Mobile’s not so small after all…

Interesting story. Last month during our Q & A portion of the National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) in Fullerton, Calif., a very prominent ad executive told us, “mobile is a really small part of this (social networking).” I can only laugh. Today I attended Editor & Publisher and Mediaweek Interactive Media Conference & Tradshow at the Rio in Las Vegas. Perhaps that judge should have attended the breakout session, “When Will We Take Mobile Seriously?”.

Mobile is here to stay. The impressive panel of speakers included Brian Colbert, Director of Mobile Advertising Sales for ESPN, Alice Kim, Senior Vice President, Digital Distribution & Partner Relations for MTV Networks and Rama Sadasivan, Director, Business Development for Wall Street Journal Online. The discussion was moderated by Mike Shields, Senior Editor of Mediaweek. The fourth scheduled speaker, Laura Marriott, President of the Mobile Marketing Association was not present.

The speakers spoke of the resistance to mobile platforms and the obstacles that are present when considering such a diverse and multifaceted medium. The panel spoke about how to advertise on mobiles and that currently it is still a difficult media buy because the content has to be specifically tailored to the mobile platform.

Brian Colbert from ESPN openly admitted, “ESPN hasn’t used TV enough to push mobile.” He went on to explain that ESPN is taking appropriate steps to make that happen. “American Idol is the classic example of how to integrate television and mobile.” Colbert said that currently they are using a long term plan for mobile, spending about 90 percent of their time educating about mobile advertising and 10 percent selling it. He predicts by 2010 that mobile advertising will be more mainstream. ESPN is partnering with Nielson Ratings to produce a cross reference of ratings including TV, Web and mobile for media buyers. Initial findings are expected in 45-60 days.

“Mobile is a great tool for sports because it is instant. We don’t want to TiVo a game, we want it real time,” Colbert said. Sports is definitely an arena that will feed off of the mobile platform. ESPN is most successful with SportsCenter, and now they are working on mobile for that as well. ScoreCenter is currently being developed. It will be a 10 minute version of SportsCenter made exclusively for the mobile platform.

Alice Kim of MTV was very passionate about mobile and spoke about how MTV is using this platform to their advantage. “Mobile is a great communication tool for our younger demographic…(they) want to submit data and receive it on the spot.” MTV Networks is actively creating video content and gaming content and receiving positive feedback from consumers.

All panelists agreed that the iPhone was a huge consumer breakthrough. It was the first personal mobile browsing device that consumers accepted. The consensus was that mobile still has a little while before consumers fully embrace it. Kim said, “(It is similar to the) evolution of online. It took awhile for it to take off because there are so many factors to consider.” Mobile definitely has more hurdles to jump, but there is no question it will.

The panelists suggested that we accept mobile for all that it is and all that it will become. Mobile is the future, and the sooner we begin to adapt and learn about it, the better off we will be. I have continued to be perplexed at how an advertising executive could ask my NSAC team why we chose to focus so heavily on mobile in our campaign. I only hope that word of this “mobile” thing reaches him, before he looses clients, or his job.

Graduates consider your image as you step out into the world

As another school year is coming to a close, many graduates are setting out to find their first job. Preparing for the professional world includes resumes, cover letters and practicing interview questions. This generation now has another consideration that demands attention and thought, what do I do with my MySpace and Facebook pages?

Most college students use these sites to connect with friends, tag pictures of their crazy Spring Break romps and make weekend plans. As we graduate and move into the professional world is it time to trade in MySpace and Facebook for Linkdin? This decision must be made individually, but here are some key questions to consider as you grow beyond college and your early twenties:

Who can see these pages? Are your profiles private? If not, they should be.

What image do I give off? Are all of your pictures from parties or nightclubs? If so, what does this show about your life, your morals and your goals?

If my grandparents or parents saw this, would they be proud of me?

Are my comments inappropriate?

Do I have too much personal information available? NEVER a good idea.

If my current or future employer saw this, what would they think? Do you portray the image they represent?

It is crucial that we realize that social networking sites can be damaging to your professional life. You don’t have to cancel everything, just begin to think twice about what you say and do online. Privacy is truly a thing of the past. Crazy nights may come and go, but what is online is available forever! Think twice future grads!

How Facebook pulled me in

Like most young adults, I had a MySpace long before I had a Facebook account. I was invited to join Facebook by a girl I went to school with in Paris last summer. Ashley, a student in Michigan, started a group for those of us attending the International Studies Abroad program in Paris and invited everyone to join. I reluctantly joined, as I had no friends on there.
I met all of my future classmates on our “ISA Paris Summer Abroad 2007” group. It was an incredible experience. We were able to introduce ourselves, talk about class schedules, travel plans and concerns, and where to find some of the random art supplies we needed. I bonded with a girl Alex from Brooklyn who shared my same schedule and living arrangement. As my time spent on Facebook began to grow, my time spent on MySpace dwindled. Facebook provided me an outlet to connect with people who were sharing the same experience as I was.
Almost a year after my summer abroad, Facebook is still the main form of communication between all of my friends I made while studying in Paris. My best friends from Paris and I talk every week through a “thread” on Facebook. Threads allow all of us to have a continuous and private conversation. Facebook is our cyber meeting place.

The groups on Facebook provide a platform for people to meet, discuss and spend time. Unlike MySpace, it seems that Facebook has created a forum that connects users, not just by being friends, but by interests, colleges, and cities. As Facebook continues to grow and become more popular, MySpace users will continue to follow the masses to Facebook. That is, until the next wave of social networking is created.

Myspace a better ad buy???

It is no secret that Myspace and Facebook can take up a considerable amount of one’s day, but it seems that as these sites are becoming more advanced, people are picking social networking over television. According to a recent Australian study of 18-24 year olds, this market is choosing networking over television.

“The UK research showed 45 per cent of all 18-24 users said they would rather spend a spare 15 minutes on a social networking site instead of in front of the TV, reading, talking on their mobile or playing video games.” (http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,26278,23278095-5007185,00.html)

This begs the question, what do social networking sites offer that television can’t? Perhaps it is because sites like Myspace and Facebook are customized to what the individual wants. It is your friends and your interests, in short it’s all about you. The recent writers strike in Hollywood has halted production on most TV shows for almost three months. But, is this a valid reason for the shift in attention from Hollywood entertainment to personal entertainment?

The writers strike isn’t helping, but the addiction to Myspace and Facebook has been growing for years. Even entertainers, nightclubs, restaurants, and businesses seem to have been pulled in by the allure of social networking. Advertising on these sites seems to be the smartest way to reach this target market.

Soon enough, cost efficient viral marketing on social networking sites will be more productive than purchasing a million dollar spot on TV shows like American Idol or events like the Super Bowl. If this trend continues it will begin to be seen in advertising dollars spent and values of advertising will shift. What will social networking cause next?

Everyone’s a social networker…and they may not even know it!

After conducting a focus group and surveying over 150 20-somethings across the country, I discovered that the definition of social networking is so loose, that many people don’t even realize how “in it” they are.

Social networking began with AOL instant messaging, or AIM in May of 1997. The progress since has been staggering with the rise of social networking sites, blogging, text messaging, emailing and even twittering. Eighty percent surveyed did not associate instant or text messaging with social networking. Social networking IS NOT just Myspace and Facebook!

As the social networking phenomenon continues, technological advances will continue to redefine and expand the ways we connect and what it means to network.

So…what exactly is social networking??

Social networking is an ever-evolving phenomenon. Social networking encompasses traditional and non-traditional forms of networking.

This blog will focus on the non-traditional/technologically savvy ways of social networking; this will include email, blogging, instant messaging, text messaging, social networking sites, and even twittering. These applications allow a new generation of networkers many new ways to connect and for many different purposes; connecting with friends and family, business networking, dating, and provides a sense of community for its participants.

A change of heart…

This blog has been re-formated to discuss and analyze the trends in social networking. Social networking includes sites like Facebook and Myspace, instant messaging functions like AIM, MSN and Yahoo Messenger and blogs. Today’s young adults are getting their information and networking faster than ever before. I will be reporting on the trends in this ever-changing field.