Creating the National Broadcasting (NB) Times

I can’t help thinking this morning that these words we’ve created, ‘newspapers’ and ‘television’ will likely not exist in 10-15 years. While people are fighting to save the newspaper industry (which, as a lover of the morning paper, I deeply respect), I keep going back to this idea of ‘content provider.’ NBC Universal President and C.E.O. Jeff Zucker recognizes NBC’s purpose as a content provider, and reading Newsweek’s story ‘A No-Paper Newspaper,‘  about how e-ink may have the ability to save the newspaper industry, I think it is not the newspaper industry that will be saved, but the convergence of the NBCs and the New York Times that will be the way of the future. I don’t speak of convergence as the large GE and media owners of the world gobbling up the little guys (though, that already is and will likely continue to happen), but, more so that all content providers will provide information on multiple platforms, so this distinction between ‘television’ and ‘web’ and ‘newspapers’ will not exist.

Corporate PR Blogger Elizabeth Albrycht suggests that brands are the new media companies, providing content consumers want while engaging in this web 2.0 participatory communications model. It does make me a bit unsettled, to think that information will be presented in the form of a constant stream of opinions and view points, as opposed to objective facts and viewpoints; however, at the same time, it is providing an opportunity for many voices to be heard. This is wonderful news! And, with the convergence of the NBCs and the New York Times of the world, these voices will/are not confined to simply television or print, but rather all possible platforms.

tuh-mey-toh, tuh-mah-toh…Linguistics in Action

Having arrived in Munich about 2 weeks ago, I have spent my days assisting with preparations for the Digital Life Design Conference (DLD). We have about 120 speakers, and in reviewing the numerous CVs, bios, and life accomplishments, I am absolutely blown away by the intellect, creativity and determination of the individuals attending this conference. A complete list may be found, here. A short list includes Marissa Mayer (Google), Martha Stewart (MSLO), David de Rothschild (Adventure Ecology), Craig Venter (J. Craig Venter institute), John Brockman (author), and Viviane Reding (EU Commission). Not excluding, Dr. Hubert Burda and Yossi Vardi, the co-hosts of the Conference. 

As I have been editing and answering questions over the last couple of weeks regarding the English language, I am trying to find this balance between the English I use daily, what is considered, ‘appropriate’ American English, British English, and the English taught here, in Germany. Does the comma occur inside or outside the quotation mark? Should there be a period after ‘Dr’? What about capitalizing the first word of an email or letter…languages are absolutely fascinating!! In part, it has been standardized, yet, on the other hand, it is solely what is considered acceptable amongst an audience’s majority. The people at Hubert Burda Media have been incredibly kind! Despite the language barrier, they have been extremely generous in providing me this opportunity. Although I anticipate the next several days wrapped in lists, name badges and airport schedules as last minute details are prepared, I also anticipate the laughter, heartfelt handshakes and intellectual curiosity that gives DLD that ‘human touch,’ I have yet to experience at another Conference.  

I am also sure that as these bright minds come together, my own exploration into the future of business and the economy will only enhance exponentially, having the opportunity to listen to so many intriguing speakers. The future of business and the economy lies in building bridges across multiple fields which in the past have appeared dissimilar…hence, bringing together Digital…Life…&….Design.

Fighting an Oversaturated Market

W. Chan Kim & Renee Mauborgne’s Blue Ocean Strategy provides practical and strategic guidelines for companies to reposition themselves within an oversaturated market, many of which exist in the United States.

Takeaways include:

• Necessity for companies to identify the characteristics of the industry they are in, as well as the characteristics of an industry they may have the potential of entering, then stripping away unnecessary characteristics and combining them so you can create a new ‘blue ocean.’
• Focus must now be on the noncustomer.
• Fine tune your customer offering.
• Costs should not drive price.
• Net utility value = perceived value - price paid
• Externalities play a key role and must be dealt with (for example, knowledge replication currently happening with copying music, DVDs, blog articles, etc.).
• Tipping leadership is exploiting the disproportionate few who have the largest influence.
• Target Costing: Strategic price (best price for your market) - desired profit margin = target cost of production

As I was reading this book, I couldn’t help but think of the discouragement when I hear individuals say no creative, innovative ideas are occurring in our society. They argue that money runs the world, and in the last several hundred years we’ve had life changing inventions, such as the light bulb and the printing press, however, nothing today.

First of all, I would like to argue that recent technology developments are changing our world faster than we could ever imagine. The internet is changing how we obtain and manipulate our information, and this is just the beginning stages of the internet. Start-up companies are developing right and left, and with hierarchies breaking down, the individual is gaining more and more power by the day. Unfortunately, I also think there is a common structure and regurgitation of information that occurs that is stifling our push to think creatively, to create ‘blue oceans’ and think outside the norm. I am taking a Creative Thinking & Problem Solving class next semester at Emerson, and I am very much looking forward to it. While we may not be inventing the printing press, innovative and creative individuals are discovering new ways of solving problems…we just need to take the time to stop and think.