The Tablet Future of Magazines
Traditional magazines have momentum on the iPad. Hearst and Conde Nast each report about half a million subscribers across their magazines, and both expect to surpass a million subscribers by the end of the year.
This momentum isn’t sustainable. While print magazine subscriptions continue to hold strong, magazine publishers cannot expect a comparable revenue stream from tablet subscriptions.
That’s because magazines’ initial success on the tablet parallels the same circumstances in the early days of the web. 15 years ago, traditional magazine sites were part of the back-bone of web content; the future seemed promising.
The Future of Television Is Here Again
YouTube is betting large on original programming, throwing dollars at both established YouTube producers and successful television producers. Disney-ABC is on board to develop original content. CSIcreator Anthony Zuiker is involved. Can YouTube reinvent television, again?
While manufacturers revealed countless Internet-enabled TV sets at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), YouTube’s VP of Global Content Robert Kyncl announced the Internet-streaming giant wants to remake the online video world to look more like television. In 2011 the service announced a $100 million investment in original content, targeted at studios and big name creators as well as home-grown YouTube stars. At CES, Kyncl confirmed YouTube’s vision of a future that goes beyond cat videos, and involves curating a hundred or so channels of professional content targeted at niche audiences. In short, YouTube wants to remake its streaming video service to look like the cable world.
Great Media: Chevy Volt Journey
File under: “smart media buys.” Kudos to Chevy for a simple yet ingenious campaign for Volt. “Chevy Volt Journey” takes straightforward frames and expandable banners and turns them on their head with a branded content journey across the Federated Media network. Forget microsites and configurators and give the people what they want: great content.
Two lessons: first, make your media dollars do something for your target audience, not just for you; second, look to inspiration from currently successful digital things when you design your own.