Janet Johnson | The Art of Marketing

If you’re in technology or telecommunications, you’ve been thinking about/hearing about convergence (define) for more than 10 years. The vision of watching TV and making voice calls on your PC became a reality at the turn of the millennium. But the world of convergence is just now starting to get fun.

In a ClickZ report from this week’s CES, Ian Shafer gives us a glimpse of tomorrow’s convergence reality: convergence comes into our homes (and yes, cars - the big splashy headlines from CES were all about cars). Ian noted (emphasis mine):

“The set-top box was pretty absent from many CES exhibits, replaced by LCDs and plasmas with their own CMSs (define) and Internet access. LG, Samsung, Panasonic, and other TV manufacturers had on-screen displays featuring RSS feeds, programming guides, and promises of “no cable box needed” viewing. These will present valuable advertising opportunities, and both manufacturers and advertisers and their agencies should start talking now….

….Another fascinating development at CES was the frequent use of the word “share.” Every new feature of every device seemed to enable not only content sharing but discovery of new content and connections to “friends” as well. This all but confirms that social media is here to stay, and all media may be social in the very near future. This puts added pressure on advertisers to figure this social media “thing” out.”

Roll Your Own Coverage
In a world where I can watch YouTube videos on my TV; and where I can set up persistent RSS searches for topics and subjects that interest me, I will be producing my own TV channels. Can you imagine the 2010 Olympics coverage we’ll be able to see and interact with when unfettered from network television, and in the hands of actual attendees with global perspectives?

Suddenly the writers’ strike is both more meaningful and more irrelevant when content and the ability to publish to the masses is within virtually everyone’s grasp.

Simultaneously we’re witnessing improved access to content (available any time, anywhere); and we’re witnessing the loss of control (I can create, edit, publish and share) of content and brands into the hands of consumers.

RSS and CMS - Coming to a Home Theatre Near You
Marketers have generally known that content has always been king. But there are other conceptual issues they’ve not been as quick to grasp. What does their information look like beyond their web site and glossy brochures? Does it speak to today’s audience? The world is a noisy place! And (as my friend Paul says) “You’re either watching the screen or on the screen, baby!”

Getting your content on their screens:

1. Proper tagging - if you don’t know how people search for products you offer, imagine how hard it will be for folks to find your content in this brave new world. Marketers will be forced to create, tag and publish content that speaks the way their consumers search - so they will be able to find your products easily. I can see a need for folksonomy (define) expertise in the marcom group.
2. Social channels of distribution - if you’re not working on a YouTube strategy and content for your company today, you’re missing an opportunity to get in (relatively) early and establish thought leadership for your company and products. And, as you can see, you’ll miss a channel (soon to be a literal TV channel) for distribution.
3. RSS fluency - every marketer should be using RSS to track and deliver news, information, and conversations. But it’s not enough to distribute RSS feeds. If you’re not yet familiar with how RSS works from a consumer’s perspective, get engaged and consume. Download an RSS Reader (I use Attensa’s - they’re a client of mine) and start consuming the information you’re delivering. You’ll be able to see quickly whether the information you’re putting out there is properly branded, interesting, relevant and (therefore) consumed. And (as I’ve beaten to death in this blog) you’ll be way more productive as you use RSS as a key information tool.
4. Fresh information - think of your marketing group as a publishing empire. Fresh content is the only way you’ll stay in front of your consumer’s attention. Content Management Systems (CMS) are becoming cheaper and easier to control. The sooner you can implement one for your organization, the better. Your productivity will go through the roof.

Get ready now - within two years we’ll be facing a whole new world of marketing challenges. These are today’s… they’re converging right now, and coming soon to a home theatre near you.

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