nitch*

The iPhone 4 is finally here – but is it really worth the hype?

Andrew Lane — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:24:57 +0000

The new iPhone is here.

If you managed to escape the news through US commercials (where it’s already launched), Facebook, your fanboy friends’ incessant rambling, the lineup update barrage on twitter this morning, or even the recent “antenna gate” crisis, then I’m telling you now. It has arrived.

As with the iPad and pretty much every Apple device before it, the Canadian release date has lagged behind the US. Today it finally landed in the Great White North and the regular lineups at the Apple stores, Best Buys, and the expected low grade hysteria as proud new owners begin to treat the new device like first born children was more than apparent. But this time, it may not be entirely worth the hype.

Has the iPhone lost its mojo?

If you’re asking how I could be saying this, let’s start with a little light history lesson.

When the iPod came out, it completely changed the game. Switching over from the Discman (probably the most trendsetting music player on the market at the time, if you’ll recall) to the sleek, intuitive, compact Apple MP3 player was a no-brainer. Vastly superior form, function and cool-factor made it impossible for competitors to touch the product. And Apple dominated the market. Even today have you ever had a friend ask you for a docking station for their Zune?? Didn’t think so.

Much more recently, the iPad achieved this monumental shift once again, becoming the device that everybody had to have. Nobody doubts Apple’s marketing. It’s slick, it’s sexy and it makes you NEED to have whatever it is that they’re selling – and they’ve always backed that up with the best product on the market. But when it comes to the iPhone 4, that could actually be in question.

Coinciding with a less-than-favourable review from Consumer Reports after the antenna issue with the device, and a resulting stock price hit for Apple, a number of big device manufacturers have put out impressive new phones in recent weeks and months on the Android platform. And with the Android App Store now growing closer to 100,000 apps and a DIY-app maker soon to hit the market (which might be the coolest development in the smartphone market, well… ever!), the iPhone is subtly losing its grip as the only choice for fashionable and functional mobile users.

Click here to view the embedded video.

So as the video rather aggressively illustrates, from a features standpoint, the only thing the iPhone seems to be hanging on to is the fact that it’s an iPhone. But take a look around at a streetcar stop or at a concert or just walking down the street and you’ll realize that the cache of the device is dwindling too. South of the border, discerning geek-chic smartphone users and general fashion trendsetters are flocking to the Android phones – and for good reason. Rapidly improving functionality, hardware power, app availability, special features, and in many cases, a keyboard with actual keys are helping the Google gang to close the gap at blazing speed.

The iPhone is a great phone. It’s changed the way a lot of people think about phones and, even to some extend, how they live their lives. But it’s time as undisputed king of the smartphone world is over. Don’t get me wrong, the iPhone 4, in spite of its antenna problem, will be a great phone to own. It’s just that, possibly for the first time, from the standpoints of form, function and even cool-factor, there might be something even better.

So what do you think? Is the iPhone 4 on your must-buy list? Are you waiting to see what others think? Maybe eyeing and Android? Or are you reading this from the line at the Apple store right now?? I’m curious to hear your thoughts…

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Facebook may be “Big Brother”, but I’m not too scared

Andrew Lane — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 23:39:01 +0000

Lately, there’s been a lot of talk in the news and on social networks about Facebook’s “evil” privacy policy. Before you start worrying that Facebook is coming to take you down for your personal info – relax. Take a deep breath. Telling Facebook some things about yourself isn’t so bad.

Once a novelty known as the place where “the kids” could “poke” ’til your hearts’ content, almost overnight, Facebook has now become the latest iteration of Big Brother. And it’s not a difficult comparison to make. Many would argue that Facebook is a bigger danger to us than Google as the type of information that Facebook retains is so much more intensely personal, in many cases. So it’s no wonder that you’ve been seeing stories popping up everywhere from Mashable to the Globe and Mail about Facebook Privacy, but please try to remember – it’s only the news. They’ll tell any story that they think people will read.

In response to this backlash, Facebook also has been working feverishly to make their privacy policy more transparent than ever. The document that used to be longer than the US Constitution (seriously) has now been summarized to make it more palatable to users. In addition, they’ve recently gone to great lengths to simplify the process by which you can review and learn about your privacy – “Privacy Settings” is now a prominent menu item in the “Account” dropdown at the top right of your page. Clearly, they’re working to help users understand the policy, and what they’re sharing – but that’s not enough for some.

A part of this backlash, Quit Facebook Day (officially May 31, 2010) was created, came and passed, confirming my suspicion that the issue isn’t as big as some would have you believe. As of the time I wrote this, the official movement at QuitFacebookDay.com had amassed 36,559 committed quitters for their May 31 “event”. While that seems like a big number, compared to Facebook’s 450,000,000+ users, it amounts to less than 0.009% of the overall population of Facebook Nation.

Perhaps the real reason this Facebook exodus failed was many realized that the data they were sharing was no more than they’ve given up to an email service, messenger service or an online photo sharing tool. Because Facebook pulls this all together, it makes some people nervous. But do you really believe someone at the company is combing through 450,000,000 user’s photos and status updates looking to use that information for villainous purposes? Hardly. If anything, programming behind the scenes will be using it to suggest to you content and conversations you’re more likely to enjoy.

Throw in the fact that I’m sure you use Facebook to find out what’s going on this weekend, see the first pics of your new nephew, keep tabs on friends in other cities, kill time at work – or even as a part of your job – and it’s pretty clear that the platform gives us a lot and asks very little in return. So don’t give up on Facebook so fast – when he takes good care of you, it’s not so bad having a Big Brother.

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Promoted Tweets: Should Twitter be “playing Google”?

Andrew Lane — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:11:42 +0000

By now you’ve heard the big news – Twitter has (another) business model!! It’s always slightly amused me how venture capital money can build companies that can bring the internet to a standstill with announcements like “hey everybody – we have a plan to maybe make some of that money back!”. And when Twitter announced Promoted Tweets, that’s exactly what happened. It caused everyday Twitterati to gossip, quip and chatter. It caused brands to ask questions. It caused agencies to create “official positions”. And rightfully so – we could be witnessing the birth of the next Google, right?

Right?

Is this the first evidence of a world-beater, or a niche service?

Well let me just take this opportunity to play the devil’s advocate. Interestingly, in this scenario, I suppose the devil would be Google…
First off, it’s hard to argue that Promoted Tweets isn’t an important step in Twitter’s evolution. That said, from the devil’s standpoint, it may ultimately be step that causes us all to realize – Twitter simply isn’t Google. And it never will be. It’s just too specialized of a service. And as a specialized service, they have a niche audience. This fact makes it virtually impossible for Promoted Tweets to compete with Google Ad Words, both from a volume perspective, as well as from use case perspective.

Let’s take a look:

From the volume side of that equation, there are 55 million tweets generated on twitter daily according to stats widely released at this month’s Chirp Twitter Developer’s Conference. If that’s the system volume, what is the search volume? Well, glad I asked. At Chirp, they announced that there are over 600 million search queries per day!! What??? A system that’s core function is “tweeting” produces almost 11X as many searches as tweets on a daily basis??? Not quite.

As @ev will be the first to admit, this number has been lovingly augmented by API calls – third party sites using Twitter’s data for their own purposes. Consider the massive volume of searches that are regularly performed by brands through such services as Radian6, as well as “searches” that occur on an ongoing basis through services like Hootsuite when tracking a hashtag or a user.

So what kind of volume are we really talking considering actual users (including bots) generate only 55 million tweets per day? A few million queries? Maybe 10 tops? Whatever that number is would be divided between every possible brand, product, event and salesman on the platform. And that’s before we even begin to measure if anyone is actually paying attention to them, tolerating them, or clicking on them – not a compelling case for world domination. And yes, Twitter is growing quickly, but how far do they have to go to catch up to the billions of users that query Google search – that product’s sole function – on a daily basis?

Then we begin to consider the use case. Most twitter searches from the “general public” are done around people or events, rather than products/brands. The reality is, Twitter is a different kind of platform than Google where trending topics are usually things like “Justin Bieber”, and not “Pepsi”. This is great if you’re selling Justin Bieber CD’s, but if you’re anyone from Joe the local handyman to the Home Depot, who can effectively use Google Ad Words to drive customers, you’re not flocking to twitter to leverage Promoted Tweets – people just aren’t looking for you there. It’s not how they use the platform.

Subsequently (and presumably to combat this volume problem), Twitter has announced they’ll eventually expand Promoted Tweets outside of search. But will this be a good thing for their user? Twitter is a niche platform with people looking for specific information in a specific context. Will they take kindly to advertising invading that hallowed space? How will they avoid these tweets coming off like spam when no query has been made by the user? What’s more, from a user data standpoint, Twitter knows FAR less about its users than Google or Facebook. So what are the odds they’ll actually be able to target individuals with ads they might find relevant, as we often see in Gmail or on Facebook (and even then with varied success)? Not good, I’d bet.

For all these reasons, there seems to be a compelling argument that Promoted Tweets won’t completely”change the game”. I’ve certainly been wrong before, but it seems this won’t be the product that catapults Twitter beyond Google, or even Facebook, to a place of financial dominance in the online world. That said, it’s an important step for Twitter, and likely something they needed to do. I only hope that they watch their step on the road to commercialization, before they begin to drive away what they have now – a passionate, highly engaged niche audience.

And that has to be worth something.

What do you think? Are there any other devil’s out there? Let me know…

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The business of Facebook and the new world of PR

Andrew Lane — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 14:09:42 +0000

As many of you know, I took on a new role to begin 2010 at Weber Shandwick, heading up their Digital Communications practice for Canada. I think the thing I love most about any new opportunity is that it gives me the chance to take on a new learning curve and a new way of thinking. Perhaps the most prevalent example of this is the position of traditional media relations professionals in the new world of social media and digital engagement.

After spending my days thinking on this position and working with colleagues and clients to position Weber in the Canadian space, I was given the incredible opportunity to speak to Michael Cayley’s social media class at Humber College School of Public Relations about one of my favourite topics – the facebook.

While many think of Facebook as a place for friends, it’s rapidly becoming a highly viable content and media communications platform for savvy brands, as well as a place to display brand personality, interacting much more intimately with their audiences. What’s more, with over 400,000,000 users, there really is no better venue to engage – provided you do things right.

This was the thinking behind my presentation to the class. After posting the presentation on my (still sparse) Slideshare account, it took off a little and was nearing 1,000 views at the time of this posting, so I thought I’d share it here as well. Special thanks to ComScore Canada for the social media statistics and to Facebook Canada for the platform statistics and the case studies.

Take a look and let me know any thoughts either here, or on slideshare. And of course – I expect this means you’ll never again underestimate the importance of Facebook. It’s here and making important strides in the business world to ensure that it’s here to stay.

Facebook: And what it means in the new world of PR

View more presentations from Andrew Lane.

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Checking in at SXSW and the location-based revolution

Andrew Lane — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:23:59 +0000

So I just got my first “swarm” badge for checking in on Foursquare, and I couldn’t be more excited. For a while I rejected joining the Foursquare movement, but upon learning I’d be heading down to South by Southwest Interactive, I knew I’d have to jump on the Foursquare bandwagon (or Gowalla – I suppose they deserve a shoutout too).

Excited to see its potential in action To begin this location-based adventure, I was lucky enough to travel down to Austin with some notable Toronto “agitators”, David Crow, Jay Goldman and Adam Schwabe – which was more than an adequate primer for the “check-in mania” that’s sure to ensue this week. After two airport check-ins and several other random locales along the way, I’m quite excited to check in at every location I visit because the power of this emerging tool becomes incredibly apparent in a town packed full of tech geeks. I mean, I just got (virtually) swarmed at the airport!

The idea of location-based mobile technology has fast taken the imagination of the tech world and it will be on full display at SXSWi this week. But the most exciting thing is the potential for when smartphone penetration increases and games like this truly reach the mainstream. Consider that an application like Foursquare:

resides on your phone and is with you everywhere
knows where you are
knows who you are
knows what you think about where you are
knows who your friends are
knows where your friends are
knows what your friends think about where they are AND where you are

Think of the amazing applications this has for social interaction between friends once adopted on a broader scale. Think of the amazing power this presents to brands and advertisers. It’s no wonder that Google and Facebook are also players in this location-based mobile world at such an early stage. When coupled with other technologies from something as simple as a customer database to something more elaborate like bluetooth, and Foursquare and Gowalla and their immediate descendants are poised to revolutionize the media world once again. And I can’t wait.

But in the meantime, I’ve gotta go hit Austin and earn some badges!

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Excitement of Olympic proportions

Andrew Lane — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:17:52 +0000

I usually try to keep personal news out of the blog, but there’s just too much goodness to share to avoid it this time.

Later today, in the culmination of about 5 years of planning and anticipation, I’ll be boarding a train to travel across Canada with the final destination of the Vancouver Olympics! In addition to an unforgettable trip across the country (something I’ve never done before) and having tickets to multiple Olympic events, my travel buddy Zed and I pitched our adventure to the CBC and they’re letting us blog about it! We’ve got a twitter account and YouTube channel (and some sweet little Kodak HD cameras) to help tell the story of our trip across the country and all the mischief we’re sure to get up to while screaming our lungs out for Canada!

We're more than a little excited. Does it show?

So with all this excitement, I needed to post to let you know that while there’ll be no new content here for the next few weeks, you’ll be able to take a peek behind the scenes at the Olympics along with yours truly! I mean, what could be more fun than that???

Adding to the excitement, when I do get back from Vancouver (hopefully still with a voice after two weeks of cheering with reckless abandon), I’ll be officially starting my new role leading the Canadian digital operation at Weber Shandwick. So to say I’m a little excited about the immediate future is an understatement.

The good news? You can follow along! So I hope you will:

Destination Vancouver Blog @CBC
For “deep”, reflective pieces on the journey…
http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/blogs/destinationvancouver/

Our Twitter Account
For live, behind the scenes access to the Olympics and feedback
http://twitter.com/ZedNLane

Our YouTube Channel
For video you’ll never see on CTV
http://www.youtube.com/destinationvancouver

Go Canada!

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Talkin’ New Years, NXNE, and needing your support

Andrew Lane — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 02:32:38 +0000

I’m a little late to the game on this but Happy New Year Decade everyone!

I’ve been busy updating all things nitch* lately to give it a fresh new look and hope that everyone likes what they see. But in the meantime, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that I’ve applied to present a panel at the upcoming North by Northeast Interactive conference (#NXNEi). My panel is called “Content, Storytelling and the future of digital brand engagement”. Those who’ve read the blog before shouldn’t be strangers to my strong views on the value of content in the new economy of media and if this panel is selected, I’ll be pulling together a lineup of some of the smartest (as well as some of the most disruptive) folks in town to put on a great show on the NXNEi stage this coming June. I was shocked to see that there isn’t another panel tackling a subject even close to this, so if it interests you at all, it seems I’m the only game in town!

So if it’s not too much trouble, take a look and throw me a vote of three! I’d really appreciate your support, and come June, I promise the panel won’t disappoint!

Oh, and if you don’t like the panel or have any thoughts to add, please leave a comment, either here or on the panel picker page itself…

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If content is “king”, then what’s wrong with paying for it?

Andrew Lane — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:22:51 +0000

I’ll be heading to nextMEDIA Toronto this week to take in the broader discussion and also moderate a panel with some incredible producers talking about bringing traditional media content into the digital space, and most of all, methods to monetize that content. I’m always excited to speak on these sorts of subjects because, for all the valuable content we consume on a daily basis – between the news, the weather, research, slideshare presentations, tabloids, sports reports, games, television series, web videos, iPhone apps and more – people tend to give it a pretty bad rap. Considering how long we’ve acknowledged content, either jokingly or legitimately, as “king”, I think it’s a little unfair. Content business models simply need time to reinvent themselves, and once they do “the king’s” crown will hopefully lose all traces of this recent tarnish.

But as the digital space evolves, in our YouTube age, content business models have fallen behind in the massive boom of both content production and consumption. And it’s impossible not to notice. From the controversial “Free” by Wired Editor Chris Anderson, which makes content’s decreasing value one of its core arguments (to sell the content that is the book itself ) to the stats we’re inundated with on a daily basis, telling us 80% of North American consumers won’t pay for online offerings from newspapers and magazines, content has become the proverbial red-headed step child of the new creative economy. At least for now.

More of a tactic than a business model

While Rupert Murdoch is being widely panned for charging pennies for access to his papers (which I fully support, given its value and cost of production) many are looking for other ways to re-establish revenue models for content. The key to this, as was noted in a fabulous recent article by Fred Davis on PaidContent.org, is that we need to find ways to monetize access, not ownership. All consumer evidence seems to be pointing to a world where on demand, real-time streaming content is going to be the dominant method for consumption, but it’s such a rapidly evolving phenomenon that the business models haven’t caught up. People don’t want to buy a paper or a DVD, they want digital information served to them, on the fly, wherever they are. And as younger generations grow into the consumers of tomorrow, the desire for tangible ownership will only decrease.

So to Davis’ point, we need to create models wherein we can engage with audiences in new and more meaningful ways so that the physical ownership of the content becomes irrelevant to the business model. Easier said that done, but a step in the right direction. This is a challenge that user-generated content sites like Twitter and Facebook are grappling with right now with highly engaged audiences ranking in the tens and hundreds of millions, respectively. That said, each company is valued at over $1billion and highly capitalized from the world’s top investors – so there must be some folks who have confidence in us cracking that nut!

If television found a way to so effectively monetize a static box that people spent a few hours a day with, imagine the possibilities for us to monetize a real-time feed of educational, informational and entertaining content, available to consumers on demand?!

The very nature of content is simply evolving too rapidly at the moment and needs a little time to figure out how to reinvent the business aspect of its delivery and consumption. All I ask is, don’t give up on your king just yet.

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nitchCraft: Talking personal style and personal relationships with The Refinery

Andrew Lane — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:54:56 +0000

Today things are getting stylish here at the nitchblog. I had the chance to chat with Wendy Woods of The Refinery, a creative image consulting company that helps real women find clothing and accessories that enhance their personal style and are practical for their daily lives. But more than an image consultant, Wendy has become a media guru in her own right, using numerous tools to help spread word about her business and educate her clients (and potential clients). I’m really excited to share some of what this non-traditional media business has done in the media space to great effect – so let’s get right to it.

Brand: The Refinery
Key Mediums: Web portal, e-news blasts, twitter – @THE_REFINERY, facebook, YouTube
URL: http://www.therefinery.ca/
Niche: “Real women” looking to enhance their personal style

Click here to view the embedded video.

nitch*: You’re a one woman shop so getting started must’ve taken some nerve, but what was the inspiration for your business, The Refinery?

Wendy Woods: I always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur – it runs in my family. I was looking for a way to use my skills for guiding people and I needed a creative outlet. When I was working at IBM I stumbled upon the image consulting certificate at George Brown by fluke. Now I’m using my skills to help women realize that they too can feel confident everyday. The fashion industry can be intimidating, I bridge the gap between fashion and practicality.

nitch*: It’s important to have that unique positioning and it seems you’ve been able to clearly articulate that. With a strategy in mind, what were your goals when you set up your website at therefinery.ca?

WW: My goal was to have a site that looks clean, and elegant with a touch of playfulness. I love information, so it is important to me any site, including my own, is easy to navigate and access this information. It’s also important that I have the capability to update content at a moment’s notice.

nitch*: Great point about content management, and it seems that you just keep adding more info – so kudos! How involved were you in the creation of the site? How involved are you today? Would you have any tips for small business owners looking to create a presence online?

WW: I built, and continue to maintain, THE REFINERY site on my own. I was looking into CMS so that I could update on my own afterwards when my brother showed me a program for Mac that helped you to build your own site. I started fiddling around with it, and 4 months later I launched the site. I am by no means an expert, but I feel a huge sense of accomplishment around THE REFINERY web project. I am also fortunate to have a significant other who is a copywriter so I had a lot of support writing content.

nitch*: It’s definitely true we all need support sometimes, but congrats on succeeding with the DIY approach. How long did it take you to feel as though you started to achieve some of those goals? What was that process like?

WW: As I mentioned it took 4 months until I launched the main outline of the site. I am an ideas person, so I’ve always got new ideas on how to improve things it just takes time to get them all done! Recently I figured out how to edit the CSS code for the menu fonts. I was thrilled about that! I’ve got a few more things I’m working on for this site for additional pages, and I would really like to increase my SEO. Does building a website ever really end?

nitch*: If you’re doing a good job with the site, it definitely shouldn’t! Did you launch the website with your “REFINED” email newsletter in place? How did that evolve? What was your rationale for creating that content?

WW: REFINED, like everything I do, is an evolution. It started as a basic newsletter before I even had a domain. It’s a way to help clients with small tips, and to engage potential clients. The newsletters started much longer, but now they are quick tips. I like things that are quick and easy and entertaining to read, so I try to give my clients the same. I create content for REFINED. from whatever moves me. Sometimes it’s an interaction with a client, sometimes it’s a tip that comes from a friend, sometimes it’s something I’ve recently learned, sometimes it’s a social trend at the moment, it really just depends!

nitch*: Building on the educational piece of your business, you’ve also recently launched the YouTube Channel, REFINED.tv. What was the motivation for getting this video content (and your face) out there?

WW: It’s important to me that people understand who I am and what I’m about. There is an image that the fashion industry is intimidating and that people will be mean to you. I want to show people that they can talk about fashion and style in an open and comfortable environment, and have fun with things! Also, I love to talk, so this is a great medium for me to express my ideas! People love the videos because they are more interactive than writing, and they can easily follow along with the tips.

Wendy brings her own personality to her business

nitch*: It seems you’ve definitely nailed the strong points of the medium. But you didn’t stop there with the content – what was your rationale for including a list of recommended reading on the site?

WW: I love to share information, and help people whenever I can. If I like something I recommend it. There is also something very personal about the books you enjoy. They say a lot about you. If you’re interested in the same books as another person you feel an instant connection with them – you have some common ground.

nitch*: Really great points about connecting with people on that level. Further to those connections, it seems that your business would do a lot of its marketing through word of mouth. How does that translate into your social media strategy?

WW: Yes, most of my marketing is through word of mouth. How does that translate into social media… hmmm… perhaps you can help me with that! When it comes to business I go with my gut for everything, so I guess that’s my strategy. I’ve joined a mastermind group that started in September where my goal is to set out a more concrete business strategy.

nitch*: I hope that’s moving along well with you, but when your business is one-on-one in nature, going with your gut often leads you to people who are a joy to work with! That said, what has the response to your business been like on twitter? Have you run any formal or informal promotions through it? Have you seen any changes in your business/opportunities as a result?

WW: I love to meet new people, and therefore I LOVE TWITTER! Thus far most of the connections I’ve made have been PR oriented. I’m beginning to build client relationships online with the goal of developing them more fully this Fall.

nitch*: Best of luck with making those business connections! One fun one to close out: You’ve visited my website (I hope). A little free advice here – is orange “my colour”??

WW: Can’t really tell from your picture if orange is truly one of your best colours to wear, but from the standpoint of the subconscious message you are sending, I think it’s a good choice. Orange is a playful colour, which you definitely seem to be. To quote the pantone book (on my book list) “[Orange] is perceived as a color that shouldn’t be taken too seriously; a dramatic exclamation point generally preferred by the extroverted personality”. Interesting that you chose to juxtipose playful orange with powerful, and elegant, black. I’m guessing you like extremes – that or you really like Hallowe’en!

nitch*: For the record, I do in fact love Hallowe’en and when Wendy and I did meet in person, she confirmed that I can pull off the orange. Such a relief! Thanks Wendy!

***

The nitch* Analysis: It was easy for me to find common ground with Wendy as we’re both working in businesses where a personal connection is key. The Refinery brand is making many great strides to grow those personal connections through intelligent uses of media. In addition, Wendy has done diligent work building out an online presence on a limited budget and by “going with her gut”. That all said, it will be important for the business to use the classes this fall to really hone and target what it is The Refinery is. An independent can easily lose focus on activities that drive revenues and spend too much of their limited resources on building brand. If Wendy can avoid this pitfall she can focus on growing her business and keeping our city stylish!

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It’s time for the magazine industry to realize digital is an asset, not an adversary

Andrew Lane — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:14:28 +0000

When the news came down the pipes this week that Conde Nast was shutting down four of its magazine publications, I’m not sure that “shock” was a word many people associated with the announcement. Sure, Conde Nast is a huge company and would theoretically be able to weather the storm longer than most, but the reality is this is just another example of how magazine, as a medium, is now almost completely unsustainable in its current form.

Looks like it's back to Kraft Dinner for me....

However, as was pointed out in a great article in Mashable this week, there is hope, but some lessons need to be learned first. The music industry started weathering this storm years ago and now print and broadcast mediums are hitting the same wall. But what’s important here is that there is hope. It’s just going to require the medium to think more critically about what their value is to their audiences, and how they can use the growing opportunities of the digital space to leverage that value. We’re talking about long-established and trusted brands here that have targeted and (although declining) loyal audiences. With digital platforms enabling more cost-effective delivery models, opportunities to create more engaging content, and the ability to hyper-target that content to the individual, their specific lifestyle and location, why shouldn’t these long-established and trusted brands be able to find new ways to thrive?

The magazine industry needs to realize what they’ve created are lifestyle brands, and not simply a collection of articles, photos and perfume samples. Due to the longer release cycles of magazines, they have the opportunity to completely distance themselves from the blog world and it’s free content model and differentiate themselves significantly from what people currently think of as a “magazine”.

Let’s say you’re Modern Bride. Aren’t there literally dozens of opportunities to augment your written content with digital tools to help with the process of planning an elegant wedding using web and mobile-based applications? Wouldn’t a mag like Good Housekeeping translate very naturally to a trusted smartphone app to help busy homemakers? Shouldn’t this brand be able to leverage its trust to create a branded application to know what’s in their subscribers fridge, and what they need to pick up at the store on the way home to make a quick, easy dinner, completely catered to their family? In both instances, imagine the level of customization that would be possible once magazines start to think of themselves as targeted, transmedia lifestyle content – and not just a collection of glossy pages. With the trust these brands have built, they would have an unprecedented opportunity to learn everything about their subscribers and then become a helping brand in their every day lives. The subscription model could even remain intact, only consumers would pay for a new and diversified set of brand-related tools, services and content. On top of that, imagine the highly unique and targeted opportunities they could provide for their advertisers to be a part of these valuable services.

Why aren't magazines in this space?

These are just a few examples of what can happen when magazines stop thinking of themselves in terms of their format and start thinking of themselves in terms of their intrinsic value to their targeted audiences. I’m not saying this fundamental shift in thinking is something that will be easy. I’m not saying that applications like these will return things to “the way they were” in terms of revenue or in terms of subscribers. At least not in the short term. What ideas like these will provide is a path to adaptation and reinvention that this medium desperately needs – and lends itself to so naturally.

But before these changes can take place, the magazine industry needs to stop thinking about digital as a competitor and start thinking of it as an asset. And they need to remember that their audiences don’t love them for their physical formats as much as they love them for their content. Why not find a way to leverage these new platforms so that audiences can’t help but love them more?

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