The following few posts are in a film strip format. I find it interesting while wandering how the web simply evolves on a daily basis. What used to be a simple twitter or rss feed that we had to fetch, configure, and click is now transforming into a much more fluid experience. Twitter and RSS may not catch on with the normals but as a way to feed the apps for the normals they are getting new life.
Wonder what is new in my version of the world. Guess I’ll start with my trusted sources. My friends in Facebook.
An article about the Minnesota shutdown in my Facebook section. That looks I’ll check that out. Shared by a buddy, huh looks like it is on Forbes, I never go to that site, interesting that John posted.
Whoa! Looks like Treesaver. That is cool. Give me the page and the content in a way that feels good on the tablet.
And an interstitial position to make money. Flipboard, Facebook and a new device aware web site. Nice experience. I even forgot what brought me to the action of clicking the link.
I started out my career jobs as a systems engineer and consultant. Everything I did was about solving problems with technology. Understand the objective, understand the constraints, find and propose a solution, then execute. I operated in this mode for the better part of 15 years. I still approach an objective with this mind set. There is one crucial difference. A consultant gets paid for time, occasionally results, but often all the risk remains with the client.
Today I work to build products to solve customer problems. The purpose is to sell these products to customers that have the problem my products solve. More specifically, for the last six years, I have built products and services for media organizations. Currently for magazines. But I still approach problems as a consultant. After 15 years it is hard to not think this way. Occasionally this leads to an interesting position.
Take for instance iPads and magazines. Occasionally I will hear a phrase something close to or exactly like “I need to be on the iPad.” Often what this really means is something closer to “I want a kick-ass app that a million people will download and gives me lots of stuff to sell. You know, like Wired or Popular Mechanics.”
SNAP… my consulting brain kicks in. Build a kick-ass app, 100s of hours, billable time… SNAP my CTO brain kicks in. This doesn’t solve the problem. Even the sexy apps with millions invested have not proven themselves. SNAP… my consulting brain body slams the CTO brain and wants to solve the problem. Go back to the original statement it says.
So let’s take apart the original statement.
I = The media property
need = my traditional approach to my business model doesn’t work as well as it used to, the iPad looks like a silver bullet
to be on = make my content appear on the device, give me brand awareness, let my customers and advertisers connect via the new mechanism
the iPad. = that sexy device that gets all the attention. The one all the kids have. BTW, next week I want to be on the Android Tablet, and the week after that WIndows.
In the original statement there are two critical pieces missing.
1) The statement doesn’t specify app. Perhaps this is an un-conscience brilliance.
2) It doesn’t speak directly to making money off the presence. Perhaps I should assume this is what they mean. “Give me something to sell.”
From here let’s divide the problem into two.
1) Get my brand and content onto the iPad and then every other tablet device as they are introduced.
2) Give me a way to make money from it.
That second one is hard for media companies. Not like hard work hard but hard to figure out a solution to hard. Repurposed content with a similar experience isn’t going to cut it. The rates on mobile banner ads associated with traditional media * traffic isn’t a very big number for most organizations. This sexy new device demands a new approach. More specifically the people that have the device want something different. After all they bought the damn thing because it is cool.
Once again, consulting brain chews on the problem. Breaks it down into tasty solvable bits. Part two is hard so how about we work on part one first.
1) Get my brand and content onto the iPad and then every other tablet device as they are introduced.
“Get on” may imply build me an app but it doesn’t require build me an app. There is the default answer. The tablets have a web browser, presto, you are on the iPad. Yeah, that won’t cut it. Their website hasn’t revolutionized their business as promised. This feels the same just on a different screen.
Chomp, chomp, chomp… how else can we get them on the iPad? What options do we have? What do I do on the iPad and how do I consume content? I’m a techie, I use Google Reader with RSS to aggregate and curate my own consumption. Reader on the iPad, that works, too geeky, RSS hasn’t really taken off with the masses…. Chomp, Chomp, Chomp, what else is available…. Other Readers, Other Apps, Zite, Flipboard, Pulse, hmmm, hey… play with that a bit…
There we go. Bing. How is this for a plan?
While we work on solving #2 let’s “Get you on the iPad”
Let’s use the consumers own consumption behaviors and tell them how to consume the magazine content and brand via the new mechanisms. Put effort into quality of content so they seek the content. Make the “feeds” robust and plush with content and images. This will increase the audience and brand awareness and some new, light weight, sales opportunities. Promote your deal of the day, ask for newsletters subs, charge advertisers and get them into the stream you deliver to your followers.
Use RSS and Twitter to feed Flipboard, Pulse, Reader, and other apps as they come along. Same feed, multiple apps. Now you’re not just on the iPad you are all over the iPad. Put up a webpage with instructions and send out a newsletter urging customers to include them in their iPad apps. Get the digital edition into multiple newsstands like Zinio or Pixel mag. Monitor the analytics and see how people are taking to the brand. This is fast and easy.
Now that the magazine is “On the iPad” lets turn back to the hard problem.
Start by starting over. The magazine on the iPad isn’t all that interesting. Give the people something they can sink their teeth into. Give them the Best of the Bars tour app. Or the Dining guide Roulette app. How about the Weekender app. A packaged up and designed weekend, every weekend, just follow the directions.
Here is what Flipboard populated with Magazines looks like.
Give me your content how I want your content but give me a new reason to care about your brand on the new devices.
There is a post around here someplace that relates to this… basic idea is that it is easier than ever to get a media brand “On to the iPad”
That has to sting a little!
The Newspaper Business Implodes, via BusinessInsider.com
Rafer sez:
A bad paraphrase of a famous quote: The future takes longer to arrive than we expect and then unfolds quicker than we understand.
If you are in tech and
you are trying to get folks to understand the value of an API
Try to get them to understand this Ted presentation.
