This week I read "Made to Engage," "Does the Internet Make You Smarter?," "Does the Internet Make You Dumber?, "Books 2.0 (NPR Media)," and "Gil and Frank on the Newspaper Industry." I did encounter a few technical problems. When I tried to view podcasts or videos during the week the link did not work on Angel. It went to a page that said it could not display the page. I fixed this by trying again over the weekend and was able to gain access. The problem I had was that at some point I said to deliver only information that was secure which blocked the links.
As far as topics and subtopics, I realized how important the "live web" is to Marketing 2.0. As I use digital technologies such as Wiki, social networks, widgets, Ajax, etc, I seldom realize what their impact is on marketing. From my marketing course, I bought into the 4 P's of marketing but never thought about what type of media I actually engage in. Very rarely do I watch advertisements on TV--most of the advertisements I remember reached me through either my mobile phone or the computer as I searched for products and information. The "so what" about this is that as the Age of Engage is here, it is constantly changing, and it is what matters in marketing right now.
How fast marketing is changing makes it an interesting topic to study because the only way to learn is by staying current on the latest technology and trends. The first big takeaway I have from this course is that marketing is now a continuous process--it is not something to simply address and then move on to other strategic planning. It has to be part of everyday operations and even what we learn right now may be obsolete in a year or two.
I tend to side with the "internet makes you smarter" side of the coin. I see what is happening throughout the middle east and I cannot help but think the dissemination of information throughout that region (because of the internet) is fundamental to the change that the people want to see. Sure there are many distractions on the internet and if you are able to browse while you should be paying attention to a lecture you will not absorb as much material--but the ability of anyone to find information on anything is astonishing. I have access to world class institutions, courses, diagrams, maps, books, how-to's, you name it.
As far as newspapers are concerned, I think the biggest challenge is how well companies can handle the transition from traditional income flows to internet subscription and online/mobile advertising revenues. Marketing will play a huge role in that transition.
Claire,
ReplyDeleteYou say in your first post that you want to learn how you can make digital technology work for you. Do you mean in terms of your ordinary life or as a business? I suppose it's both, but the answers and the strategies might be very different.
You came out of the side of the "internet makes you smarter." I agree, in general. I really don't see how it could make you dumber. Not when we've had television for the past 60 years and that is totally passive and caters only to the lower common denominator for the largest audience. The internet is not very old, but it already has made a huge difference. I personally find myself looking up facts and other information every day (several times a day, actually).
Newpapers are certainly struggling to find a way to survive. The New York Times recently began charging a subscription fee. I personally was reading for free every morning on my iPad and was a bit chagrinned when the pay barrier went up. However, I decided to buy it. It's $5.00 per month - less than one copy of the NYT Sunday edition.
Good posts. Keep up the good work.
Frank