Harmonic Aftershock

How Teens Use Media (Nielsen Study)

There’s a lot of talk about an impending death of “traditional media” but The Nielsen Company just released a report that shows otherwise. In order to predict the future, Nielsen looked at those who are our future adults: Teenagers.  And in addition to finding that Teens are watching more TV than ever before, their use of the web is not what we, as marketers, might have suspected.

Because of the fact that Teens spend most of their days in the classroom, extracurricular activities, weekend sports, etc., they are simply not in front of computers like adults in their offices – So their time spent surfing the web is actually considerably less than adults (about 50% less).

The gem in the report is the affirmation that one of the best ways for marketers to reach the teen demographic is through mobile/portable content. Some interesting insights:

• 77% of teens directly own a mobile phone
• Teen texting over the past 2 years increased 566%.
• 66% of teens prefer texting over talking on their phone
• Teens send/receive an average of 2899 texts/month
• Teens ARE they early adopters of all mobile media
• Teens watch more mobile video than the average user
• #1 source of video content is music-related

I’ll often quote digital marketer Mitch Joel when he talks about the choice of new/emerging media versus traditional media in that “it’s not either/or, it’s in addition to.” And Nielson clearly agrees, “Teens embrace new media not at the cost of traditional media, but in supplement to it.”

I continue to believe when looking at the future of media, that it’s not so much whether certain kinds of media are dying off but how they’re evolving/adapting given the fundamental changes and options for distribution. And it’s no secret that I very much see a “media converged” future where Web and TV are one in the same and our “mobile device” will harmoniously extend our content consumption/interaction in a portable format – and in the end, content is content regardless of what mechanism we use to consume it.

Is the web/mobile bringing back the music video?

As a young teenager in the in the mid-80s, I am a product of the music video generation. MTV and VH1 were built around music video content and it seemed that everyone dreamed about being an MTV “VJ”.  And then something happened over the years. The “Music” part of  “Music Television” started to dwindle.  This past November we said good-bye to Total Request Live and with it, pretty much any formal music video programming on TV.

[But are music videos dead or are we simply consuming them through different distribution channels?]

We all know that online video consumption continues to increase across the world as this eMarketer report shows.

And in looking at the all time most popular online video’s on YouTube, 12 of the top 20 are music videos. iTunes continues increase its music video content as fast as smartphones and iPods support it. And we see sharing of links to videos all the time in social networks like Facebook and Twiiter plus musical artisit pages that  help distribute their music videos.

There was a time in the late nineties and early two-thousands that I would have said music videos were dying. But the convergence of media and technology has once again proven otherwise and continues to give rise to new possibilities to content distribution and consumption in this world of on-demand portability.

“Give me the simple life.”

I was reminded of these lyrics from Steve Tyrell while on the tram, with 2 of my colleagues, at Newark airport this morning. While feverishly replying to emails on my MotoQ, I happened to catch a glance of a guy dressed very casually pointing us out to his female companion. While obviously whispering to her, he made air gestures of “tumb typing”. I looked over at my two colleagues who mirrored my self-absorption into their own mobile devices. We were like 3 emotionless drones all acting in unison.  To an “unconnected” observer, I could understand why the sight was a bit ridiculous and comical.

I’ve become all too accustomed with the fast-pace of my life and the way in which technology has completely converged with it – I’ve welcomed that to happen. Like many of us, I get restless when I’m not connected.  Yet just 10 years ago, none of us were digitally enabled the way we are today – and in 10 years from now, we’ll look back to right now and probably laugh at how archaic it is.

But It takes encounters like this morning to remind me that it’s important to slow it down every once in a while, just for a bit, to enjoy  “the simple life” for that very moment in time.

The Celebrity Tweet Factor

There’s a lot of talk about celebrities being on Twitter and what that means to the service and the social media thought leaders that once dominated the channel.  Jeremiah Owyang tweeted the question yesterday, “Do you think Twitter has hit a tipping point this last week?” 

I’m not sure about a tipping point yet, but one thing is certain is that Twitter has abruptly burst out of the “social media bubble” and after watching last Friday’s Larry King Live, I think it’s a great thing.

Yes there’s a celebrity ego play (as with most people on Twitter) but what Ashton and Pdiddy are doing is reaffirming the fundamentals of what social media is:

Ashton Kutcher - @aplusk:

• "It’s really a conversation – that’s the difference between it being regular media vs. social media."
• "We now live in an age where a single voice can have as much power and relevance as an entire media network."
• "Twitter is not a platform for Celebrities – it’s really about everyday people having a voice."
• "We’re in a middle of a recession yet social media companies are hiring. A tide is turning."

 Sean “PDiddy” Combs” – @iamdiddy:

• "It cuts out the middle man – the middle man has been the media. It’s given me a chance for people to get to know the real me."
• "You can have  1million followers or 10 followers – it’s the same amount of energy and power to build your own community"
• "It’s the truest definition of viral – everything happens in real time"

But as Jimmy Fallon mentioned (who uses twitter actively on his late night show):  “I still think the majority of people don’t really know what the hell Twitter is – they have no idea what it is and what to do with it.”

But I think we’re all feeling that that’s going to quickly change. Talk about media convergence!

Convergent History: The TRL Finale

All things have an end. And seeing Carson Daly’s return to co-host MTV’s Total Request Live (TRL) Finale with current host Damien Fahey is yet another poignant reminder of the passage of time. It doesn’t seem that long ago when I was in my mid-20’s watching myriad musical artists launch their careers on TRL because of the show’s fan base who, for all intents and purposes, were a “community”. We got to see “user generated” content as fans gave live comments on camera while videos played. And let’s not forget that fans controlled the content as they called in to vote for their favorite videos.

As Carson pointed out at the start of tonight’s finale, back in 1998 there was no Facebook or YouTube. People watched music videos on TV. Web video has certainly disrupted that.  I was also reminded that there wasn’t HD TV back in 1998 either, yet ironically as I watch the finale on my 46” widescreen HD TV, I’m still watching it in non-HD as MTV doesn’t have an HD channel on Comcast  (I guess some things don’t change).

So as the rapid evolution of media distribution channels continues to affect the way in which we all consume content and connect with each other, we say good-bye to what feels like a bit of a simpler time in life…and it wasn’t even all that long ago. What will 10 years from now look like? What will we be saying good-bye to?

Music and Metrics

With Coldplay now streaming, for free, their new album (which gets released for sale on June 17^th) it begs the question, what music is hot and how do you measure it? All I know is that I’m hearing less and less about “record sales” and much more about artists that have the most number of downloads.

This further underscores the fundamental change in the way in which media is being (and will be) distributed as more and more people turn to their computers and iPods/MP3 Players to consume music. Physical media like CDs will soon be a thing of the past and companies like Billboard, who rely on Nielsen Soundscan, for their metrics will find that digital downloads will comprise the largest share of their data.

“Band” Democratization

Journey’s new CD Revelation is released tomorrow. Outside of the fact that the album features 11 new songs, this CD marks the debut of lead singer, Arnel Pineda who was discovered by original band member and guitarist Neal Schon on YouTube.

From their December 5^th 2007 official press release: “I was frustrated about not having a singer,” explains guitarist Neal Schon, “so I went on YouTube for a couple of days and just sat on it for hours. I was starting to think I was never going to find anybody. But then I found THE ZOO and I watched a bunch of different video clips that they had posted. After watching the videos over and over again, I had to walk away from the computer and let what I heard sink in because it sounded too good to be true.”

This is yet another example of how technology (the web) has leveled the playing field by offering a platform for anybody to be seen and heard around the world – in this case a guy from the Philippeans whose cover band posted videos of themselves on YouTube. And as we can see from this video’s 1.7 million views, if your content (message) is compelling, then people will notice and listen (Marketers take note).

And check out Arnel’s big TV debut on Ellen last week as the newest member of Journey:

I hear they’ll be coming to the Boston area in August & September for a concert with Heart (Thanks Alex) – And I can’t wait. In the mean time, it looks like I'll be checking out Walmart to dowload their new album, tomorrow.

UGI: User Generated "Idol"

For those that know me, it’s no secret that I’m a diehard American Idol fan – I’m a sucker for watching people tenaciously drive their passions and make tough sacrifices to push their potential. As I watched the final two contestants battle it out last night with lots of different ways for me to vote for them flashing on the TV screen, it occurred to me that with all of the buzz about UGC (User Generated Content), American Idol was one of the first TV shows that I can recall that embraced its audience – so much so, that it empowers them, I mean us, to determine who becomes the next American Idol with a guaranteed recording contract.

This is a winning model because it creates and fosters a community among the show’s viewership. Fans of the show aren’t simply passive watchers but have the opportunity to become active participants to influence the actual content (the product, if you will) of the show itself. This continues to build loyalty to the show (the brand) by giving a sense of ownership and accountability to the American Idol community. And the payoff is obvious:  Advertising revenue, ticket sales, music downloads, CD purchases, merchandise, and word of mouth promotion.

The show’s success has even given a platform for budding song writers by enabling them to create and submit a song that could be the winning Idol’s first single. And who decides which of the song submissions makes the grade? It’s not the show’s producers – it’s the American Idol community of course. There’s a reason why American Idol is the #1 show in the U.S.

Companies who continue to fear opening themselves up to their customers, fostering a sense of community, facilitating an ongoing conversation, and empowering their “fans” to contribute should watch the 2 hour season finale of American Idol tonight at 8pm ET on FOX. Go David Cook!

The Glue that Brings Media Together: Apple TV

Earlier this year, Apple released a second version of its Apple TV product – I recently picked one up, plugged it in and my jaw dropped.  What felt like an 8” square by 1” high paperweight (albeit a nice looking one), created a seamless bridge between the digital media on my computer (pictures, music, videos) to iTunes and then to my home theater – all wrapped by the kind of amazing user experience I’ve come to expect from Apple.

I can preview, rent, or buy movies (many of which are in HD). In one click, I can purchase and then watch TV shows that are on iTunes (individual episodes or full seasons). I can connect to my Flikr account or other photo library and share a slideshow to a crowd of people in my living room (and even sync it to music if I want to).

One of the best parts of the new AppleTV is its interface with YouTube. Sure I’ve watched YouTube videos before but truth be told, I’ve never been one to sit idle in front of my computer to consume content for more than quick bursts at a time. Yet, I’ve found myself for an hour at a time browsing content delivered via YouTube sitting on my couch and using the Apple TV remote while watching it through my big screen TV.

Apple TV and its elegance underscores, for me, that a much more onDemand media delivery model is THE future of content consumption. This will continue to erode the need for television and cable networks in their current form and all but squashes traditional advertising models. I’m already considering canceling my subscription to HBO and Starz as I’ve been renting all of my movies (in crystal clear HD) through my Apple TV.

Back in 1982, my computer had only two purposes: dabble in BASIC and play Frogger (on a cassette tape).  The TV was used to watch major network programs. We went to the movie theater to watch movies. We read the newspaper or watched network TV to hear about current events. We spoke on the phone to catch up with friends. Over 25 years later, these silos are all being mashed up into a singular and powerful user experience. Apple TV is the first out of many past attempts that has made me take a step back and say, “It’s really here. The world has changed.”