Strumpette’s comments in last week’s interview on the blog bubble bursting were certainly strong and thought provoking. It’s a common opinion that surfaces on the blogosphere relatively frequently. Yet, this seems to be more of a “our way of things is not endangered” mentality then one backed in economic realities. So I felt compelled to write a counterpoint, and so our first entry this week is dedicated to new media’s staying power.
Naysayers compare this to the dot-bomb crash or the VC bubble of the nineties. The dot-bomb crash in the nineties was an IPO-driven quagmire with executives starting companies on promise and no business plan. There were no users. The new media revolution is a user-driven event with consumers and increasingly business users driving content creation. Instead of businesses trying to find customers, this time businesses are trying to play catch-up with their customers. This great demand for new content distinguishes blogs, video driven content and other social media.
Created with purpose — whether it’s entertainment, simply publishing an online journal or promotion — this content was created to communicate. And so it has taken mindshare away from traditional media. New media creation has given everyone a voice (good or bad), and as such has provided great freedom.
Further, now that everyone has a voice mass, monolithic media forms are suddenly being held accountable by some of their readers/viewers. I am a moderate on the negative impact suffered by old media from this sudden change. The major brands still and will have authority, but at the same time, they are challenged to become more relevant to their changing target audience.Old content vehicles will need to evolve to continue to be major information sources.
There’s no better example of this than USA Today.com’s recent revamp, which allows it’s readers to comment on all stories. Seems to me that the USA Today team got the message.
Gen Y and Brian Solis
Even more interesting is the generational break of Generation Y towards social media. Gen Y cares very little about what Baby Boomers and Gen Xers like Strumpette and I think about their entertainment habits. Waggener Edstrom President Frank Shaw may think the world is overreacting about blogs, but I think this is a generational mistake. Sounds like grandpa saying, “That rock ‘n’ roll’s just a bunch of noise!” And as Baby Boomers retire, there will be very little choice for PR folks and marketers. New media will have to be reckoned with because the next generation of buyers communicates differently.
In another Buzz Bin interview, PR 2.0’s Brian Solis also discussed some of the reasons why the new media world is not likely to implode, “The main difference between now and then is that companies are focusing on building products and services – and also a community around them – before they even think about taking VC money.”
Brian goes on to say, “Web 2.0 opened the door to a more interactive Web. Office 2.0 is helping businesses become more productive wherever, whenever. Enterprise 2.0 is streamlining internal and external workflow, processes and services. This time around, it’s about solutions. It’s not based on hype, but rather, capabilities and community.”
There’s a usefulness to some of the new media that’s not been seen before. The best example of this is the ongoing push to make Google Earth and other mapping technologies relevant, everyday tools for businesses and consumers alike. But here are many, many others from Second Life down to Blogger.
Content Shake-Up
Strumpette’s right in one sense. Some of this content will fail, and there will be a shake-out. That’s because a lot of the new content is garbage. It’s uninteresting, it’s mindless blather or shameless corporate promotion that frankly is not compelling. As such the lack of interest will grow.
With increased competition from new content creators it will be harder to distinguish content. Some of the new content creators are real, others are attracted by the hubris of Web 2.0 and as such they will fade away into the night. This content is not meant for blogs, or You Tube, and the bandwagon creators will find some other interest. This may be the extent of the so-called blog bubble.
But content will continue to evolve and that means better quality and more interesting new media for all of us. It’s a Darwinistic survival of new media’s fittest. And in the end, content is king.
Monday quotes
Here are the weekly quotes to get your week going:
- “One can survive everything nowadays, except death, and live down anything, except a good reputation,� Oscar Wilde.
- “A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for,â€? William Shedd.
- “All genuine progress results from finding new facts,� Wheeler McMillan.
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