recent decrease in caffeine consumption …really).

Are you rethinking your media consumption too? How are you going about it?

Almost six out of ten consumers (59 per cent) have stopped engaging with four or more brands as a result of poorly targeted communications, according to research released today by Experian. The report, titled ‘The future of multichannel marketing: marketer and consumer perspectives,’ shines a spotlight on disconnects that exist between marketers and consumers and highlights the opportunities available to marketers to minimise the impact of poorly targeted communications.

The Experian figures show that, as a result of poorly-targeted communications, eight per cent of consumers have stopped engaging with 20 or more brands. A further 27 per cent of Australians have gone as far as creating a separate email address to receive this information to avoid other email accounts from being inundated.

However, marketers are also making strides to change traditional marketing practices demonstrated by a significant 89 per cent of marketers now using a customer segmentation strategy.  In addition, 69 per cent are becoming more selective about the channels they use to engage with customers.  A key challenge identified by half (50 per cent) of Australian marketers lies in cutting through the white-noise to get messages through to the consumer.

It’s clear that many marketers are investing in tools to get the right message to the right audiences at the right time, yet the findings suggest that they may not be applying this strategic segmentation across all marketing disciplines, particularly among newer channels such as social media.

The evolution of social media

The findings show that consumers are least trusting of newer marketing channels such as social media, SMS and LinkedIn for direct communication with brands.  Almost three in 10 (29 per cent) consumers ranked social media as among the three marketing channels they trusted least when receiving information about a brand.  While just four per cent said it was the channel they trusted most.

“The lack of trust we are seeing at this stage in the social media evolution is a natural part of the process for new forms of communication,” comments Matt Glasner, General Manager, Experian Marketing Services.  “Social media is a new and immature market within Australia and there is much that all organisations are still learning about the effective use of this channel and how to deliver value both to customers and the brand.

“The challenges uncovered by the research are similar to the barriers we saw five or so years ago when customers lacked trust in emails and E-DMs.  Yet, for many brands, these are now common place communication channels which are highly valued by customers.”

Consumer attitudes towards marketing channels

A large majority of consumers, 70 per cent, agreed that giveaways or incentives was one of their top three favoured ways for brand engagement, closely followed by direct mail from the brand (60%). Communication via email was named by 46 per cent of consumers as one of their top three ways for brands to engage with them, followed by online and offline advertising as the third most preferred way for brand communication, named by 42 per cent of consumers.

Interestingly, both marketers (91 per cent) and consumers (85 per cent) agree that a company website is the most important source to find out information about a brand or product.  Yet when it comes to social media and print there are differences. Consumers value print media (70 per cent) and direct mail from a brand (60%) more highly than social media. This is in contrast to marketers who see print media as one of the least important sources of information (28 per cent).

Investment in the future

Over the next 12 months, 58 per cent of marketers plan to increase their investment in social media advertising and channel development. This is followed by email marketing (52 per cent), online advertising (47 per cent), apps (41 per cent) and events (41 per cent). Despite the increased focus on digital, the more traditional channels still have an important role to play, with 36 per cent of marketers planning to increase their spend on print ads. Similarly in TV and radio, 28 per cent plan to increase spend and 52 per cent will keep to the same budget.

Matt Glasner, General Manager of Experian Marketing Services comments: “Marketers are working hard to ensure their messages are heard.  However, our research highlights that there is still a huge opportunity for marketers to further understand how and when consumers want to engage across all channels, including social media.

“Information overload is a challenge for the industry. As we move deeper into an era of multichannel marketing, marketers need to be more selective in their communications and deliver them in a way that is personally relevant to the audiences they are targeting.

“The big opportunity over the coming year is to apply the clever consumer segmentation that is already being used, to create tailored social media campaigns which talk to the needs of their customers.  This is an important conversation for marketers to get right over the next 12 months which, in turn, will generate greater cut through and start to establish the channel as a truly valued and trusted information source.”

—–

About the findings:
The research is part of an in-depth whitepaper on ‘The future of multichannel marketing’.

Experian Marketing Services commissioned independent research with 330 Australian marketing professionals across the retail, financial services, government, technology, digital and travel industries; and 1,000 consumers across all demographics to develop an industry whitepaper on the current state of play in consumer marketing.

The independent research reveals how well marketers’ and consumers’ interests are aligned. It demonstrates where marketers in Australia are investing their dollars and which channels they value most highly in their communication. From a consumer perspective, it explores how effectively the general Australian population respond to and engage with marketing efforts.

Tomorrow I am speaking at the Digital Culture Public Sphere consultation run by Senator Kate Lundy and Minister Simon Crean in order to form a collaborative submission on digital culture in Australia to the National Cultural Policy consultation.

I NEED YOUR HELP.

I’m covering “The future of media culture creation in a digital world” but the Public Sphere wiki hasn’t had many contributions. Here’s you chance to contribute to a 10 year strategy for Australian digital culture, and the broader national cultural agenda.

There’s plenty of ways you can get involved via the Wiki, but for expediency and to help me easily deliver your ideas could you please either write a comment here or via Twitter using the hashtag #publicspheremedia so I can collate.

This is fairly urgent. I will be presenting the collated ideas at about 12.30pm tomorrow (6 Oct 2011).

Ideas to address include:

• How do you imagine the sector could look in the future? How could Australia excel? What would a 10 year plan look like?

• What are some tangible ways we could measure progress in this area?

• Ideas to achieve the vision for Australia.

• Add your thoughts and references for where this sector is going, emerging business models, opportunities for commercialisation

• Any additional information you think might be useful, including case studies, success stories, research papers.

• Leading case studies from the sector to help contextualise Australian innovation in this area

GO FOR IT.

For the last 20 years I have been glued to SBS during July watching their coverage of my favourite sporting event, le Tour de France.

In recent years our multicultural broadcaster has upped the ante by introducing live coverage of the race, initially on key stages and now every night.

This year they’ve taken it a significant step further again. Not only can you watch the Tour live every night from 10.30pm (AEST), or 10pm if you want some recaps and Gabriel Gate’s food segment, but now you can follow the race via the SBS Tour de France website, Tour Tracker or iPad (update: plus Android and LG connected TV) apps with latest stats and high resolution streaming video. It is wonderful.

But wait there’s more…..

You can also follow the SBS Tour coverage via Twitter, Facebook and Youtube.

Rather than detract from the audience’s attention to the TV screen these various options enhance the overall experience. We can watch the SBS coverage anywhere (no audio), get some real-time insight from various experts and commentators and have bit of fun comparing your stage picks versus the experts.

I like that the SBS team seem to enjoy sparking conversations with followers too. Last night I got chatting on Twitter with one of the producers, later realising he was actually at the finish line with Tomo and the crew. Stu gave us some first hand insight into the treacherous final descent hours before the riders arrived there, compelling me to stay up to watch what happened. It didn’t disappoint (Ie. Voekler almost going off cliff).

To me, this is the future of entertainment and sports coverage. It has an ability to draw the audience closer and feel like we’re part of the event rather than mere viewers.

Time and again its Australia’s public broadcasters, ABC and SBS, who are leading the way with innovative uses of multimedia and online technology. They seem much more aware than their commercial competitors that multiple platforms can actually improve engagement rather than detract.

I really hope that SBS are well rewarded for their efforts with a Cadel Evans victory and record viewing numbers.

via media release

Will Australians cut the cable?

Research released today by Free TV Australia revealed that one in four pay TV subscribers are likely to cancel or downgrade their pay TV subscription because of the increased choice offered by the new free-to-air channels.

The national survey, conducted by Jigsaw Strategic Research last month, was part of a broader quantitative study of more than 1,500 digital TV viewers that explored consumers’ attitudes towards the recently launched free-to-air channels (ie. 7TWO, GO!, ONE, 7MATE and GEM as well as ABC2, ABC3, ABC News 24, SBSHD, SBSTwo).

The study found that:

• 7 out of 10 people say that free-to-air TV is getting better.

• 1 in 3 people admit that they are watching more TV now that they have access to the additional free-to-air channels.

• 6 in 10 people say that the new free-to-air channels are now part of their regular TV viewing.

• 77 per cent of people (without pay TV) are now much less or less likely to consider subscribing to pay TV because of the increased choice offered by the new free-to-air channels.

• 25 per cent of current pay TV subscribers are either very likely or likely to consider cancelling or downgrading their pay TV subscription because of the increased choice offered by the new free-to-air channels.

• 64 per cent of lapsed pay TV subscribers (those who have switched-off their pay TV service in the last 12 months) say that the increased choice offered by the new free-to-air channels was an important factor in their decision to cancel their pay TV service.

Free TV CEO, Julie Flynn, said the research recognises the quality of the new channels and reaffirms the strength of the free-to-air digital platform in Australia.

“The research highlights the increasing popularity of free-to-air television and shows how the new channels have quickly become a part of our everyday TV viewing.”

Flynn adds, “The research also recognises Australians appetite for more, quality programming that you don’t have to pay for.”

There is a lot of conjecture about Internet Television, how we will consume it and how it will affect us. This entertaining presentation was given at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco in November 2010 to debunk some of the myths (sorry, I have somehow forgotten who did this presentation).

Internet TV will change viewing habits forever

You know you’re old if…

• You think you’ll need a box to watch Internet TV
• You think you’ll need apps to watch Internet TV
• If you want to watch TV on your TV
• If you want to watch TV with other people
• If you watch more than 36 hours of TV per week (in which case it’s ambient, running in the background most of the time rather than being content that you elect to view when you wish)
• You think that Internet TV is “amateur hour” and that no web originals are professional

Viewing habits have changed remarkably in recent generations. Internet TV will result in an even more dramatic shift in media consumption.

Generation Z are true digital natives

Two years ago I explained “Why my kids will be the death of traditional media” whilst I watched my sons effortlessly move between their armoury of digital playthings.

Two years later and they are even more web savvy and connected. My eight year-old now blogs from his Posterous site, displaying the latest videos he shot on a Flip Camera, edited himself on iMovie and posted to YouTube. He creates his own video games using Sploder and embeds them into his blog, which in less than a month has attracted thousands of views.

His friends are also digital natives who all chat online after school and rarely watch free-to-air TV. They download music and apps to their iPods and never turn on the radio.

Which brings me to a new study by Habbo Hotel, the world’s largest virtual community for teens, into Generation Z and their expectations for the future digital economy. The survey of more than 49,000 Australian children aged 11-18 found that the majority (55%) of respondents believe that the digital world will make traditional printed books, newspapers and magazines extinct, whilst, only 38% disagree.

Here are the major findings:

A Digital Content Diet

As the debate over how to make money from online content continues, it is clear that for the generation who has grown up in a digital playground, the future is mostly free. Almost a third (32 per cent) of respondents stated that currently they never pay for content, whilst a further 26 per cent are only willing to pay if there are no free channels available. In Spain and Italy 48 per cent of teenagers claim to never pay for content, compared to the UK where only 21 per cent are determined to access all of their content for free. This compared to 28 per cent in Australia.

Once young people have accessed their content, sharing doesn’t seem to be a priority, with only 23 per cent of respondents regularly sharing content online and 39 per cent rarely or never sharing. Of those that do share, the majority of content shared is music (54 per cent), games (35 per cent) and images (35 per cent).

Habbo hotel residents expect to access content through a range of mediums, with the majority unable to imagine a world without traditional TV or radio. The TV also joins the mobile phone as the device that Generation Z would be most upset to live without – ranking higher than content streaming or the downloading of MP3s. However, whilst the TV remains a relevant and important medium to this media-savvy generation, traditional print media (newspapers, magazines and books) won’t fair as well with 55 per cent of respondents saying that they will be extinct either very soon or some day in the future. Only 18 per cent feel that printed media will always have a place.

Digital Safety

Online safety is a concern for Generation Z. The survey findings show that schools and parents have the most influence in terms of educating young people about responsible and safe online behaviour. The Habbos surveyed stated that they learn most about online safety at school (29 per cent) or with family (20 per cent). Friends only represented 10 per cent. This compares to Australian teens where school, family and friends represented 43 per cent, 11 per cent and 5 per cent respectively.

55 per cent explained that they feel fairly safe in most online environments, yet 19 per cent state that they don’t feel safe in lots of online spaces. 61 per cent of those teens questioned felt that online safety would become increasingly important in the future; whilst a quarter feel it will be as important in the future as it is now.

A Digital Community

For Generation Z, interacting online is second nature and is as important as interacting in the real world. Over a third (34 per cent) of those surveyed thought that in the future physical meetings would decrease to be replaced with online interaction. When asked about where virtual worlds could be utilized in the future, 55 per cent of respondents said ‘home’ – suggesting that we may soon be creating a virtual home where we interact with our families online rather than just visiting a virtual world.

The study also shows how teens are incorporating a new internet vernacular within their vocabulary. SMS and online chat abbreviations are being used alongside more traditional language. Over a third of those surveyed (34 per cent) felt that the informal language they use online could be transferred into offline situations and used as they grow up. 29 per cent still believe that they need to speak more formally in offline contexts while 31 per cent felt that they needed to stop using abbreviations outside of the internet.

Beyond the impact on language, the teens questioned felt that the internet is having an impact on education, with 46 per cent of teens believing that virtual worlds will one day be used regularly in schools. Teens also prefer the digital approach to learning with 43 per cent of those questioned finding it easiest to learn from the internet. Only 16 per cent chose books as their preferred way of learning new things whilst 38 per cent liked to use a combination of the two.

With 64 per cent of the teens questioned claiming that online interaction has improved their confidence, it comes as no surprise that Generation Z are building social networks beyond those which are physically within reach – the majority of teens having between 100 and 200 online friends.

Jeff Brookes, Regional Director Asia Pacific, Sulake commented, “This global study provides a clear indication of the way the internet is impacting the lives of Generation Z and how it will go on to shape the future. In the past ten years we have seen the digital landscape change dramatically and it is the current generation of teenagers who are at the forefront of this.”

Google TV is on the way and could be one of the biggest interruptions to traditional media ever. Its all about total media convergence. The best of the web, TV and social networking all through the dominant household screen. It’ll be interesting to see how Google TV catches on and whether the big players in Australian media will be able to thwart its growth.

This first video is an introduction to Google TV while the second video demonstrates apps for Google TV.

Game changer? Quite possibly.

Are we heading towards total media convergence?

I was showing someone through the new Wired Magazine iPad application yesterday and while she was marveling at the animations, video, audio and general interactivity she made the comment, “Its not really a magazine anymore.”

And in a way she’s right. It seems that with increasing broadband speeds and new media delivery devices such as smart phones and tablet computers that host an array of apps, we are heading towards total media convergence.

Total media convergence was something I first started to think about in mid-2009 when Austereo management invited me to preview their plans for digital and online radio. Here was a radio station that was beginning to package audio, video, live streaming, gossip magazine style columns and pictorials competitions and more all under one digital roof. At the time I said to them, you’re not really going to be a radio station, you’re becoming a full service media company.

As the digital pipes widen and the promise of a high speed National Broadband Network is realised, the lines between traditional media suppliers will likely become increasingly blurred and their old delivery formats increasingly irrelevant. The only real point of difference will be the rights each media owner has to various products Ie. talent and programs.

In an age when anyone can create their own podcast, vodcast, YouTube channel or blogsite, what is to stop any of the established media players from creating their own diverse content online? Popular radio hosts can create TV shows. TV current affairs programs can extend their format to vodcasts or streamed “radio” shows. News and magazine journalists can take their reporting further with video and audio.

As I wrote last year, Its the Package not the Platform that matters as we move towards total media convergence.

What do you think? Will media stay or separate paths or converge? Is this a good thing or not?

During February 2010, more than 9,200 participants joined ‘FebuSave’, a month-long national savings campaign created by ANZ to encourage Australian women to develop a regular savings habit. It was part of an innovative social media campaign that delivered some impressive results.

SOCIAL MEDIA CASE STUDY
Client: ANZ Customer Segmentation
Campaign: FebuSave
Time Period: Mid December 2009 – Mid March 2010

ANZ launched a new nationwide campaign to encourage women to develop a regular savings habit following research that found 53% of women do not save money on a regular basis.

Research commissioned by ANZ into the savings habits of women found:
• One in five women surveyed said they typically spend all their pay packet or regularly dip into their savings for basic living expenses.
• More than half (58%) have less than $5,000 in savings and 33% less than $1,000.
• 51% of women would last less than three months on their current savings if they lost their job and still had to pay their usual bills.

In an effort to raise awareness of these issues in the community and encourage Australian women to set financial goals and take action towards achieving them, ANZ created ‘FebuSave’ – a month-long savings initiative that ran from 1st to 28th February 2010.

At the end of the month, FebuSave participants reported back on how they performed against their savings goal, with three ‘FebuSave’ participants being rewarded with $5,000 in an ANZ savings account of their choice.

The Social Media Challenge:

1. Using social media, how could ANZ create awareness and capture the engagement of Australian women online?
2. Could social media participants rally Australian women to take part and have fun with Febusave, whilst creating debate about the financial security of Australian women?
3. Would social media increase participation in FebuSave? (Target several thousand in the inaugural year)
4. How could ANZ leverage social media with its own limited participation? (For example, not having a Twitter presence for FebuSave)

The Solution:

Identify Five influential women who are active online social media participants were identified. These were:

• Three were founders of the most successful online communities for Australian women

• Deborah Robinson, Founder of www.australianwomenonline.com.au

• Sandra D’Souza, Founder of www.askher.com.au

• Leigh Sundstrom, Founder of www.allforwomen.com.au

Australia’s leading wedding blogger, Dorothy Polka of www.polkadotbride.com.au

Leading and active social commentator Kate Carruthers, with her own popular blog, http://katecarruthers.com/blog/

Engagement:

ANZ under-took one-on-one engagement with the five identified online influencers, rather than a general blog outreach program

ANZ’s research on Women and Money was shared with the online influencers to assist in formulating the social content strategy. The approach for FebuSave was a “conversation of story telling” about financial decisions that women face. . (These stories ranged from getting in serious debt over wedding plans and saving for financial goals, to specific relationship issues with money and questioning if there’s enough to retire on)

Social Content & Distribution Strategy:

The social content strategy was set as organic storytelling and content distribution, through word of mouth, rather than provision of fixed materials from ANZ.

Recruitment:

The five influential online women were engaged as official Blog Ambassadors for FebuSave. They were also happy to recruit other blog FebuSave supporters from their networks. ANZ provided the research information, but there was no “on message” focus. Each blog ambassador shared their own insight into women’s relationship with money, its importance and how they may like to write about FebuSave for their audiences.

Wider Media Content Strategy & Social Engagement:

ANZ provided a web platform for the FebuSave campaign, with ambassadors featured on, www.febusave.com, and a blog badge widget. All ongoing interactions with the blog ambassadors and the wider blog supporters were a personal one-to-one engagement basis. The blog ambassadors also made social connections to the FebuSave media ambassador, Antonia Kidman and prominent FebuSave supporters, including Sarah Wilson.

The campaign was also supported by print, broadcast and online media and via traffic generated from www.anz.com. The website content focus was on how much women could save from giving ‘something up’ from coffee to shopping to shoes, and encouraged participants to focus on their own savings
goal. It offered savings advice from coaches, access to helpful tools and enabled participants to share their savings tips. The widget focus was on how many women were giving up a regular source of expenditure and saving to build community.

ANZ also created an incentive by offering a competition for those who participated in FebuSave. Participants could win one of three $5000 savings accounts.

The Results:

Approximately 50% of traffic sources to the site were linked to social media, with many thousands of pages indexed on Google, pushing SEO results.

In excess of 2,600 blog posts were generated by the five blog ambassadors, their recruited blog FebuSave supporters (a team of 28 leading online influential women) and a wider net of bloggers.

The originating posts drove a 61% message repeat on social networks.

More than 9,200 participants signed up to FebuSave, far exceeding ANZ’s initial expectations.

Over 4,500 savings tips were posted to FebuSave by participants, demonstrating a high level of engagement and passion.

The Team:
Client: ANZ Customer Segmentation & Network Marketing
Social Media: Bendalls Group
Creative: M&C Saatchi
Public Relations: ANZ/Pulse Communication