Transcript All That Twitters Is Not Gold Findings, case studies and

All That Twitters Is Not Gold
Findings, case studies and tools on forming strategies for online services
SRG Retreat
August 12, 2008
Sedona, AZ
1
SESSION OVERVIEW
A. Where are we now?
 Results of an “outside audit”
B. What’s the view ahead?
 Operating assumptions for
~ 3 years out
C. How are we navigating in
the online world?
 Station cases of note
D. Where are we in defining
our online strategies?
 Mapping an integrated view
E. What is our collective
agenda for greater online
significance?
 Station-based perspective
2
A. Where are we now?
“Outside audit” of 38 SRG member websites:
 5 major categories; 27 subcategories
 Anchored scale: 0 (nothing) to 5 (rich/enhanced)
with markers provided
 Calibrated (roughly) to public radio sites in
general and national public media sites
 Independent “auditor” from outside public radio
3
Summary: Five major categories
0
1
2
3
1. Providing information
about the station
4
5
3.1
2. Providing additional audio
programming access and
service
3.7
3. Supplementing broadcast
programming with
additional content
3.5
4. Providing content not
directly related to
broadcast programming
2.3
5. Stimulating listener/user
engagement and
interaction
2.3
none
basic/
minimal
solid
rich/
enhanced
4
1. Providing information about the station: subcategories
0
1
2
3
Overall
4
5
3.1
3.6
a. Programming
b. Plans and activities
3.1
c. Reception
3.3
d. Support
3.4
e. Staffing
2.9
f. Work opportunities
2.7
g. Station background
2.6
h. Governance
2.8
none
basic/
minimal
solid
rich/
enhanced
5
2. Providing additional audio programming access and
service: subcategories
0
1
2
3
Overall
4
5
3.7
a. Simulcast streaming of
broadcast programming
3.9
b. On-demand access to
broadcast programming
4.0
c. Continuous streaming of
web-only program service(s)
3.5
d. On-demand access to webonly programming
3.8
e. Syndication (push delivery)
of program content/updates
3.5
none
basic/
minimal
solid
rich/
enhanced
6
3. Supplementing broadcast programming with additional
content: subcategories
0
1
2
3
4
Overall
5
3.5
a. Lists, picks, sources
and links
3.3
b. Current information
updates and details
4.0
c. Extended and
enhanced program
content
3.2
none
basic/
minimal
solid
rich/
enhanced
7
4. Providing content not directly related to broadcast
programming: subcategories
0
1
2
Overall
3
4
5
2.3
a. Extended community
information
2.8
b. Select topical
information
2.7
c. Niche community
service
1.3
none
basic/
minimal
solid
rich/
enhanced
8
5. Stimulating listener/user engagement and interaction:
subcategories
0
1
2
Overall
3
4
2.3
a. Providing feedback and
making inquiries/requests
2.2
3.8
b. Supporting the station
3.2
c. Signing up
d. Participating in broadcast
programming
2.2
e. Providing opinions, ideas
and leads
2.2
f. Providing and sharing
content
2.1
g. Participating in topical
conversations
h. Participating in social
networks and
communities of interest
5
1.6
1.0
none
basic/
minimal
solid
rich/
enhanced
9
5. Stimulating listener/user engagement and interaction:
subcategories
0
1
2
Overall
3
4
2.3
a. Providing feedback and
making inquiries/requests
2.2
3.8
b. Supporting the station
3.2
c. Signing up
d. Participating in broadcast
programming
2.2
e. Providing opinions, ideas
and leads
2.2
f. Providing and sharing
content
2.1
g. Participating in topical
conversations
h. Participating in social
networks and
communities of interest
5
1.6
1.0
none
basic/
minimal
solid
rich/
enhanced
10
Additional site ratings and information
No ads
Very few,
small ads
Some adds on
most pages
Web advertising
Many ads, various
types, across site
2.7
0
1
2
Un-useable/
Un-viewable
Poor
3
4
Great
Average
Site navigation
5
3.7
3.8
Site appearance
0
Use of Public
Interactive
1
2
3
4
5
40%
60%
80%
100%
21%
0%
20%
11
Overall observations
 Some apps are proving sticky (Flickr, Google maps)
–
–
–
–
Local
Add missing visual content
Have a social, sharing dimension
Easy to implement
• Build a deep, well curated archive
• Link generously
• Social needs voice and presence
• More can also be less
Online staffing levels
How many full time equivalent (FTE) staff positions do
you have dedicated to all aspects of online work?
27%
1 FTE
40%
2 - 4 FTEs
5 - 7 FTEs
13%
8 - 10 FTEs
13%
7%
10 + FTEs
0%
Source: online survey of SRG members. n = 15
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
13
Online staffing reporting relationships
Where do the positions you have dedicated to online
work report within your organization?
40%
Separate online/web/digital unit
7%
Development
20%
Promotion
Programming
7%
IT
7%
Operations
7%
13%
Split departments
0%
Source: online survey of SRG members. n = 15
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
14
Online investment levels
We really missed seeing how the
web would grow and anticipating
the investments we would make
in it over the past 10 years.
What would you estimate as your total
spending for online services this year staff, contractors, bandwidth, etc.?
%Percent of total budget
21%
<=2%
36%
3-4%
14%
5-6%
21%
7-8%
7%
9-10%
0%
10%
Source: online survey of SRG members. n = 13, 14
20%
30%
40%
15
Usage comparison: monthly web visitors and
weekly radio cume – selected SRG members
MPR
WNYC
KQED
WGBH
OPB
WBEZ
WBUR
KPBS
KUOW
VPR
KJZZ
KWMU
WFPK
KBAQ
WPSU
WFPL
WUOL
Monthly Web Visitors
Weekly Radio Cume
0
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
1,200,000
Source: Google Analytics through Integrated Media Association Public Media Metrics, Arbitron through Radio Research Consortium
16
Usage comparison: Weekly streaming AQH and
weekly total AQH – selected SRG members
KQED
MPR
KVOD
OPB
KPCC
KUSC
WUNC
WBUR
KPBS
WGBH
KUT
WVPR
WBEZ
KERA
WTMD
WUOM
KWMU
WNPR
WFPK
WFPL
WRNI
WOI
WUOL
Streaming
AQH
Radio AQH
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
Source: Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Arbitron through Audience Research Analysis
17
B. What’s the view ahead?
Views for ~3 years out on:
1. Users’ media mix and desired experience
2. Role and value of local vs. global
3. Degree and pace of change in the media
environment
4. Degree and nature of the organization
change required
18
1. Users’ media mix and desired experience
ACCESS: “Democratization of platforms”
 Continued shifting to
online
“More shaving away at traditional
media, more reallocation of time”
 Significant mobile
access
“My iPhone experience is
convincing me”
 More “on demand”
streaming, downloads
and podcasts
“Radio will be catching up with
TV’s DVR and web realities”
 Radio listeners vs.
audio samplers?
“The jury’s really out”
19
1. Users’ media mix and desired experience
DEVICES & APPLICATIONS: incremental adoption
 Tools will remain much the same – it’s a matter of improved ease
of use driving adoption rates
 Continued noise, churn, stumbling and clinging until we get to the
“real smart phone”
 Innovation will be more on the software application side than new
killer hardware
 Potential for someone to figure out and dominate interoperability
(Google?)
20
1. Users’ media mix and desired experience
CONTENT: still the high ground
 Far more sites than sites producing content
 Content producers and owners remain the engine
STRATEGIES: still throwing darts and hedging
 “On a day to day basis I’m not exactly sure what people want from
us online”
 “There’s just this giant scramble to see what sticks”
 “Look at the web as a complement for what we are doing now, not
a replacement” (for now)
21
2. Role and value of local vs. global
UNRAVELING OF LOCAL MEDIA …
 “The biggest thing that we are seeing is the continued
deterioration of the newspaper industry”
 “Other media are stepping away from local coverage … and
putting a lot of people into early retirement”
 “There's a freefall in the diminution of local media, whether it's
newspapers, local TV stations or, now on the slope, commercial
radio”
 Asset values down precipitously; profits a fraction of the past;
content creation a smaller role
22
2. Role and value of local vs. global
LOCAL IS THE OPPORTUNITY …
 “The loss of print journalism puts more reliance on public media
institutions to provide content”
 “We have an opportunity and a challenge here to fill the gap”
 “We have a real role to play as long as we concentrate on local
issues”
 “Our goal here is local”
23
2. Role and value of local vs. global
BUT THE VALUE NEEDS TO BE THERE
 Significant local reporting,
producing, curating, hosting
and posting
“Way beyond rebroadcast model”
 Localization of the global
“But it has to be awfully good”
 A seamless user experience
in seeking content
“The shift toward sharing content
is really healthy” (e.g. API)
 Continued editorial credibility
and judgment
“Not everyone wants to slog
through the blogosphere”
 And forget the Olympics web
page
“As long as we're all shouting the
same thing, they'll never see us”
24
3. Degree and pace of change in the media environment
IT’S A QUESTION OF THE
ADOPTION<>ADAPTATION DYNAMIC ...
 How fast/far will our aging core adopt
new technologies as they become easier
to use?
 Will younger audiences adopt us (if we
adapt our content and delivery)?
 How much do we need to adapt to be
adopted?
“”We’re not being
pressed by our core
to be among the
online avant garde or
‘go mobile’ …
… but then again,
we’re not hearing
anything at all from
those who aren’t
listening to radio.”
25
3. Degree and pace of change in the media environment
AND A QUESTION OF HOW LOYALTY WILL WORK ...
 “How do we build loyalty so people seek and find our content
wherever it is – in our spaces or others”
 Does social networking build loyalty – or fracture it?
 How do you measure and track loyalty in a new metrics
environment?
26
3. Degree and pace of change in the media environment
AND A QUESTION OF RADIO’S RESILIENCE …
 Optimism for still growing the audience (market specific)
 Somewhat better positioned and shielded (e.g. car access);
not as many “natural” predators; a somewhat protected space
for now
 No big reduction in listening -- “that’s 15 years down the road”
 “But it is time to start thinking very carefully about how much
we invest in terrestrial broadcast versus original production”
27
4. Degree and nature of the organization change required
NEW TALENT AND POSITIONS
 Conceivers -- “I have no idea about the future media landscape… My
strategy is to hire the right people”
 Networkers – “Everyone should be creating a job that uses digital
media to build community and bring new voices into the organization”
ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE SHIFTS
 Lower platform and function silos
 More lateral, networked, dynamic, “chaortic” organizations
INVESTMENT SHIFTS
 Costs reductions in traditional functions and infrastructure
 Consolidations to spread fixed costs and achieve scale
28
4. Degree and nature of the organization change required
MINDSETS CHANGES
 Marketing and branding
beyond the “station”
“It’s not being on just your
website that matters”
“You can create an aura that
makes people think you are
much bigger than you are”
 Actually producing for the
web
“We’re still just using the web to
do more radio”
 Asking users
“We’re not finding out from them
what they want”
29
C. How are we navigating in the online world?
• WBUR
• LPM – Louisville Public
Media
What’s the
strategy
• KUOW
What’s notable
• WOSU Public Media
What’s the
lesson
• OPB – Oregon Public
Broadcasting
30
- Paul LaCamera
WBUR1
General Manager
- Robin Lubbock
Director of New Media
What’s
the
Strategy?
 Incremental build into new media
“There's not doubt the Internet is chipping away... But we're still, I
believe, in a somewhat protected place for a while. As long as we
make logical, thoughtful steps or transitions or additions into digital
and the extending of our content there, we're going to be fine.”
“Step one. We have to keep doing the radio on the Web. Obviously
that's something people expect from us; we need to do it well.
Step two; we need to add onto that… the extra piece of audio, the
pictures, the photo gallery, the map….
Step three is, let's go to the users, find out what they want, and do
that.”
31
WBUR2
What’s the  Take advantage of decline in other local media
Strategy?
“There's a free-fall in the diminution of local media, whether it's
metropolitan newspapers, local television stations, and I think,
now, following on the heels of that, commercial radio.”
“…we still have some time to concentrate on our traditional
platform, which is radio, over the air or whatever you want to call it.
Because we don't have, as yet, the natural predators that
newspapers are facing, the Internet.”
“I continue to believe that public radio has every opportunity, and
responsibility, to benefit by default, and to be a respite.”
32
WBUR3
What’s
notable?
 Simple, even retro, works
The new daily WBUR email newsletter.
“What I've tried to do is make people more aware of us, for a lot of
reasons…One, they are opinion leaders and makers. Secondly,
they make decisions, whether it's underwriting or personal giving
or corporate giving or whatever, which has been helpful to the
station. So, I wanted to find a vehicle that would keep us in front of
this group on a daily basis.”
 Go where audiences are
WBUR on Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, Twitter
“We don't say, hey we got this great radio, you just come in, you
can listen when you are in the radio station. No, we send the radio
to where they are. Well, they are in Facebook and they are in
MySpace and they are in Flickr and they are in YouTube. That is
where we need to be.”
33
WBUR4
What’s
notable?
 In Social Media, be personal
“Personality works - personality is good. In a social media
space, being honest, or having a face and just saying it as it
is…”
 One site to rule them all?
“National Public Radio needs one website like CBC, like the
BBC. If we want to compete with those guys, forget about it in
this distributed thing. It's just never going to happen.”
34
WBUR5
What’s the
Lesson?
 Mistake to compete in breaking news
“…the problem is, with these other sites, you compete in
breaking news. And that's not our strength, that's not our
hallmark. And it's a mistake if we try to position ourselves,
because now we confuse our brand.”
 Integrate Web and News staff, bring editorial focus
and voice to web
“If we're going to make an editorial presence on the web, we
have to get editorial involved in that web content.”
 Recognize we may be too focused on broadcast?
“…the tendency, the trap, is to worry about the radio station or
whatever, and really not pay enough attention to the web. For
media executives, that's a failing today.”
35
- Jon Hoban
LPM1
Deputy Director
- Tom Mundt
Director of New Media Strategies
- Donovan Reynolds
Executive Director
What’s the  Re-branding
Strategy?
“By calling ourselves Louisville Public Media we emphasize the
fact that we're trying to create quality content and deliver it across
whatever media platform makes sense.”
 Local focus
“Our raison d'etre in the future, even more than in the past, is to
be a local institution and serve local needs.”
 Aspiration of “significance”
“We can become the authoritative source in our city - not only for
news, but for arts and culture and be a convener on community
issues.”
36
LPM2
What’s the
Strategy?
 Heavy content investment with online included from the
start
“We are investing heavily in expanding our news department and
in new reporting projects, like the environment and the arts – and
as we do that we build in the online component.”
 Expectations for continued broadcast growth
“We have been making changes that have had really good
results … and could continue to increase our audience on all
three stations over the next few years.”
 Same target audience, more time spend using
“At this point we are not ready to branch out much beyond the
demographic of our stations. So objective number one is make
sure that people coming to the stations are also getting good
service online, are aware of it, and are actually spending more
time on the site.”
37
LPM3
What’s
notable?
 Advisory council changes
“We’ve added a number of very young people to our advisory
board - people in their 20s who use media completely differently - and
we are paying a great deal of attention to the kinds of advice we're
getting from them”
 Philanthropy for funding
“Philanthropy is absolutely essential to accomplishing any of our goals.
Louisville is a city without a lot of foundations, but it has many, many
rich families and individual donors. So, that has been our target.”
 “New media” sells
“New media is sexy. When you are pitching to potential donors you talk
until you see some glimmer of interest in their eyes. Usually, it's when I
start talking about the new media stuff.”
 Staffing is working out
Staff have taken to the new roles and expectations. “Surprisingly so.
It’s helped by the fact that we have a staff that is kind of in to this stuff”.
38
LPM4
What’s
the
Lesson?
 Put marketing muscle behind the experiments
“We been focusing on promoting certain “marquee” feature stories
with added web content and have seen some really great
results - like 2x or 3x times increase -- because we simply, really,
banged them over the head with it on air.”
 Don’t assume it’s just for news
“It's more obvious for the news station to be involved with
something like adding video. But our classical station manager
bought a little digital video camera and has started doing videos of
interviews with performers … and people tell me, ‘Oh yes. I went
and I looked into that interview.’“
 It’s a long road ahead
“The number of hits per month is pretty pathetic, actually. We're
just taking baby steps at this point, trying to figure out what can
actually draw people to our website.
39
KUOW1
- Jenna Montgomery
Director of online Service
- Wayne Roth
General Manager
What’s the  Focus on local editorial content, quality and judgment
Strategy?
Put your resources into creating content that covers the Puget
Sound area on behalf of listeners/users who want a trusted source.
“Not everyone wants to be their own online editor or program
director.”
 Make the web content integral
“Web content is tied to broadcast productions but that content is part
of storyboarding a piece from the very start.”
 Create a deep archive of unique content
It adds real, enduring value to the website and it’s key to being
found through search. “We’re watching as we crawl to the top of
certain searches”.
40
KUOW2
What’s
the
Strategy?
 Keep the same economic model
Make online just another part of the operating budget. Keep
the look and feel of a public service institution. “You can’t mix
the commercial and noncommercial – people will differentiate.
We don’t want to become a ‘buy now’ site.”
 Maintain KUOW as the brand
“It’s known and valuable.”
41
KUOW3
What’s
notable?
 Keep shifting local production to local content
“We used to do four to five national author interviews a week. They
were usually the same as could be heard on any interview from the
author’s tour. Now we only do about one per week.”
 Curate all content for local sensibilities (on-air and
online)
Curating for local sensibilities means giving less time to “inside the
beltway intrigue about Scooter Libby” and more to topics and
perspectives of interest to Puget Sound listeners. It requires
seeking content from any source that appeals to these local
interests and sensibilities and flexibility in how it’s used on-air and
online.
 Pick your medium for your purpose
KUOW sees an important roles for itself, in conjunction with local
partners, as a convener that stimulates public discussion. On-air
and online can support this through content development but the
main medium for convening is face-to-face. That’s where and how
real community is built.
42
KUOW4
What’s
the
lesson?
 There’s no need to be a groundbreaker.
Being a fast-follower works fine in this world.
Be cautious of gadgets.
Let others master the applications.
 Establish distinct accountability for online but integrate it
across the operation
Creating a collaborative and coordinated dynamic for online within
the station is key. At KUOW the Director of online Service reports to
the assistant GM but she and her staff work closely across
departments, particularly programming. “You can get off the rails by
having online become too much of it’s own ‘company’.”
43
KUOW5
What’s
the
lesson?
 Pay attention to navigation and ease of use
Expert, focused and dedicated attention to the design has helped
greatly. “We cleaned up the navigation ‘designed by committee’.
Now we regularly look for and reference sites that work well in
terms of bringing forward what is most important and making it
very easy to find things.”
 Engage your online users in the design and usefulness
of the site itself
Polling users about their recently re-launched site has yielded
significant and very constructive feedback, including some simple
but critical items. “We found out that older users where having
problems with the light type.”
44
- Tim Eby
Radio Station Manager
- Susan Meyer
Director of Communications
What’s the
Strategy?
 Collaboration model
WOSU and other local institutions are "pooling collective
knowledge because some of these folks are further in their
thinking than we are"
 Balance journalism and community
“We have got to be open. We must maintain our journalistic credibility
on the one side, but also find ways to build community on the other to
bring in those voices who are experiencing events and have ideas. ”
 Early steps... but definitely social
"The question is: 'How do we make Columbus a better place
to live by applying social media?'"
45
What’s
 Blogger outreach = relevance
notable?
"The Columbus Social Media Cafe is community building...
that gives us some opportunity to capitalize on creating more
partnerships in the community.”
 Community Engagement Pro?
"It is really critical that we have somebody focusing on engaging
in a way that is deeper and more meaningful and stretching into
different communities than what we are doing haphazardly now."
46
What’s
the
lesson?
 Need staff buy-in
"They haven't embraced social media. Some web producers haven't
embraced where we need to go."
 New leadership, fewer silos
"If you look at TV managers, radio managers, web managers - the
nature of those positions are changing and they are not siloed
anymore. "
 Developers need to leverage new network tools
(e.g. NPR API)
"We don't have anybody in house who has the expertise to really
take that and create some different things that could really be
unique and tie in with what we are doing locally."
47
- Steve Bass
President & CEO
- Lynne Pollard
VP, Interactive Services
What’s
the
Strategy?
 Online supports TV and radio
"The economics don't yet favor things completely divorced
from the broadcast world."
 Local branding is supreme
"We want OPB to be more prominent than PBS and NPR.
National attracts the listener, but the local connection is what
keeps them.”
 Balance the investment in original programming
between terrestrial and online
“When we start to think about the multimedia environment, we are
thinking about how the traditional geographic territories that
broadcasters have served are eroding.”
48
What’s
notable?
 Archives (and video) rule
(Oregon Field Guide)
“We've had an advantage in that we've had things that have readily
lent themselves to online and on demand sort of manifestations;
they’re extensions of broadcast properties.”
 A 'win' doesn't always mean online traffic
(OPBMusic concert sponsorship)
"There was a big concert here in Portland here a few months ago.
And people in the audience were wearing their OPB Music t-shirts,
which is pretty funny because we were only a few months in to the
site. The next day you saw no big bump in traffic to the site. And
what we think is happening is that it t deepened the engagement
without driving traffic to the site."
 Audience engagement works. Here.
"BBC World 'Have Your Say,' not too long after OPB had joined,
said that they got more texts and online comments and calls from
Oregon from anywhere else."
49
What’s
the
lesson?
 Play to strengths. Sometimes.
OPBMusic.org
"One would say we were playing to something that we were weak
in."
 Scale is all
Without sufficient content, funding, talent and local branding,
station online efforts struggles to work.
• Be willing to give up control
“The difference between broadcast and online is control and who
has it. The audience now will choose both in terms of what it is
going to watch, where it is going to watch, when it is going to
watch. Here at OPB, we can extend that to really having some
confidence in our audience and how they are going to engage
with us.”
50
D. How clear are our online strategies?
Importance of strategic clarity in this context …
•
Still evolving territory -- all the more need to take and set bearings
–
Risk of chasing trends and picking up tools
–
Risk of taking an online direction misaligned with overall strategy for “institutional
significance”
–
Risks of reacting, drifting and dissipating resources
•
Limited resources to invest and as yet unclear ROI -- opportunity
costs of mis-investing in the web
•
Dilemma of choice -- nothing has choices like the web and too many
choices can lead to poor choices
•
Limitations of scale and talent at the station level -- risks of
overreaching and poor execution for all to see
51
Scope of a fully integrated online strategy …
Online
Strategy
(options, choices,
approaches, tactics)
Strategic
Intent
Public Media
Strategy*
(institutional purpose,
core values,vision)
(options, choices,
approaches, tactics)
Organization
Model
Investment
Approach
Online Value
Proposition
Performance
Assessment
Model
(from user and competitor
perspectives)
Work in process
“Integrated strategy" would be too fancy a phrase for what we're
doing. I think we're all inching along, trying things. I like
"experimental" better than "integrated strategy." An integrated
strategy suggests that we really know what we're doing.
* The overall strategy for becoming a “significant institution” in SRG terms
52
Strategic intent
A larger role for stations:
• Strategic position: trusted and
sophisticated producers,
selectors, and context setters for
content of high quality and depth
• Build out capacities as
authenticators and
recommenders in an interactive
community
• Leverage trust and reach to
convene on the civic and cultural
issues and interests of our time
--Station Resource Group
53
Public Media strategy: mapping the factors
KEY FACTORS
Target
Audience
Impact
Geographic orientation
Public
Media
Strategic
Options
Content
Subject matter orientation
Platform positioning
Access
Interaction & engagement
Economic
model
Sources/mix
Interrelation-ship of sources
54
Public Media strategy: mapping the factors and options
KEY FACTORS
STRATEGIC OPTIONS
Target
 Existing segment(s)
 Extension of existing segments(s)
 New segment(s)
Impact
 Greater share of target segment(s)
 More time spent using
 Increased value from time spent using
Geographic
orientation
 Local from the local perspective
 Local from a global perspective
 Global for the locals
Subject matter
orientation
 Broad survey[cover the landscape; keep users’ in the know]
 Deep dive[own certain subjects; be the “go to” source]
Audience
Content
Public
Media
Strategic
Options
Platform
positioning




Access
 Where expected[e.g. analog FM broadcast and web stream - for now]
 Early to everywhere[e.g. mobile, other websites, satellite - others as emerge]
Interaction
& engagement
 Encouraging contributions
 Building station community & loyalty
 Building civic community
Economic
model
Broadcast leads[all web content linked to and supplements broadcast programs]
Fully cross-leveraged[complementary but distinct content; heavy cross-promotion]
Web leads[unique, deep web content; resources shift to web; broadcast sends to web]
Agnostic and independent[content determines platform; each grows/serves on own]
Sources/mix
 Existing sources and mix
 Some new sources and remix
 Significant new sources and remix
Interrelationship of sources
 Independent streams
 Integrated approach/appeals
55
Branching further down to the details on options …
KEY FACTORS
STRATEGIC OPTIONS >>>> TACTICAL OPTIONS
Audience
Money & materials
Content
Time & services
Platform
positioning
Feedback on content
Access
Information
Encouraging
contributions
Opinions on issues
Leads/contacts
Expert knowledge
Text
Public
Media
Strategic
Options
Content
Interaction
&
engagement
Audio
Video
Building
station
community &
loyalty
Economic
model
Pictures
Building civic
community
Social networks
(station focused)
Updates
Transparency
I think the
emphasis on
engagement
from our 20’s
advisory board
members is
more on content
than on the
social
networking part.
They have other
ways that they
can do that.
Building social networks
(issue/topic focused)
Informing
(issue/topic focused)
Convening
56
Public Media strategy: making choices
KEY FACTORS
Target
Audience
Impact
Content
Public
Media
Strategic
Choices
Illustrative
STRATEGIC CHOICES
 Existing segment: college educated; civically minded
 Greater share of target segment: intensively and continuously crossmarket through high affinity organizations and sources
 Increased value from time spent using: focus on quality and editorial
judgment (as counter and refuge from the blogosphere)
Geographic
orientation
 Local from a global perspective: curate content from all sources for local
sensibilities; build to critical mass of local content (~20% of broadcast)
Subject matter
orientation
 Broad survey: be the area’s primary media source for “staying in touch”
across a broad range of topics and perspectives
Access
 Where expected: analog/HD FM and web streaming and on-demand
Platform
positioning
 Broadcast leads: all other platforms (web, events) focused on promoting
and enhancing broadcast programming and increasing broadcast listening
 Encouraging contributions: focus on tapping listeners for opinions,
perspectives and feature leads in structured and ongoing ways
Interaction
and
engagement
Economic
model
 Building ”station” community: increase listeners’ “self-identity” as
listeners; use their networks to encourage others to listen/view
Sources
 Some new sources and mix: continued focus on individual contributions
and underwriting; increased focus on #s vs. just $s; add major
philanthropic support for local production
Interrelationship of sources
 Integrated approaches/appeals: tightly linked appeals across platforms
aimed at increasing membership count
57
Online strategy: deriving from overall strategy
KEY FACTORS
STRATEGIC CHOICES
Online Strategy and Tactics
Existing segment
•Build deep, well tagged and indexed archive of local productions to attract
new users via search
•Make active, targeted use of Facebook, Gather and Twitter to create
awareness and promote listening (real-person presence; daily “picks”)
•Build consortia of high-affinity area websites who will include “listen now”
and “now playing” modules/links on their homepages
Target
Audience
Greater share of
target segment
Impact
Increased value from
time spent using
Content
Public
Media
Strategy
Illustrative
Geographic
orientation
Subject
matter
orientation
Local from a global
perspective
Broad survey
•Focus on ease of navigation and search (user testing, expert advice)
•Incorporate NPR, PRI, etc. program promo feeds to provide “global”
presence but only in the context of local content of like kind
•Provide prominent topical navigation (news, arts, etc.) leading to topical
homepages offering integrated view of current station offerings/content
•Provide high quality, high reliability, streaming for all audio formats; offer
extensive online and on-call help for using
•Provide podcasts and audio on demand access for all local content
productions; provide prominent, multiple points of access on site
Access
Where expected
Platform
positioning
Broadcast leads
•Link all web content to on-air program promotion and enhancement;
provide some layer of added content for every on-air program
Encouraging
contributions
•Focus on solicitation of feedback/ideas/leads via station blog with
comments, “comment” feature on all story postings, and 2x week polling
•Provide heavy on air promotion for participation and recognition of input
received
Interaction
and
engagement
Economic
model
Building ”station”
community
Sources
Some new sources
and mix
Interrelationship of
sources
Integrated
approaches/appeals
•Encourage listener/users to use their social network sites to identify
themselves and listeners and “talk up” their favorite programming and
provide links (on-air and through station’s own social networking sites)
•Encourage smaller “contribute” donations throughout site (vs. “join now”)
to build the file
•Offer underwriting of podcasts (following exiting UW guidelines)
•No web advertising (maintain noncommercial feel); enhance on-air
underwriting with visual credits placed with program listings/descriptions
58
Competitive value proposition
KEY FACTORS
PROPOSITION POINTS AND COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
Superior local coverage and content
Content
Context
Benefits
Credibility
(+)
Online Value
Proposition
(-)
Costs
Awareness
of the value
proposition
Deep archive on key area issues
Better integration of local and global content
Better editorial/curatorial sensibility
Unusual organizational transparency`
Sense of
belonging
Engaging discussion participation
Sense of
ownership
Personally posted and credited content
A reporter from the
newspaper told us that
our website was now
up in their newsroom
all the time. They're
always monitoring
what we're producing
a lot more interesting
local content.
Limited
access
Slow load streams; poor audio quality; player incompatibility
Difficulty of
navigation
Casting off to other sites; un-integrated sections/pages
Difficulty of
search
Lack of search capabilities and options; spurious search results
Lifelessness
Inactive blogs, threadless discussion boards, static or automated
social networking pages; no “voice”; no sense of place
Clutter
Visual incompatibility and clutter of advertising; competing page
elements
59
Competitive value proposition
KEY FACTORS
PROMOTION OPTIONS
Benefits
(+)
Broadcast channels
online Value
Proposition
Website(s)
Own
Social network sites
(-)
Direct mail
Costs
Search
Sources
Paid search
Other organization’s sites
Awareness
of the value
proposition
Others’
(cross-promotion)
Paid placement
Personal referrals
(“share this” emails, etc.)
Frequency
Personal social networking sites
Time
Receptivity
Place
Context
60
E. What is our collective agenda for greater online
significance?
What are your greatest needs for support and
assistance over the next two years in developing
and managing your online services?
Greatest
Need
Mentions
Strategy development
4.3
Audience understanding
and measurement
3.8
Production and operating
models
3.7
Economic models
3.3
System-wide resources and
support
2
2
3.7
No
Need
2
2
2.8
Organization models
8
2
Greatest
Need
61