Digital Communication Past, Present, Future - Drexel University Lecture

The New Digital Media LandscapeThe New Digital Media Landscape The media atmosphere has The media atmosphere has evolved, and is continuing to evolved, and is continuing to develop, at a rapid pacedevelop, at a rapid pace

Who generates media and how it is generated How media and news is consumed How media and news spreads Consumer reaction to the news is visible A new cycle and agenda

NEIL HOROWITZ DREXEL SMT AUGUST 2014

The New Digital Media LandscapeThe New Digital Media Landscape


THE DECISION THE DECISION 2.02.0

How did YOU find out about it?

What, if anything, did you DO after learning of the news?

How does information break, flow, and spread?


Ubiquitous nature of media

Everyone and everything is media

Metrics and the media

The evolution of mass media

Online branding

The interest graph and social graph dichotomy



Ubiquitous nature of media

Velocity of media

Numerous platforms for delivery

Social media – news and information with context



Everyone and everything is media


The New Digital Media LandscapeThe New Digital Media Landscape Mobile and first-hand nature of news (we can all be reporters, we can all break news)



Social media / Internet literacy:

A new necessity in education



Sports teams and organizations no longer control the message

(but they can frame it, they can listen, and they can cultivate a brand / team perception)


LA KINGS →

← BOSTON CELTICS


Positives and Negatives of the New EraPositives and Negatives of the New Era



Rumors and misconceptions and lies can spread quickly



Endless avenues for publishing –

Medium, Tumblr, Word Press, etc.



An increasingly “gotcha” society An increasingly “gotcha” society (business examples, too, especially (business examples, too, especially for sports)for sports)


The New Digital Media LandscapeThe New Digital Media LandscapeAttention whores: Trend toward Attention whores: Trend toward polarizing, share-able, respond-polarizing, share-able, respond-able, viral, content able, viral, content



Polarizing personalities, snarky, disparaging, comedic, provocative



Sports media taking strong, polarizing Sports media taking strong, polarizing stances stances



Metrics in the MediaMetrics in the Media


The New Digital Media LandscapeThe New Digital Media LandscapeReinforce teams trying to control the Reinforce teams trying to control the

message and be fans' trusted, message and be fans' trusted, official source official source


The New Digital Media LandscapeThe New Digital Media Landscape Content and media meld with Content and media meld with marketing marketing



Content → Content → traffic/subscription/impressionstraffic/subscription/impressions

→ → opportunities to serve opportunities to serve marketing messages and offersmarketing messages and offers

““Earning the right to mix marketing and Earning the right to mix marketing and content.” content.”

(Tampa Bay Lightning)(Tampa Bay Lightning)


The New Digital Media LandscapeThe New Digital Media LandscapeNext level: Next level:

Identifying most popular content Identifying most popular content

Identifying content that drives Identifying content that drives transactionstransactions



Next level: Next level:

Content that contains marketing Content that contains marketing messages or sponsorships thereinmessages or sponsorships therein




How content is consumed (mobile, geo, etc.) How content is consumed (mobile, geo, etc.) and by whom and by whom


The New Digital Media LandscapeThe New Digital Media LandscapeBrands and teams Brands and teams

are the media are the media companies now; companies now; producing producing content content alongside alongside traditional media traditional media brethrenbrethren

- Teams have in-- Teams have in-

house hosts, house hosts, producers, producers, writers/reporters, writers/reporters, etc.)etc.)




Personalized messages + offers based on Personalized messages + offers based on content consumption & other user datacontent consumption & other user data



Quality content vs. content that Quality content vs. content that gets clicks, engagement, growth, gets clicks, engagement, growth, etc.etc.



““Click-bait,” BuzzFeed-like lists, Click-bait,” BuzzFeed-like lists, etc.etc.



Drowning in data, but what data Drowning in data, but what data MEANS somethingMEANS something


→ → tying to tying to business business objectives nowobjectives now

→ measuring the → measuring the value-add, or value-add, or trying to, of trying to, of journalists; also journalists; also consider consider audience audience ownershipownership


Who drives the sports Who drives the sports conversation & content? conversation & content?

→ → Social media informs ESPN or vice-Social media informs ESPN or vice-versa?versa?



The evolution of mass media The evolution of mass media (largely driven (largely driven by sports!)by sports!)


The New Digital Media LandscapeThe New Digital Media LandscapeThird-party mega mass media distribution Third-party mega mass media distribution (newspapers)(newspapers)

→ → More interest-based media (magazines, radio, More interest-based media (magazines, radio, TV) TV)

→ → Social media (consuming content similar to Social media (consuming content similar to friends/family) friends/family) → Interest-based: media resurgence → Interest-based: media resurgence (Internet/World Wide Web) (Internet/World Wide Web) → Social and interest graphs clash and combine → Social and interest graphs clash and combine (social media)(social media)→ Media becomes uber-personalized and, in many → Media becomes uber-personalized and, in many cases, 1-to-1 (Snapchat, WhatsApp, native cases, 1-to-1 (Snapchat, WhatsApp, native ads/content, etc.) ads/content, etc.)


The New Digital Media LandscapeThe New Digital Media LandscapeThe growing importance of the The growing importance of the individual and one-to-one individual and one-to-one communicationcommunication

1) Sales and marketing perspective1) Sales and marketing perspective

2) Brand and reputation perspective2) Brand and reputation perspective

3) “Influencers” 3) “Influencers”


The New Digital Media LandscapeThe New Digital Media LandscapeThe changing (diminishing) attention The changing (diminishing) attention

span:span: A focus on snackable, shareable, A focus on snackable, shareable,

visual contentvisual content



Quality media content as a form Quality media content as a form of relationship and brand of relationship and brand building over timebuilding over time



Where it's headed: Where it's headed:

- Increasingly visual, shorter (symbols, - Increasingly visual, shorter (symbols, emojis)emojis)

- Device-agnostic (mostly mobile)- Device-agnostic (mostly mobile)

- Personalized- Personalized

- Programmatic- Programmatic



Online Branding: Little to no Online Branding: Little to no burden of entry in media these burden of entry in media these days = YOUR OPPORTUNITY days = YOUR OPPORTUNITY


The New Digital Media LandscapeThe New Digital Media Landscape How I got here; who Google'd me? Who How I got here; who Google'd me? Who am I? Who are you?am I? Who are you?



Ability to connect with Ability to connect with peers and peers and leadersleaders in the industry; learn from in the industry; learn from them, networkthem, network

Be proactiveBe proactive Make contactMake contact Build brandBuild brand Twitter chatsTwitter chats LinkedIn, et al. LinkedIn, et al.



Share + create contentShare + create content

→ → Become a media company Become a media company YOURSELFYOURSELF



Start a blogStart a blogPublish on LinkedInPublish on LinkedInUse an RSS reader Use an RSS reader Follow leaders on social mediaFollow leaders on social mediaMake statements and tag othersMake statements and tag othersStart & participate in conversationsStart & participate in conversationsLEARN and demonstrate knowledge LEARN and demonstrate knowledge Share best practicesShare best practicesKeep track of the industry Keep track of the industry

endless array of suggestions... endless array of suggestions...



Embrace the interest graph now Embrace the interest graph now inherent in digital and social mediainherent in digital and social media




Reach out and discover and connect with Reach out and discover and connect with others in the industryothers in the industry Advance conversation and innovation and Advance conversation and innovation and creativity in the industrycreativity in the industry Engage with like-minded individuals!Engage with like-minded individuals! Become a thought leader (or at least aspire Become a thought leader (or at least aspire to do so!)to do so!) Use your time productivelyUse your time productively

Every day is a chance to learn something Every day is a chance to learn something newnew Every day is a chance to make a meaningful Every day is a chance to make a meaningful connectionconnection Every day is a chance to do something greatEvery day is a chance to do something great



QUESTIONS FOR MEQUESTIONS FOR ME

FURTHER POINTS OF DISCUSSIONFURTHER POINTS OF DISCUSSION

TAKING NEXT STEPS TAKING NEXT STEPS



Learn more about me:

Website/podcast: Website/podcast: www.dsmsports.net

LinkedIn: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/neilhorowitz

Twitter / Instagram: @njh287Twitter / Instagram: @njh287

http://www.dsmsports.net/

http://www.linkedin.com/in/neilhorowitz



It's mostly all a fun and better world...

Digital Communication Past, Present, Future - Drexel University Lecture

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Transcript of Digital Communication Past, Present, Future - Drexel University Lecture