Why?

It pains me to say this, but RIM has become a moon around a planet in the universe of Goople.

Goople – or Google / Apple – run the show now when it comes to hardware and it’s not really because of anything special that they’ve done with their hardware.

Except … they’ve made it easy for users to create their own media universe within a Google or Apple construct, supported by hardware, but really, truly driven by easy-to-use platforms like Gmail, YouTube, search, Drive, iTunes, Apps, etc etc etc.

See, it’s the media universe that sustains Google and Apple, regardless of the hardware that delivers that media.  Unfortunately, RIM has missed out completely by not creating their own media universe, so upgrades and updates with their hardware will always be met with ‘myeh’ attitudes in the marketplace.  Today will be no exception.

The ‘Hub’ is supposed to cure some of those ills, but the core of the Hub (Facebook, Twitter, etc) belong to someone else and not RIM.  When those other platforms decide they don’t want RIM to play in their backyard and instead decide to build their own hardware, RIM will once again be out of luck.

Until RIM builds it’s own media universe, they will constantly be running to stand still, while the Goople universe whirls around them.

Even in Canada, it’s conceivable that companies like Bell and Rogers could become competitors to RIM as opposed to buyers of their hardware.  These media giants could simply partner with a hardware company (much like Google has with Motorola, Acer, Samsung and others) and walk away from RIM sales entirely all the while closing the universe for Canadian consumers.  Of course, this would be bad, but not impossible.

Some quick ideas for RIM?

• Start doing what others are doing best:  encourage people to subscribe to platform-independent tools similar to Apps and Gmail.  You’re close, but not quite there yet.
• Lead instead of follow:  think outside the box and implement things like Open Source download / directory platforms that people will want to access.  Rebel against the mainstream barriers to sharing files and start a universe of P2P and BitTorrent networks that defy the rules.
• Encourage new / alternative media platforms and be the delivery system for that:  partner with someone like the CBC to create a media and news universe that is void of economic objective (for now) and packed with content and information that all Canadians can use.  As you enable conversations, so too do you enable loyalty.
• Be the little guy that everyone can love.  Google and Apple are frightening in their enormity and control over … everything.  Being that ‘little engine that can’ may be your way out of this.

Good luck RIM.  It’s easy for me to say all this from the sidelines, but my respect and admiration is still very high for you.

Bill Wittur
Bottree Digital Services
London, Ontario

As it stands, my opinion on this seemingly minor issue has not changed.

In fact, after this Christmas, I’m more resolute than ever.

I have discovered after trying very hard to change my mind that I’m not a swiper.  I’m a typer.

It all started again about 4 weeks ago when I looked for a tablet that I could buy my son for Christmas.  We didn’t want to spend $1,000.  We didn’t even want to spend $500.  The options dwindle quickly when you drop below that level.

You’re left with severl 7″ Samsung, Acer, Asus, Google Nexus and RIM options.

None fit the bill for a stubborn old fart like me.

I eventually chose something that was a very basic knock-off of the more prestigious tablets and boy, was I disappointed.

So … after a few hours of Crazy Birds for the boy and me trying to figure out how to install some basic apps to make it more friendly, especially for educational software, my wife and I decided to return it and trade up for a Google Nexus 7.

Bad decision number 2.  Too many limitations just make it far too frustrating for someone like me who’s stuck in the past.  Or hopeful of a more potent future for hand-held devices.

Here are just a few of the challenges we faced:

• No default app installed for a camera and the camera was front facing.  There are only so many pictures that my son will want to take of himself before wanting to take a picture of something like, say, a landscape or building.
• No ability to add or extend memory size
• No external plugs.  Period.  No way to upload or save to your tablet except via wireless, which you may not always have.
• No ability to run Flash.  I know:  this issue is pretty much universal.  Unfortunately, my son has a math app that is site-based that’s driven by Flash.  We won’t change that any time soon, so we need something that will run Flash.  Despite what Apple says and the rest of its minions.  I tried setting up Flash on this thing and many online geeks were optimistic it could be done.  I didn’t have such luck.

There were many other limitations and we eventually decided that we’d prefer to take back a ‘tool’ that cost $300 instead of trying to waste numerous hours ramming a square peg into a round hole.

My mission is still on to find a laptop I can confidently endorse, but in my view, none exist.

That’s why I was extremely excited to find – maybe stumble upon – the Google Chromebook.

There are waaaay too many cool features of this laptop that exceed expectations:

• Price:  $200.
• RAM & hard-drive memory sizes beyond any craptop levels
• Lots of external plugs:  USB, HDMI, DSL and even a VGA connection
• Size & weight:  smaller than most tablets, putting it on par with the most portable of portable devices

Only problem?  Not available in Canada.

C’mon guys.  Why do companies like Google always treat Canada like it’s Siberia’s armpit?

Looks like I’ll have to wait until the next time we’re in the US to pick one up and take a chance that we’ll be throwing $200 down the tubes, as they won’t recognize warranty in Canada.  They being tiny little electronics retailers like Best Buy that just happens to have a shop or two in Canada.  WTF?

Anyways, people please stop dumbing down the hardware industry by buying this junk.

Demand better.

2012 was an exciting year for me as I launched a new business with my wife called Noteworthy Wines.  More about that in a moment.

It was also a little bittersweet as I moved away from a business that I’ve loved and profited from over the last 15 years.

Recap

I’ve been the sole proprietor of Bottree Digital Services for more than a decade.  It’s been the foundation for enterprises such as BarChord.com, Canada’s first paid download site.  It’s been central to my life as a digital marketer and ‘guru’.  It has lead to many consulting gigs that have tossed unique challenges and opportunities related to building brand awareness online, selling goods through new channels and generating goodwill with charities and non-profits.

The digital industry – like most industries – is in a constant state of change.

Instead of ranting about what lies ahead of us, I’ll sum up my digital marketing advice to this:  Beware!  This is an unregulated market and there are a LOT of charlatans out there who will take your money and not lose any sleep over it.  If you’re ever in doubt of something that’s been presented to you, let me know and I’ll give you a free evaluation.  I hate seeing people get burned.

Moving Forward …

I too having been working on a big change, but it’s not what many would expect.  For a very long time, I’ve had an interest in everything that the world of wine has to offer:  culture, history, food, growing, producing, etc and I’ve spent the last 3 years training to be a sommelier and have also been taking wine appreciation courses through London UK’s Wine and Spirits Education Trust.

It’s been a blast and I’ve chosen to follow this path instead of the digital marketing route.

There are too many reasons to list why, but I look forward to what these changes offer.

And with that, Noteworthy Wines was born.

Noteworthy Wines is now a licensed LCBO agent and we are able to discover, order, deliver and enjoy new wine products in Ontario that may not be available through the LCBO because of the limited volume available.  That said, we’re also focusing on products that come in higher supply, with an intent on getting them into the LCBO for general consumption.

Our sales focus will be on corporate events, weddings and the celebration of life in general.

The Fun Part

For most people, the process of meeting new people, wine enthusiasts, world-class chefs, people getting married and those celebrating the every day moments would be enough.

Of course, I’ve been known to ‘complicate’ things and this situation is no different.

I plan on doing everything possible to win the initial trust that my new business partners put in me and my abilities.  There’s no doubt about that.

However, I also want to use our new business as an ongoing case study and example of how to approach the digital world.  In other words, I don’t intend to divorce digital completely.

In the past, I’ve always had to rely on other people’s cash-flow, trust and brand recognition to promote products online.  Today, it all begins with our money, our product and our efforts to generate sales.  For those of you in the same situation, you’ll understand and appreciate the nuance.

As we go forward, I’ll continue to occasionally add to this blog talking about specific results that matter to us as we tackle new (and not so new) digital tactics to get found online and generate sales.  We invite you to follow and share your ideas as well.

This Guru For Hire

While we build the business, I’ll be clear that I’m still for hire for select jobs related to digital marketing.

However, if you read my blog, you’ll see that my strengths are with understanding some of the ‘big picture’ issues related to the Canadian media landscape.  I’m interested in research, writing and commentary as they relate to the evolution of the digital space in Canada.

If you think there’s a fit with work you’re putting together or would like some feedback on general strategy, let me know.

But don’t be surprised if I try to sell you a bottle of wine in the process!

Bill Wittur
Get Found Online – and buy good wine!
Bottree Digital Services & Noteworthy Wines

I’ve been working on an exciting new project that I hope to announce a little broadly once everything is sufficiently organized.  Those in the know are asked to place their orders sooner rather than later

So … until then, I’ll continue to comment on the state of media activities and their impact on digital strategy.

Dot-Com IPOs in the Face of Fakebook

There’s nothing about Facebook that’s ever really impressed me.

Over the last few years, I’ve documented its origins as part of a broader plan with DARPA to watch over everything we do, how people have no privacy when using this platform (or control thereof), how it’s relatively easy to create your own customized social networks using tools like BuddyPress (and how organizations like the CBC should skip middle men like Facebook) and how results with ad campaigns have been shameful to say the least.

That said, I’ve been keeping my mouth shut while watching Facebook self-implode after it’s much ballooned IPO because I simply didn’t want to get dragged into the mess it’s created.

Saying I told you so seems a little trite and mean, even for me.

What’s the Appeal?

What was the appeal with the Titanic?  Many people crossed the Atlantic before in boats, but the Titantic happened to be a big one.  Was it the gloss or the hype of the ocean-liner?  The size?

Or were people sold a bill of goods that was already destined to go down before hitting its destination?

Facebook is in the same boat.  Pardon the pun.

The flagrant disregard of its owners for privacy and the goals of creating a closed network within the ‘World Wide Web’ were an insult to thinking digital practitioners and I’m glad to see that more than $21 billion has been wiped off the market value of Facebook over the last week.

All I can ask is that a class action suit on behalf of shareholders grabs the rest before nothing’s left to grab.

The Implications for Strategy

Unfortunately, Facebook still attracts a lot of attention, much like a 6-car collision attracts rubber-neckers on the highway.

However, my favourites are the following:

1. Your Own Perfectly Functioning Web Site (Dammit!)
2. Everything Google (Places, Webmaster Tools, Analytics, Plus, etc)
3. LinkedIn
4. Twitter

You can have a sound digital strategy without pushing your traffic away to a third-party like Facebook.

The first two are essential to capturing and harvesting traffic related to your web site.  The other two don’t require a lot of maintenance and are good long-shots for integrating with various communities.

Bill Wittur
Bottree Digital Services
Get Found Online

What’s AdWords Worth To You?

I recently organized some Google AdWords advertising for a relatively new company.  They are in the landscape design business.

I had a $200 coupon and they needed some visibility.

We spent the $200 (and about $200 extra) on a simple campaign focusing on an array of broad generic keywords (eg. location-specific phrases like ‘Ottawa landscape services’) and very specific keywords like ‘professional landscape design’.

The More Specific, The Better

So many prospects and clients that I work with complain that they’ve tried AdWords before and it either (a) ate up all of their budget very quickly and/or (b) didn’t yield results.

The problem?

Targeting has to be specific to the Google Search network only.  Don’t use Google’s Search Partners and NEVER use the Content / Display Network.

Similarly, keywords used have to be very specific.  Try to avoid splashy and broad phrases like ‘shoes’, ‘baked goods’ or ‘lawn mowing’.  You can also use specific keyword strategies like Exact targeting, but that’s a whole other discussion.

Anyways, the case study above proves both of these comments in the results:

• Generic and ‘fatty’ terms like ‘lawn care’ generated lots of traffic, but no response
• Specific terms yielded a ton of leads and several closed deals with respect to NEW clients that used Google Search and who responded to specific ads.

While trying to respect the specifics of the client with this test, the results were astronomical:  specific keywords and ad copy yielded an ROI in excess of 1,500%.  In other words, for every dollar invested, they made $15.

That’s astounding, but it’s also very doable for other newcomers to AdWords.

Local, Local, Local

I make no secret about the fact that I love Google AdWords for micro-targeting for my clients.

In other words, I set up three different types of campaigns, all balancing the merits of local targeting in unique ways:

1. Location-specific targeting with the campaign settings.  I set the location for a tight range surrounding
2. Language-specific targeting with the keywords and ad copy.  With a broad target (eg. Ontario for an Ottawa restaurant) I’m able to capture the attention of ‘staycation’ visitors that are seeking out eating opportunities related to their destination.
3. Location-specific targeting with international target settings, all with a very low budget.  The hope is to catch international visitors as they seek out opportunities to interact with local services.  The other rationale for this is that mobile phones and other services may be set to ‘home settings’ that would otherwise limit Google’s propensity to display a relevant local ad.

A restaurant or lawn care service or other local service provider will certainly also want to test variables and phrases like ‘limited time offers’, ‘for this week only’ and ‘while quantities last’ in order to push people from tire kicking to actually doing something like making a purchase.

Proper Settings = Proper ROI

The key message here is to pull back with your expectations when you start a Google AdWords campaign.

When you build a campaign, be as specific as possible.  Stop with the ‘tuna trawling’ approach and drop out a line.  The latter will take much longer, but the world will be better for it.

In fact, most campaigns take 2-3 months to ‘hit stride’ and produce effective results for you.

Another important reminder:  don’t chase bids the way Google encourages/wants you to.  Take your time.  Relax.  People will come when they’re ready to come and the response will be on your terms, and not with anyone else.

Bill Wittur
Digital Strategist
Bottree Digital Services

Around the time of the introduction of Canada’s first ‘mega budget’ (or ‘omnibus’, as the Conservatives like to call it), many people around the country were busy attacking the CBC because they receive public funds.  The basic view from this side is that many folks want to shut down public broadcasting because it doesn’t help them further their agenda (whatever that agenda might be).

Despite these complaints, the fact remains that Canadians want a publicly-funded media organization.  Other organizations – like Leadnow – are working to defend the CBC in a comical campaign designed to boost public awareness about the values of having a publicly funded broadcaster.

With this context in mind, I’d like to flip this question around and ask:

How much are we spending in terms of taxpayer dollars to subsidize the financial activities of Canadian media companies?

Addressing Media Subsidies in Canada

Subsidies for content creation and media in Canada have grown substantially over the years and it’s time we start looking a little closer at who the beneficiaries of these handouts are.

There are at least three ways in which media corporations in Canada receive handouts from various levels of government in this country:

1. Direct subsidies
2. Indirect subsidies
3. Advertising

The goal of this researcher is to identify the flow of funds from our governments to media companies and help the public understand that it’s not just the CBC that receives a lot of funding from the Canadian public.

Objective Research

Over the coming weeks, I welcome your feedback on this topic, with a particular eye on sources and legitimate data that helps make the case in either direction.  I’d like to look at this as objectively as possible and truly understand the Canadian media landscape from a funding perspective.  Please post comments below or email me directly at bill AT bottree DOT com.

Prometheus and the American Radio Experience

I really should stay away from this kind of a topic because I’m not an expert, but I can’t help but comment on the recent changes to radio services in the US.

Recently, the FCC made an important landmark decision concerning access to airwaves that would effectively give small, independent organizations an opportunity to compete with the monopoly services that currently exist.

For those of you who aren’t aware of this, the American radio landscape is effectively by a small handful of mega-media conglomerates such as Clear Channel, Cumulus Media Networks and Cox Radio.

Prometheus Radio has been very effective at lobbying for these changes.  Prometheus Radio was actually started in 1998 and represents a small handful of ‘radio activists’.  Even though their efforts have been very long in the making, they have finally received FCC approval in the US to create Low Powered FM (LPFM) radio stations throughout the US.  The full detail of the recent FCC decision has been pasted below, outlining the establishment of what are called ‘low frequency radio stations’.

Radio Predictions, Anyone?

Is it possible that any of these conglomerates will face real competition from lo-fi radio programs?

Not likely, but I’m optimistic.

Lo-fi radio may do to mainstream radio broadcasts what social did to digital.  In the early days of digital, the most frequented sites were those that were part of media conglomerate families.  Example:  Sympatico of Bell Canada or MSN.ca of Microsoft.

They were the default destinations or ‘portals’ for web browsers and Internet Service Providers (ISPs).  To this day, many people still have MSN or Sympatico set as their home page because they just don’t know how to change or don’t care.

Today, these portals still account for a large volume of traffic, but people go there just as much as they go to thousands of other sites because millions of services like Google Search or Wikipedia send users elsewhere.  Similarly, most people actually think Facebook IS the Internet, forgetting that there are trillions of other sites out there vying for their attention, especially those of mainstream media.

In other words, what we once thought would be impossible is clearly happening every day.

Prometheus may very well become the new standard for ‘socializing’ radio broadcasting in America.

The Canadian Opportunity

I’ve been following the efforts of Prometheus organizers and volunteers over the last year or so wondering if Canada and Canadians will get a similar opportunity.  Will the CRTC break down and allow lo-fi?  Will Canadians simply say enough is enough and start their own services and deal with the implications later?

My desire to see change may seem ironic given my focus on having everything be digital, but I’ve come to believe that there are unique opportunities to be had with encouraging local grassroots content curation as a viable alternative to commercial radio.

The fact of the matter is that I can’t stand commercial radio and the CBC seems incapable of delivering something that appeals to my local needs coupled with desire to get updates on international activities.

Low-power FM (LPFM) stations might just do the trick.

Digital Integration

Of course, there are opportunities to integrate lo-fi radio broadcasts with digital.  The basic idea of ‘social radio’ is actually very appealing to me.

I’ve already reached out to Prometheus, sharing some ideas, but will re-post them here.  Some examples of what local producers could do, under consolidated resources:

• Create apps that people can download to the smartphones.  The phone would pick up local signals and rebroadcast them to your car radio, making the classic ‘dial’ obsolete (let’s face it:  all your car needs today is an AUX plug-in)
• Facilitate online integration and idea sharing
• Encourage instant updates provided by users, including traffic, crowd-sourced high school football games updates and so on.  They could be anonymous updates or they could be integrated via Twitter or some other updating tool
• Allow users to cross-pollinate musical preferences, giving them the opportunity explore music from other regions
• And so on …

Fragmentation in the Marketplace

If lo-fi radio gains a toe-hold in the US or Canada, fragmentation will become the operative word.

Traditional media buyers will finally understand how maddening it can be buying digital media, as they will no longer be able to justify bulk buys with one or two radio conglomerates.  Instead, they will have to focus on geographic and demographic targeting, integrate some element of tracking and regional variation and justify spend based on response.

Despite all this, I’m excited!  A whole new airspace is about to open up and those that get in early will be in for a hell of a ride.  If anyone is interested in this topic, please email me directly (bill AT bottree DOT com) and let me know how I we can work together on this.

Bill Wittur
Bottree Digital Services – Get Found Online
Media Strategist
London, Ontario

=====================================

FCC Decision Opens Radio Airwaves for Communities Nationwide
New rules create opportunities for hundreds of new community radio stations

March 19, 2012

Washington, DC– In a victory for communities nationwide, today the Federal Communications Commission announced that the agency will open the airwaves for community radio. To make room for a new wave of local stations, the FCC will clear a backlog of over six thousand pending applications for FM translators, which are repeater stations that rebroadcast distant radio stations. The decision will allow for the first new urban community radio stations in decades.

“Today the FCC has opened the door for communities to use their own local airwaves, and that will be transformative,” said Brandy Doyle, Policy Director for the Prometheus Radio Project. “We commend the Commission staff for the care and diligence they have shown. We also wish to thank Chairman Genachowski, Commissioner McDowell, and particularly Commissioner Clyburn and her hardworking staff for their efforts on behalf of communities.”

The announcement concludes the first hurdle in implementing the Local Community Radio Act, passed by Congress in 2010 after a decade-long grassroots campaign. The FCC is on track to accept applications for new Low Power FM (LPFM) stations nationwide as early as Fall 2012. Community groups are gearing up to apply for the licenses, which will be available only to locally-based non-profit organizations.

“For our migrant communities here in Arizona, community radio would give a voice to people who rarely get to speak for ourselves in the media,” said Carlos Garcia, Lead Organizer with Puente Arizona. “Anti-immigrant voices dominate the airwaves. Community radio can help us tell our own stories, share news and information, and get organized.”

Broadcast radio remains one of the most accessible means of communication in the US, with 90% of Americans listening at least once a week.

“Radio is a great tool for reaching working people – it’s free to listen, easy to produce, and people can often tune in on the job or while doing housework,” said Milena Velis, Media Organizer and Educator with Philadelphia-based Media Mobilizing Project. “In Pennsylvania, we’re facing big challenges, from education cuts to rural poverty to environmentally destructive shale drilling. We see community radio as a way to bring people together and create solutions from the ground up.”

Low power community stations are non-commercial and cost as little as $10,000 to launch, putting these stations within reach of many communities who have limited access to other media outlets.

Hundreds of pending translator applications will be dismissed in Philadelphia, Phoenix, and dozens of other cities, in compliance with the rules released today. The FCC plan will preserve channels by dismissing translator applications that would preclude future community radio stations in certain markets where the FCC has determined that space for community radio will be scarce.

“We are pleased that the FCC has taken such a careful approach to preserving channels for community radio,” said Doyle. “And we’re particularly glad that the FCC has taken our recommendation to ensure that the frequencies set aside are in populated areas, where they are needed. This will make a big difference in San Antonio, Sacramento, and 12 other mid-sized markets, where stations too far from the city would have reached only tumbleweeds or farmland.”

The FCC had stopped processing the pending applications in response to a 2005 petition filed by Prometheus and Media Access Project. The new processing plan includes several changes proposed by Prometheus to improve the outlook for community radio.

Also today, the FCC released a set of proposed rules for new community radio stations, asking for public comment on the proposals. That release begins the final rulemaking procedure which must be completed before the agency can accept applications for new stations.

The Prometheus Radio Project has been the leading advocate for low power community radio since 1998. Prometheus led a decade-long grassroots campaign to pass the bipartisan Local Community Radio Act, succeeding in 2010. Over its history, Prometheus has supported hundreds of communities in licensing, building, and operating their own radio stations.

It was announced Friday that Bell Canada, Canada’s largest media conglomerate, would purchase Astral Media Inc. for nearly $3.4 Billion.

Wow.

There are so many thoughts swirling about this story, it’s hard to focus on which element is most important, but I’ll take a stab at it.

Fail:  Media Concentration

The Bell purchase of Astral would defy all anti-competition regulations and conventions, but I don’t think these trifling details will stop the machinations from taking place.

Bell will buy Astral and Canadians will fall victim to one less media giant to run our lives.

With this monopoly environment surrounding us, the cost of access will continue to increase and we’ll have our current Conservative government to blame for preventing it from happening.

Fail:  Media Evolution

The assets of Bell cover a wide range of points of contact for Canadian media consumers, but the addition of Astral simply doesn’t make sense.

The majority of Astral’s assets come down to radio and TV, two dead to dying industries in Canada (and the rest of the world).

Consider TV:  many people are canceling cable and satellite TV subscriptions in favour of online distribution networks like Hulu and NetFlix (and thousands of others that we haven’t even heard of because our media giants want us tuned to them).

Or radio:  who actually listens to ‘drive time’ programming any more in Canada?  OK … lots of people, but that medium is long overdue for a radical change in the status quo.  Online radio stations, apps and other points of access to local news and information are just starting to gain a foothold, so why buy old-school access when you should be building new-world platforms?

Fail:  Media Regulation

It’s very unlikely that the Bell merger (assuming it happens) will result in positive change for the Canadian regulatory framework concerning media ownership and, more importantly, the opportunities for Canadians to access new media and content.

Of course, I’m optimistic and will be more than happy to revisit this issue if the CRTC and our government chooses to take the high road and considers a few simple ideas to foster some competition in Canada:

• Open the market.  Allow all Canadians to access whatever kind of entertainment, news, sports and other information without Bell, Rogers and our other media conglomerates getting in our way.  Hulu, Netflix, YouTube and other online media giants are dying to give us access, but can’t because of antiquated laws related to content.
• Put an end to the fantasy known as ‘Cancon’, particularly when it comes to paying media conglomerates billions per year to produce crappy TV productions.
• Eliminate the billions in subsidies that are transferred to our private media companies, partly to appease the complaints about the government support for the CBC, but more likely to keep them in the black as advertising scales back.
• End the bottomless pit of propaganda and subsequent billions in advertising dollars that comes from our current government about programs like the ‘Action Plan’ or other programs that they’re foisting on Canadians with our tax dollars.

Fail:  Consumer Pricing

What’s frustrating in all of this is that the proposed merger will have to be financed by something.

How about an Internet Tax?  Local police forces are already calling for an ‘internet tax’ to pay for Stephen Harper’s ridiculous plans to monitor every single keystroke on the internet, so why don’t we just plow on extra fees for our most vital form of modern communication so that Bell can continue with their buying binge?

It would be something like the ‘debt servicing charges’ that we see every month on our electricity bill as reminders of the stupidity associated with investing in non-functional nuclear plants.  Only, in this case, it would be non-functional media investments that have fallen apart because no one in there organizations took a few moments to understand that the digital world is changing the need for all of these analog assets.

Fail:  Stock Value

I’m sure I’ll call this wrong, as most of Canada loves ‘Ma Bell’ and capitalists love monopolies even more.  In summary, it’s a match made in heaven.  However, I can’t help thinking that the proposed merger will prove to be a massive fail for the stockholders of Bell.

Buying another media conglomerate that focuses on non-digital and non-technology assets is a step backwards.

Everything I’ve read about the merger and the companies fails to indicate what the new entity will do to encourage innovation in this marketplace.  Canadians will suffer for it through cost, bland content and control on what actually gets reported.

Summary:  Fail

There are so many things wrong with Bell buying Astral, but I’m honestly not complaining.  My initial thoughts are just the tip of the iceberg, but I’m optimistic:  Bell’s foray to buy everything will likely lead to a super-nova failure akin to AOL’s purchase of traditional media giant Time-Warner.  Too many egos, too many traditional formats doomed to fail and not enough investment in the digital universe.

So go ahead … but don’t think for a second that you’ve got approval to raise my cost of internet access to subsidize your largesse.

God is dead.

God remains dead.

And we have killed him.

How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?

—Nietzsche, The Gay Science, Section 125, tr. Walter Kaufmann

I’m not going to pretend that I’m remotely equivalent to this intellectual giant, but I will paraphrase Nietzsche with this quote:

Broadcast is dead. Broadcast remains dead. And we have killed it. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the commercial world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What social networks shall we have to invent? Must we ourselves not become broadcasters simply to appear worthy of it?

—Bill Wittur, Bottree Blog

I’ve been thinking about this topic for some time and feel the moment has finally come where we all need to accept that the traditional model of broadcasting – shouting at an audience while they wait for more content – has come to an end.

I feel I should have made this prediction many years ago and I know a lot of other people have stepped up to make similar announcements.

Another peer, Judy Shapiro commented recently on why social platforms are increasingly disruptive to traditional marketing efforts, joining the hundreds of media pundits who have been saying (and continue to repeat) that the fundamentals related to the agency models have been skewered.

Any client that continues to abide by these ‘fundamentals’ will also find themselves skewered.

The millions of advertisers that have relied on TV ads, print messages, billboards, junk mail and other forms of shouting out to people have to go back to their offices, sharpen their pencils, and write a new plan.

A dialogue plan.

So Many Options for Clients

What’s at the core of this conclusion is not just the sheer volume of options for clients over the last 10 years, but also the mode of communication, the control that they have and the competition that exists in the marketplace.

Anyone paying full ticket for a TV spot these days is a sucker, plain and simple.

They’re harsh words, but think about it:  Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Hockey League (NHL) now have ad-free distribution and exposure on platforms like Netflix.  It won’t be long until all sports – the beacon of stability in the broadcast world – are distributed through other channels, leaving broadcasters with nothing to run but tired ‘reality shows’, the odd spot of ‘news’ (ie. regurgitated PR from earlier in the day) and re-runs.

I could go on at length (I usually do), but I won’t.  We’ve certainly heard this argument before and we’re sure to hear it repeated often in the future, but I’ll spare your time and assume that you get the message:  broadcast is dead.

What’s important is that those who move on and find new life in new strategies focused on creating dialogue – be they mobile apps or their own social platform or some other digital tactic – will be the leaders where there are few.

And as my paraphrased quote asks, ‘Must we ourselves not become broadcasters simply to appear worthy of it?’.

Yes, we must

Bill Wittur
Bottree Digital Services
Get Found Online

Yesterday, after hundreds of thousands of web sites voluntarily blacked out their content (including this one), the President of the US announced his opposition to SOPA and PIPA.

There are a lot of ‘buts’ with this.

Many US Senators still support SOPA and PIPA and the Senate is set to vote on PIPA on January 24, 2012, while the House Judiciary Committee continues its markup of SOPA in February.

Unfortunately, this isn’t going to go away.

Here’s what makes all of this awkward for me.  I’m not a legal expert.  I’m interested in politics, but I try to refrain from discussing politics on this blog.  What I want to do is facilitate a conversation about new technology, media trends and digital strategy.

However, SOPA, PIPA and other actions being taken by massive organizations in the US and elsewhere show a clear disconnect between the traditional creators and distributors and a new era of communications.  We all have to find some kind of middle ground or the whole thing is going to be … messy.

And if that happens, my goal of being a media expert gets messy as well because if the Internet gets ‘broken’ by a pack of ill-informed, palm-pressing legislators in the US that post legislation that’s written by their biggest financial backers, I’ll have nothing to talk about except what a mess things have become.  And none of us want that!

So … please take action against SOPA and stay informed about what this and other badly written Internet laws are all about.  Here are some links you might find useful:

• Learn more about how SOPA would affect Canadians.
• Speak out to your Member of Parliament about fixing the Bill C-11 digital lock rules
• Watch the video
• American Censorship page
• View the Infographic
• Read SOPA on OpenCongress
• Read PIPA on OpenCongress
• Boycott SOPA, PIPA supporters

Thanks everyone!

Bill Wittur
Bottree Digital Services