Central to the issue of media convergence, is that consumers are in control of what, when, where and how they consume information and entertainment.
What they choose to consume, at any time, wherever they are and on whatever media platform, are all choices enabled by technology that can turn almost any device—from mobile phones, PDAs, MP3 players and games consoles—into mobile, 24/7, multi-functional infotainment tools that compete for consumers’ precious time and money.
But more than just a matter of choice, convergence is, as industry analyst Paul Budde says, also about facilitating and driving media personalisation.
This convergence-driven personalisation of media explains much of the popularity of blogs and podcasts—two terms that would have drawn blank stares a few years ago, but that are now shaping the new rules of media content and distribution—rules that some say reflect the “democratisation” as well as the fragmentation of media.
What has been fuelled by the consumer’s personal desire to share their interests and opinions on blogs or as audio podcasts, has now gained so much traction that media organisations, corporations and even public figures are now getting on the bandwagon.
“If you can’t beat them (back to the TV set, newspaper or radio), you may as well join them,” is the increasingly common, and logical, catchcry. Because with an internet connection anyone can become a blogger or online ‘journalist’.
And as the weblog’s audio (and potentially video), equivalent, podcasts can turn anyone with basic equipment, into a digital broadcaster, while anyone with an MP3 player can listen to a podcast.
The Washington Post, the Philadelphia Daily News and Forbes magazine, are examples of traditional print media houses that have starting their own podcasts.
Britain’s BBC, the US National Public Radio, and Virgin Radio UK are also podcasting, while America’s ABC News and NBC News will soon offer TV newscasts as on-demand audio podcasts over the web.
In Australia, ABC Radio, SBS, Austereo and DMG Radio are trialling podcasts of selected radio content—a smart move, given TV and print media are still trying to mitigate the internet’s effects on the business bottom line, and commercial radio may soon find itself in a similar situation of trying to claw back listeners who prefer their own private podcasting world— one in which they get to be the DJ and adverts and loud-mouth shock jocks don’t exist.
Yahoo Australia & New Zealand managing director, Cliff Rosenberg, is spot on when he says “convergence reflects the move away from ‘mass media to my media’”.
It’s a philosophy the advertisers are also starting to understand as blue chip brands such as Volvo and IBM shell out money for podcast initiatives. In the case of Volvo, the carmaker will spend about $80,000 sponsoring autoblog.com for six months and will also fund the launch of the autoblog podcasts. IBM is teaming up with CIOmagazine to deliver weekly podcasts on IBM-branded MP3 players (See B&T story page 3).
For a concept that didn’t even really exist a couple of year ago, podcasts have come a long way to mobilising the attention (and money) of media companies and advertisers into pre-emptive action.
