How News Is Really Made Courtesy of Charlie Brooker

Take three and enjoy.

Apple’s iPad, Apollo 13 and The Media Industry

During the past 18 months I’ve been having lots of conversations about rethinking media. A month ago while speaking with several Conde Nast employees I used an example from Apollo 13 as my thesis for what media has to do today. In honor of Apple’s Tablet iPad, I thought I would share my entire thought processes in one, one minute clip.

Best Damn Weekend: Beaver Creek Park Hyatt

Spent this past weekend at the Beaver Creek Park Hyatt and all the ‘you-can’t-even-afford-beer’ jokes aside, it was a wonderful weekend I hope to do again sometime. The skiing was good, and the warm chocolate chip cookies at the end of the day were heavenly. Took a few pics while I was there and wanted to share. The food is from 8100, a spectacular slopeside dinning experience complete with low ambient lighting and a beautiful center fireplace.

Want to Stand Out? Do Five Minutes of Research and Then Contact the Person.

This weekend I got an email from an editor asking me for my contact info. I had to wonder how much time the editor spent looking at my website and if he/she had decided to Google me. If they had, they could have found my contact info including phone number, email, Twitter account, Facebook page and LinkedIn profile on my blog, website, and a variety of other websites.

Am I calling the editor lazy? No. But I am surprised by the amount of people who choose to ask for information instead of just going out themselves and finding it.

The truth is, to stand out today it’s important to do at least five minutes of research online to get your bearings. If you don’t know anything about the person your contacting the conversations value can be reduced to simple questions you might not have needed to ask.

So next time you reach out to connect with someone take five and do some research. The results will pay off.

Bliss

Sometimes all life needs is an infinity pool, the ocean and a bar.

Shot’s from Infinity Bay in Roatan, Honduras.

New York Times Online To Charge For Content, But Does Anyone Really Care?

The New York Times announced today that starting next year they will be charging for select content online. Of course the media world is all a twitter about the announcement and articles about the decision are getting some pretty hot comments. But does anyone really care outside of media and a small piece of America? Next week when Apple is scheduled to releases it’s highly anticipated iSlate the entire face of journalism is supposed to change. So why then are we making such a huge deal about something that is already being done by several other publications including the Wall Street Journal? I’m curious about what you think. Does this really effect you?

Is Your Brand Ready For The Apple iSlate?

The Apple iSlate, otherwise known as the-only-possible-thing-on-the-planet-that-can-save-media, is supposed to be released next week by Apple and the media is scrambling to be ready. But what are you doing to get your own brand in place to take on this new technology?

Not sure? Consider the following:

• If Apple does in fact release the iSlate, magazines and media companies will be turning to advertisers in droves to fill their new digital properties. This means ads will need to be placed next to interactive content and possibly be interactive themselves. Is your brand ready to be interactive and have multiple campaigns?
• If you’re brands video is placed next to a Sports Illustrated video recap of last night’s NBA game, how will your video quality compare to the high definition video SI is using? Flip camera’s worked great last year, but now as mobile displays are able to distribute video in full hd will your ad take advantage of that?
• Advertising, or rather good advertising today, is all about storytelling and providing viewers with a story. With interactive ads, brands can now highlight personalities, product demonstrations, real-world situations and story lines that support their message and engage the viewer. Outdoor brands and travel brands have a strong advantage here. Who wouldn’t want to see yesterday’s snow conditions, check out interactive trail maps, and view 360-degree photos of hotel rooms when deciding if they were going to book a trip that weekend to their favorite resort?
• Are you still thinking one-way? Or are you using your ads to encourage conversation and participation? Advertising is no longer about putting out a message and expecting it to stick. We all know this, but for some reason advertisers are still approaching ads as if they were ads and not their own branded content. Most magazines have little to no online budget, so ads can take advantage of this and use various mediums to create their own content targeted specifically at iSlate users. For instance, if your brand was a rafting company, approaching your advertisement as a narrative travel story following a select number of guests, engages the viewer more than just a bunch of b-roll video with crappy copyright-free music. If you are thinking like a journalist, your brands advertisements will stick out. Big time.

There are many more ways brands can set themselves up for the iSlate and mobile advertising, but by far the largest step needs to be action. Like podcasting and iPhone Apps, the early adopters were able to grab market share quickly and stay ahead of the game by innovating along the way. So instead of wringing your hands, start small and build from there. Brands that do will succeed and I believe will stand out sometimes even more than the editorial content they are next to.

Ullr Parade Craziness at Breckenridge, Colorado

One part hollywood movie: Out Cold

Two parts small ski town: Breckenridge

A dash of German: Ullr

Five parts alcohol: PBR

And you get the Ullr parade down Main Street.

Enjoy

A somewhat humorous guide to revisions from a semi-talented writer, who is constantly made better.

Yes, I know you are probably editing the title. Good. That means you’ll laugh at this I hope.

Step 1: Call your mother or most supportive person in your life. Fish for a complement and write it down on a sticky note. Make sure to place said sticky note on your computer screen or printed out article. Refer to said sticky note whenever feeling down.

Step 2: Put on some classical music, but non of that take-over-the-world stuff. Think I-love-my-life-and-just-got-married. Flutes and harps are great for this.

Step 3: If you’re a drinker, put the bottle away. You will need this for when you’re done. If you’re not a drinker, grab a beer. The shock of hops will help subside the red ink flowing over your work.

Step 4: Read the editors comments — if there are any — about how you are on the right track. This will help immensely when reading “rewrite,” and “lame, please do not include.”

Step 5: Look at sticky note and begin.

Passion vs. Payment: Is Media’s Perceived Value Based on Passion?

If you expect people to do something at little to no cost because they are passionate about it, can you really expect to treat them as though they are well compensated employees set out to do a task? By tapping into passion, you are enabling a person to have a creative outlet, but you also run the risk of them standing by their creativity. So if media really wants to increase the perceived value of journalism should they be asking people to pour their heart and soul into something because they are passionate about it? Or because they are financially rewarded for their work and time? I can’t really imagine the first solution will last too much longer.