Although there has been much speculation on whether or not the country’s economy is in a recession or just in flux, consumers are going to discover smarter ways in buying when they need to make a purchase. The slowing market will force consumers to become more educated about their options before they pull the trigger. In order to do so, consumers will continue to become more discerning and research the best prices and reviews on products before they spend. They will flock to web sites where that information lies. Social networks where community recommendations on the best and worst products as well as customer service will continue to thrive in a market where buyers are more cautious to buy on impulse. This increase in behavior shopping will also drive competition for bargains between big box stores and online sites. People hesitant with trust or even knowledge in the online marketplace will find themselves exploring search engines and online stores before they plunk down change at the nearest store. It might mean that they merely visit the url’s of brand stores they already associate with in their behavior but they will certainly do price comparison. We will probably see a growth in older coupon behavioral shoppers that don’t want to wait until the Sunday paper. While traditional ad spending may take a hit this year, it should be interesting to see how the online market does as consumers become more savvy with their money that should give a boost to online marketing power. Increased consumer online buying, when rewarded with savings, will further solidify into their future buying behavior.
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We internet as we knew it, is dead. The idea of sending bytes of data back and forth for what it was originally intended for, has passed. Today it has evolved into many different forms. The definition of what it was, metaphysically, no longer applies. We certainly don’t say “answer the television” when we get a phone call. Although some congressmen insist on juvenilely describing it as “pipes,” today it could be described as dynamic channels with networking crossover. While it’s potential form is still shaking out, it continues to evolve before anything is truly established.
Although it appears unformulated, there really is no confusion as to what it is. What is familiar within the web as we view it, is various forms of television, radio, telephone and print. As much as we want to spin the once-formerly-known-as-internet as a new model, it is still very much the same in micro blocks of content through associations that we are easily familiar with. While youtube and video podcasts appear on the surface to be a craze considered a by some as a revolution, it is still very much television with more channels than your cable tv. It is a viable medium. Both advertisers and futurists have struggled for a long while to figure out what the net is to consumers and how it can be formulated into a diplomatic sentence. In reality, it is nothing more than another channel for us to view or communicate. A communication tool that is very much apart of the average consumers lives. It’s television. It’s radio. It’s a telephone. It’s a newspaper. Therein lies the identity to advertisers today. Whether it is Nielsen ratings or CPM’s, advertising is very much a viable driving force for monetary support for content providers. It’s important that advertisers understand. Advertising is just as powerful online as it is in traditional media. Some studies suggest it’s even more captive online - but that’s for another blog entry.
As much as we have improved and attempted to re-invent a “car of the future,” it still has four wheels, an engine and a steering wheel very much akin to the Model-T. We still call it a car. Just like a car, whether on a back road or super highway, we, as consumers still drive it.
After hearing a snippet of the banned keynote speech by Tim Robbins last week, I can understand some people’s frustration towards network news. Having worked in an owned and operated CBS affiliate, I have seen the difficult balance that broadcasters play. It is important to note that most journalists I have had the pleasure to work with are truely dedicated to providing quality news stories, and do. Many great news stories are written every day, they just never air. The problem with today’s news is you the viewer. Say again? Let me step back for a moment if and try to follow me. Like everything in broadcasting, advertising funds the production of news. There is no billionaire financier throwing money at news. News has to stay competitive to survive. Because nielsen ratings drive the value of a network’s airtime, viewership is imperative to the station’s survival. The number one age group of consumer spending is 18-34. These age groups are mostly fascinated with stories that revolve around hollywood. In general, it is also easier for a station to get people to watch the local brownie troop 142 get a cat as a mascot then bloody gang violence where most of the footage is unsuitable for broadcast. It is also easier to watch, for some, Britney Spears make a fool of herself then the death toll pictures in Africa. Media buyers know it and would prefer to follow softer news than harder news. Face it, you find yourself unable to pay attention for a few moments after a difficult story airs that shakes your psyche for a bit. We’ve all seen network news struggle to find the right chemistry with six figure anchors that can make and break the competition’s stride. Salary pay continues to be competitive. I never met a professional journalist arriving to work eager to report a story of Paris Hilton crashing into a tree. You like those stories. Maybe not all of you - I certainly don’t care, but I have friends and family that find it entertaining. You can change covered topics if enough of you just refuse to watch. People are watching this smut - which means viewership - which means money to fund news for next month. Stop watching it. Refuse to watch any news that doesn’t meet your standards. Broadcasters will listen. They want you to care as much as they do about good journalism. They can’t do it for free.
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