Making New Connections

Unveiling Journalists' Stamps

The multipurpose hall on the second floor of the Baker Student Center was not as packed full as I expected on the 30th of April, 2008 at 2pm. But, the speakers who are seasoned practitioners were on hand to shed light on “Making New Connections: Social Networking, Blogs and Mobile Media”. There were three speakers:

Bob Benz, a Partner in Maroon Ventures. He served previously as vice president of interactive media for E.W. Scripps Co.'s newspaper division and as editor on "The Plutonium Experiment," which earned a Pulitzer Prize. Benz has also served on Ohio University Scripps School of Journalism Advisory Board.
Randy Ludlow, a veteran reporter with The Columbus Dispatch who continues to do the job of sourcing for credible information and passing same to his readers through his newspaper and web log reports on public records and First Amendment issues. Mr. Ludlow was named 2006 Best Reporter of the Year by the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists.
Steven Siegel, vice president of the HipCricket, a mobile marketing company. He worked previously in the same position at Enpocket (now Nokia Ad Solutions). To his credit are numerous brand accounts and mobile adverts including the History Channel, McDonalds, Verizon Wireless, Sprint and New York Times.

I was most thrilled by Mr. Siegel’s presentation about the hip, progressive and cool impact of mobile telephone marketing. According to him, HipCricket was set up as a mobile marketing solution provider in 2004 to tap into the idea of reaching everyone everywhere through text messaging which offered the advantage of transmitting codes and images. The developments in journalism have led reporters to seek systems that will ensure feedback from readers; journalists now anticipate and keep a tab on e-mail responses which are much faster than the snail mail to get a feel of readers’ responses. Instead of waiting for responses, mobile marketing means people can be reached in real time with consumer focused adverts. Mobile marketing provider track what works and what does not and usually make adjustments towards achieving the desired result.

Though able to reach everyone who has access to a mobile network, those reached by mobile marketing is permission based. People have an opportunity to get on the marketing route by sending messages to a short code to subscribe. According to Siegel, the present generation of young people has enough skills to tune into and tune out of mobile marketing which is often targeted at certain demographics for best result. One thing Mr. Siegel did not talk about but which was apparent in one of his examples is the deception inherent, in mobile marketing. When a popular television figure approached HipCricket for promotion of his program, the responses received went beyond the target because respondents believed the text came from Dog the Bounty Hunter directly.

Mobile marketing thrives on customer loyalty and is tailored toward creating a lifetime friendship and ultimately a lifetime value with and for the client. Through the adverts, the brand connects with the consumer with a promise to deliver the value promised. The mobile marketer rides on the wings of the values already offered by the mobile device e.g. ring tones, streaming, videos, games, wall paper, internet access.

2.7 billion people use at least one mobile device. Over 50% of those who are below 34 years use mobile phones for text messaging while the majority of those between the ages of 34 and 44 years use the mobile device more to access the web. The mobile telephone has become a digital extension of self. The WAP (wireless application protocol) has opened up more opportunities via the mobile phone. This led mobile marketers to go beyond traditional advertising to connect to people even during festivals. HipCricket teamed up with Jameson, America’s fastest growing whiskey brand, to send “unique Irish toasts” through assorted humorous, entertaining, and thought-provoking text messages to whiskey fans over the course of one month in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.

The moderator of the session, Professor Bernhard Debatin, did a great job of tying the different presentation together; he pointed out the breach in border lines between what was formerly considered sacred, private and public using the example of phones going off in churches and people making calls in the presence of others who may even be strangers. He defined the benefits of mobile phones using three terms, namely, immediacy, connectivity and ubiquity. Power according to him is not the access to mobile devices but the decision not to answer phones when it calls the owner or user to order via the ring tone.

Participants at the session were not dormant they asked questions and made comments which led the speakers to speak more about the advantages and disadvantages of making new connections via blogs and mobile phones. Though browsing helps to search out stories it also excludes important stories which bloggers focus on from time to time. Whereas personalized information is great and ensures receivers do not get spams but it also means people may lose important general interest stories. Out-blogging the unprofessional bloggers would have helped to define the borders for professional blogging instead there has been “coopetition” cooperation and competition which has led to the kind of camaraderie which resulted in bloggers and journalists linking to each other’s stories.