wallydownundy

Beth Comstock started her career in TV in Virginia - and was once head of GE’s head of communications.  She led GE’s marketing and has now moved over to President, NBC Universal Integrated Media.  Her discussion is focused on the view of new media from a media company’s perspective.

Today is the golden age of media - very exciting but also chaotic.  On their PCs while watching television and reading a magazine.  This overflow can keep us all up at night.

“Continuous Partial Attention” - everyday we have a sliver of a person’s attention.  Every day we use 12 hours of media (compared with 7.6 hours of sleep and 9.1 hours of work). 

When a new technology hits 40% of the USA households they are considered “mainstream.”  Most recently video games went mainstream.  Video-enable cell phone services at only 3% of households. 

Generational change is happening with new technologies.  Great slide with the various generations and asked them, what technology can you not live without?  Boomers can’t live without TV (62%), but Gen Y can’t live without cell phone (64%).  Gen Y can live without newspapers, magazines and books (12%) versus Boomers %54%). 

In the world, USA is 24th with broadband penetration - whereas Korea is 1st (94% of households).  Major growth in streaming video - how does that threaten television? New segments of the market are being defined - such as iPod Video.  Some specific consumers like the mobility and it seems to be a growth, versus a cannibalisation.  People use it to catch up on their viewing (a la TiVo).  But it also allows people to keep in touch with the brands they are passionate about (like NBC’s show “Heroes).  “The pie is getting bigger.  The segment is growing,” said Comstock.

Developing new, premium video product that allows users to subscribe to downloadable and portable video.

Trends? First - the consumer is more in control.  Technology is here and I want to be part of it.  Interaction is not enough.  They want to be in the middle of the company - take NBC’s content, mash it up and develop something unique.  Video is liberated and its going everywhere.  In Shanghai there’s a fashion company that created video in a belt buckle.  “I’m just not sure how you watch it,” quips Comstock to audience laughs. 

Mobility and personalisation - you watch TV in bed and I’ll download the game.  Video is following music - why you’ll pay $3.99 for a personalised ring-tone but only 99 cents for the full song.  Because the ring tone is personalised!

Micro personalisation: I want news right down to my neighbourhood.  Community is personalised in a whole new way - such as the woman who has a Yahoo! Group studying 17th century Irish literature.  There aren’t dozens of members - there are thousands.

Web 2.0 makes way for Web 3.0.  Great to see AWPS members attending the tutorial on Web 2.0.  What is that? The ability to connect and interact - social media, communities.

Web 3.0 means knowing us intuitively as consumers and serving the information we specifically need.  We won;t have to search for the information we want - it will find us.  Greatest development coming out of Japan, Korea and China.  There the trend is convergence of mobile phones and Internet. 

Beth is particularly interested in on-line gaming and virtual worlds.  Fastest growing segment of on-line gaming is women 25 to 54. 

What’s fascinating are the growth of the economies in virtual worlds.  People paying virtual money to get virtual goods (eg, new sword).  Economist estimated the GDP of the virtual world is between $7 and $12 billion (more than GDP of Bolivia).  This year first Second Life Millionaire - she created real estate and then sold it on and traded it for money in the real world.  It’s still small only about 1,500 people a month make $500 to $800 per month.  Yet this is a trend to watch.

Ubiquity - we are always connected.  We’ll find value when and how we connect and filter through all the options. 

New research: Who is using the Internet and how?  Demographics are not about age and sex - instead it’s how you use your time on-line.  They divide by six segments:

1. Info Hounds - connected all the time and want to know first
2. Life Managers - I need to get stuff done: Book holidays, do banking.  The Internet is their connection to getting work done.  “I come to the Internet because I have to get stuff done - and I want to have a little bit of fun,” said Comstock.  “Let them manage but then let them escape.”
3. Escapists - I’m not taking a cigarette break but I need to get out a little.
4. Self Expressers - Self-professed experts empowered.
5. Creators - Less than 10% of user base, will create their own story, their own video
6. Connectors - Helps me stay in touch with my friends and families.

The messaging and content varies depending on users.

“Surfing is so over,” said Comstock.  We go to the same five sites every day - we don’t surf the Internet. 

The vision of NBC Universal: Know viewers so well, we serve content they don’t even know they like yet…a world where content follows the viewers. 

This does raise privacy issues. 

Three principles:

1. Be completely consumer-centric
2. Gather insights at every step
3. Create unique experiences that are right for the medium

NBC Universal acquired iVillage - a social community connecting predominantly women.  This was a site to connect with one another, so making the connections was more important.  A robust community is TTC - Trying to Conceive.  Even a community called “Target-aholics” for people who love shopping at Target! 

The community is influenced by several people who drive the tone, content.  NBC Universal has 2,500 community leaders who act as the regulating system. 

Everyone talks about this - but few people do this and understand it.  NBC Universal created a “living room of the future” to give people first-hand opportunities.  There are different modes and how people use new media (Voter, Theorist, Insider, Artist, Blogger, etc). 

One recent program NBC Universal ran was very successful - The Ultimate Search for Bourne.  A tie-in with Google and You Tube to have people seek for Jason Bourne on-line. 

What does it mean as communicators? We should be trend-spotting experts.  We need to go to where the users are - we can't wait for people to come to us.  Just advertising on FaceBook isn't enough.  You have to seed this as far and wide as possible.  Make great content and put it where people can find it.

"No one in this room's job just got easier with all these tools," said Comstock.