Archive for February, 2007
Breath of sea air for Second Life
February 20th, 2007
We at Liberate Media already know the benefits of living and working by the seaside, and it looks like Linden Lab, the company behind Second Life, is also after a piece of Brighton life.
According to a post on the Linden Lab blog (through Antony Mayfield on Open), the company is currently recruiting web developers for its new Brighton office. An exciting move for the thriving digital community that already resides in Brighton.
Daily Mail begins to bridge its web divide
February 19th, 2007
The Daily Mail has launched its E-editions, e-paper today, which is basically a downloadable digital version of the paper.
The Daily Mail is not known for breaking new ground in the world of online news, but it has positioned this service as a niche between the print publication and website.
At first glance the E-editions service seems a little unnecessary, and many critics may feel that a web strategy can only be enhanced by taking bold steps forward, rather than sideways. However, considering the Daily Mail’s audience, I think it’s a positive step to bridge the divide between its traditional media audience and the world of web based applications and user generated content.
According to Technology Guardian, the product is a collaboration between Conchango and Microsoft and is closely modelled on the New York Times Reader, which was launched last September.
The Mail’s e-reader is a simple and functional tool, and in this instance I think baby steps are warranted, but a gradual evolution to a stronger web offering should be the long term target.
Internet broadcasting: the future for trade publishing?
February 17th, 2007
Last night I happened to catch the BBC Money Programme’s feature on DIY TV - a clumsy title for their investigative report on internet broadcast and the rise of user-generated content.
What caught my eye in particular was a section on niche internet broadcasting, which profiled a new generation of companies who are capitalising on the benefits of online TV.
To cite an example, a company called ‘Franchise News 24′ is an online channel dedicated to the multi-billion pound franchising industry. The channel is run on a cheap budget, but manages to attract big industry names for interview as it’s successfully reaching a highly targeted audience of between 100-500 people at any given moment.
By the end of the programme, I was convinced that this is the route trade magazines should be taking. While many publishers are rushing to get e-versions of their titles available online, they would arguably be better off investing in an internet broadcast channel. I know some trade publishers are already making steps towards this, but not on the scale and with the urgency that they should be.
I’m going to stick my neck out and say that within the digital media industry alone, the average reader of trade titles NMA, Marketing Week, Media Week, Marketing, Campaign, Revolution etc, would much rather view bite-sized internet videos of breaking news and interviews etc, rather than download an e-zine to their desktop or PDA.
As the social media revolution continues and the level of quality user-generated content grows online, the profit margin on trade publishing is going to be increasingly threatened. Only yesterday I parted with £100+ for a one-year subscription to one of the above titles, and the thought did cross my mind that this might be the last year I do this.
Don’t get me wrong - I’m a big supporter of the trade press, being an ex-NMA reporter. But I do think publishers should be far more urgent about embracing the internet broadcasting phenomenon that is currently sweeping the web.
We can save £13 Billion a year online…
February 16th, 2007
Well a uSwitch report, out today, says we can.
The report confirms consumers could save as much as £13bn a year by shopping online - £500 for every household in the country.
It also predicts online shopping will quadruple by 2020, accounting for almost 40%, or £162bn, of all UK retail sales, in comparison to just 2% in 2002.
The high street will be a very different place in 2020 at this rate and it’s sectors such as music, books and electrical goods that are already feeling it.
Internet sales will reach £40bn this year, accounting for 15% of overall retail sales. The average household spends £980 a year on online goods and services, representing 10% of the £9,630 total annual shopping bill.
The report was conducted with the Centre for Economics and Business Research and market research firm YouGov.
Reuters has the full story,here.
BBC commissions interactive online drama
February 15th, 2007
The MediaGuardian is reporting that the BBC has commissioned Endemol, creators of Big Brother, to create an ambitious interactive online TV show for its youth audience.
£800,000 has been earmarked for the project, which is a comparable budget to a typical TV drama.
According to Ashley Highfield, the BBC’s director of future media and technology, the show will be “wrapped in interactivity”, and is the “most ambitious internet format to date”.
A bold step for the BBC, but an inevitable one.
Click here for more details on the ‘Signs of Life’ show.