There's no denying, however, that at the core of your mobile strategy is your presence. So, let's tackle that.

Mobile app or mobile site. Is that the question?

I have been asked on numerous occasions by marketers whether they should be focused on a building an app or a mobile site. 

Before I give you the answer, let's take a look at the pros and cons of each.

Pros and Cons of Apps

The average user only interacts with about a dozen apps on their mobile phone or tablet on a regular basis. In order to be one of those apps, a brand must provide substantial value to their customers. 

In exchange for providing that value, brands may receive the fantastic reward of a platform for one-to-one communication with a delighted customer who has raised their hand and said, "let's hang out." That's some big reward when you consider the battle that most brands face trying to simply gain customers' attention in a cluttered media landscape.

So, if you create value, you get value in return. Big thumbs up.

Apps also have a lot of drawbacks. 

They are walled gardens—meaning that the content within them is not discoverable. Google searches can't drive traffic to their content (and 80+% of web browsing sessions begin with a search). Oops. Shared content from Facebook, Twitter or email can't drive traffic to their content (and 80+% of purchase decisions are influenced by word of mouth). Oops.

Getting customers to download them is also a major hurdle. Brands need to get users to the App Store, get them to their app page, get them to select download, get them to open the app, get them to use the app, get them to upgrade the app. 

Would the money spent getting people to pay for all these get-them-to's be better spent just getting people to directly buy your stuff?  Maybe.

And once they download it, are they going to open it. A cursory glance at my iPhone shows me that I have apps from AAA, Shutterfly, Jiffy Lube, Office Depot, Nike, Zippo, Red Bull and Epicurious that I haven't touched for at least six months. That's a lot of effort for a connection I ignore.

Finally, you'll need to develop for iOS, Android, Windows for Mobile and maybe Blackberry too.

Pros and Cons of Mobile Websites

What about your mobile site? 

With HTML5, a great deal of the functionality from most apps could be mimicked right in a browser. That means apps no longer hold an exclusive on rich experiences.

And the discoverability drawbacks in terms of searching and sharing disappear when we shift to the mobile browser.

So do cross-platform development costs. A browser reads markup regardless of if it's on an iPhone or an Android device. Not only that, but as you evolve your platform, you don't have to wait for the user to download an update before your changes get implemented as you do with an app.

Ignoring your presence in a web browser today is not an option.

Of course there are drawbacks too. Performance tends to be slower (sometimes). And brands don't have the sustained platform presence on your device—and we've already discussed the value of that.

The Pros and the pros

The "Pros" from the most advanced digital companies recognize this. They are developing digital strategies to mitigate the shortfalls and take advantage of the "pros" of each platform—the App and the mobile web. And they are taking steps to do this efficiently.

Take LinkedIn. I regularly access both their app (by clicking on its icon on my desktop) and their mobile site (by clicking on links in emails and such) on my iPhone several times per week. My experience is seamless. There are subtle differences in the UI, but they are subtle. For the most part, once I launch I'm unaware if I'm using the app or the mobile site.

Take a look:

Other than the browser bar and the shape of the search box, these pages are identical (the first one is the app, the second the mobile site).

Same goes for Twitter:

Again, the user interface and even the graphic design is almost identical—with slight modifications for the capabilities of the delivery mechanism (i.e. on the mobile web, version, the nav icons are at the top so that they never scroll off the page). 

While the look and feel is not 100% consistent on every page, the trend is toward convergence. Facebook has a similar pattern.

This is not only smart from a user perspective, it is efficient. Strategy, interface design and visual design only have to be done once and then slightly modified—instead of being treated as completely unique products.

This is also a smart strategy because it:

1) allows for the discoverability and share-ability of the web, while

2) allowing for the connected platform nature of an app.

Both LinkedIn and Twitter understand that second part as is reflected in the first-time user experience on both app and mobile site as shown below.

While one is driving you to get the app (LinkedIn) and one is just driving to get you to put an icon on the Home Screen (Twitter), the value of getting that icon onto your Home Screen is consistently an imperative.

Of course, no strategy is turn-key. That's why it's called strategy. However, these are undoubtedly key factors that should be considered as you develop your own strategy for a mobile presence.

With the modern person’s hectic schedule, it’s no surprise that 5.5 million Americans currently use online dating sites. In 2011 alone, there were over 280,000 marriages between users who met online. However, although this can be a great way to meet a potential love interest, you must remember to protect yourself at all times.

Below are six precautions you can take when dating online:

1. Be smart with the sites you use
2. Be selective with your profile information
3. Be careful: users may misrepresent themselves online
4. Prepare a back-up plan for your first date
5. Don’t respond to everyone
6. Don’t give away too much information too early

Here’s a timely infographic from ADT Security Services with more detailed information on how to protect yourself online: Romance Reboot – Safe Online Dating Tips from ADT.

Recent buyer and management interviews tell me a lot of head scratching continues to go on. Plenty of internal angst and debate is taking place on how to get from here to there, what is needed, what should be done, and what a lot of people think. The what to do aspects of internal planning usually center on strategy and tactical questions such as:

How do we grow revenues?
What can we do to generate more leads?
How do we expand business with existing customers?
What type of content will drive more traffic to our web site?
Should we get more active with social media?
Do we need to improve our product quality and offering?
Should we boost marketing and sales budgets?
Do we need to hire more people?
What should our pricing strategy be going forward?
What new technologies do we need to adopt?

As you can see, the list of questions for B2B organizations can be endless. And plenty of them have to do with what should we do – probably more so than how to get from here to there. What is striking however is that there is a tendency to dive into the angst over and debated questions without truly having clarity on where from here to there actually should end up. As they say in the venture capital world: sometimes there is no there - there. So in this riddle of thinking, to figure out how to get from here to there, you first have to figure out where the there actually is.

What is the one thing you can do to figure out where the there is and how to get from here to there?

You have guessed it by now, I am sure, if you have read my articles before:

Attaining deep qualitative B2B buyer insights.

Investing in deep qualitative B2B buyer insights means talking to your customers – and yes that sometimes means with the help of a third party. Let’s face it – in certain situations buyers are more revealing to a third party when the perceived wall of sales agenda comes down and the expertise level to conduct qualitative research is not in-house. However the point is this: to be informed on where the there is actually means your company needs to be talking with existing customers and prospective buyers deeply outside of a marketing and selling context.

Revealing buyer insights can tell you plenty about where your existing customers and buyers are headed. Deep buyer insights give you a clue on where the planning of how to get from here to there is suppose to end up. Giving you answers to the above mentioned type questions as well as what you should be doing to align with your buyers.

Collecting deep qualitative B2B buyer insights – before you get in over your head in angst and debate – can alleviate much of the headache that comes with strategy and tactical planning. Imagine a meeting with less I think we should debating going on and more discussion on how we need to help existing customers and prospective buyers get from here to there. Helping your customers and buyers to get from here to there helps you figure out how you and your company will get from here to there. The definition of where that is, if you are aligned with your buyers, should be a two sided coin. Helping buyers achieve their emblem of success on their side of the coin ensures that you will have an emblem of success on your side of the coin.

The one thing you can do is acquire deep qualitative buyer insights. The type of insights that inform you on the map you need to put in place that shows you, your teams, and your company how to get from here to there. Now – can you imagine getting anywhere in the world without a map?

(Image by Kenny Madden © All rights reserved)

Follow @TonyZambito

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Recalling the early days: "When I first started out in the industry (like, what, two years ago?)  I would try to meet with everybody who pitched me. But after a while, it just gets overwhelming, so a lot of the time I just ignore them now. I rarely answer my phone."

Everybody's Doing It: "We're not allowed to accept trips, but people do. There are ski trips in Utah, invitations to summerhouses out on Long Island, and even to music festivals. People higher up in the company take the trips, so I don't think anyone's in a position to tell you you're fired if you do, too."

Tangible is in the Eye of the Beholder: "We have limits on the value of what we're allowed to accept as gifts. We're often sent gift cards for retailers like Starbucks, but then there's the 'tangible meetings.' Usually, somebody will offer to take you to do something, like make sneakers."

On Automation: Our protagonist goes on to talk about the agency trading desks being "…part of the team, rather than a vendor-type relationship." Nonetheless there are seen as purely a performance tool, and "Either they perform, or they don't."

On balance, there are several points at which our young correspondent ascends a bit to higher moral ground.  Relying on the same handful of reps who "take care of you" as they move from property to property is also about service to the accounts.  In the end, he (or she — Digiday is carefully gender-neutral throughout) is not an example of corruption, but rather one of resignation; a young Dilbert-in-the-making.  Perhaps it's because he senses what's ahead. If the holding companies' master plan comes to fruition, much of this young planner's current work will be done by machines within three years.  It's nice to think that he'll be freed up to pursue more creative, strategic work on behalf of clients at that point.  But it sure doesn't sound like he's being prepared for that transition.

Few digital sellers will be at all surprised by what they read here, but they should be more than a little alarmed.  This is the individual on whom most of your sales strategy is based.  If you're making a living managing RFPs, then your days may be as numbered as those of Planner X.  He represents the end of the hose, and we're already seeing less and less flow throw through him.  You can shake that hose all you want.  But in an age of consolidation and automation, we'd best learn how to turn on the faucet instead.

Read more from Doug at The Drift.

Reflecting new market demands, Forrester recently announced an update to its Cross-Channel Campaign Management (CCCM) Wave for 2012. Not only am I proud of the fact that Neolane has been named a Leader in this report but I am also pleased to see how campaign management solutions have evolved over the years to now play a more critical role in optimizing campaigns across both traditional and emerging marketing channels.

In the report, Forrester states that because marketers are now focusing their budgets on digital media and more interactive marketing techniques, they are now relying on CCCM applications to develop more significant conversations with their customers, rather than just integrating more channels.

As a result of Forrester’s recent marketing technology adoption survey (Marketing Technology Adoption, 2011), “40% of all marketers currently use campaign management tools, with an additional 16% planning to adopt the technology.” As a result of this growth, marketers will continue to see significant improvement in inbound and outbound execution, which greatly supports their need to create sustainable, meaningful customer dialogues.

Today’s CCCM applications run the gamut in terms of what they’re able to offer – ranging from program planning, cross-channel decision management, optimization and analytics, as well as more modern offerings such as cross-channel execution and social campaign support.

However, Forrester states that vendors are going to need to update their CCCM offerings to better support interactive dialogues with customers to support marketing’s conversational future. In order to stay competitive, Forrester advises that CCCM applications will need to become more customer-centric, supportive of social, mobile and local and faster at delivering innovation.

As CCCM applications mature and the market continues to evolve, organizations will need to do the necessary due diligence to find the right partner to support their most complex campaign needs. Working with industry analysts who know this space and can provide critical insight into each vendor’s offering, should play a key role in the research process, and ultimately help find the right solution that provides the best return on investment.

For a limited time, Neolane is providing access to the full Cross Channel Campaign Management Wave. Take a look and let us know if you have any insight to share about the evolution of the CCCM market and the current competitive landscape.

Numbers: The last reliable report I saw regarding Flipboard numbers was in mid-December. At that time it was 5 million. It shows the kind of exponential growth that will put it on a track to be a force for tablet devices. Yes, it’s loaded with cool factor. But this cool factor seems to have connected with an insane amount of people who are very thirsty for content. Engagement with the app has also tripled: Users are set to flip two billion pages this month, up from the iPad’s monthly average of 650 million.

The Print Mix: Opinion, discovery and photos. Remember photos? Remember news photos? Well, they’re back. Flipboard is a master mix of everything that has been lost in the transition from print to digital. It has shaken the obsession that aggregators have had with blogs that lack expertise and replaced it with an uncanny knack for finding the best-of-the-best by surveying the quirky, newly legit and old establishment of content. And it has great photos!

Business Model: Flipboard is showing every sign of working with publishers to get good content to a tablet audience instead of making readers jump through hoops. Although it started with USA Today, it has had no problem incorporating local content. It has had no problem bringing international content in, as well. It has shown every sign of taking the best from newspapers and magazines to come up with a best-of-breed consumer product. The business model is open, so far.

Bottom line, Flipboard is creating excitement around content, and I can’t remember anything doing that in a long time. Print-to-digital has been a rough run for publishing. I expect digital-to-tablet to be a lot smoother!

Why is this happening?

I cannot quantify every reason for this, but one is most certainly the social, viral coefficient--a concept most of you are familiar with.  We have seen this effect in the past on Twitter and Facebook, but in the case of Pinterest, I believe the viral coefficient is being triggered by people in a way that is not necessarily aligned with the vision of the site. Furthermore, I believe that that the staggering increase in traffic will dwindle after the current swell is complete. The traffic decrease will be due to the way in which people are "mass friending" one another without acknowledging what the point of the site actually is (I do of course believe that Pinterest will be very successful and the traffic will pick up again as it is a great site).

Why this will happen?

We have reached a new stage in the progression of social technology. Now that the generic social infrastructure for the web is firmly installed things are starting to get exciting. Social discovery through media is becoming a new way for people to connect, and valuable social discovery can only occur through meaningful content curation.

Social discovery is not about your friends, it is about your interests

I have been receiving friend requests from the usual suspects. The same people that I am friends with on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and so forth. I love each one of these people, but do I really need to be friends with the same people on Pinterest? Where is the value add in "re-friending" people on a new network?

The beautiful thing about the new wave of social media sites is meeting new people who share the same interests

So what Adam, why are you writing this post?

My motivation for this post is twofold:

1. I want to let people know, if you have requested to be my friend on Pinterest and I have not reciprocated, it is not because I don't like you and it does not mean I will never friend you.
   1. I am experimenting with meeting people purely through content, not prior relationships. If we are meant to be valuable friends on Pinterest (and not just a notch on each others social bed posts) we will meet via a photo, product or random image
2. I want to get brand strategists thinking about the essence of social content sharing before jumping on the bandwagon with no thought of how to best add value.
   1. The bottom line is, you cannot simply repurpose what you are doing on Facebook and assume people will care.

Now that we have over thought something that is meant to be fun we can get back to having fun. Happy Pinning!

More info on the influx of Pinterest email. A scandal is born!

Enter Hypersocial
Social Media has taken the Internet by storm over the past half-decade. However, most of the big-name sites such as Twitter and Facebook cover mass markets of users with extremely diverse interests. Marketers have access to the social mass, but continually struggle to get their message in front of relevant users. Even with the plethora of user info available, a marketer still pushes their message in front of as many users as possible in the hopes of catching the attention of a relevant eye. Today, we’re beginning to see a shift to sites (and more particularly apps) that are hypersocial, or niche social communities for users interested in one specific topic.

What are some Hypersocial apps?
Glad you asked. Lets take a look at some examples:

Instagram
http://instagr.am/
Perhaps the most well known hypersocial app, Instagram is an iPhone app for users who are interested in photography. People can take photos with their iPhone and then choose a vintage filter to make the photo more aesthetically appealing. It’s easy to share with Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr and looks nicer than your average mobile phone picture. People can leave comments on the picture through Instagram or the social network it’s been shared to.

Picdish
http://picdish.com/
Picdish is every foodie’s and Food Network lover’s dream. Users share pictures of their cooking or dining experiences with a foodie community. Those following can watch live as people cook exquiste meals. People can also zoom in to their favorite countries on the app and see what’s going on in their local areas. Everyone who cooks, whether beginner or professional, gets the opportunity to feel like they’re putting on their own Food Network TV show.

SixString
http://jointheheard.com/
The SixString App lets users ranging from novice to rock-star share sound clips, pictures and text with a guitar-centric community. Users can “applaud” clips, text updates, images and gear they like, and those who post can get feedback about their playing and build a fan base of guitar aficionados.

Pose
http://pose.com/
Fashionistas and fashionisters need their own outlet, too. Pose lets users share “poses” or different outfits, which can be tagged with different categories. Users can see other users shop in real-time and stay up-to-date on the latest trends. The app is used by many big names in the fashion blogging world such as Leandra Medine, most commonly known as The Man Repeller.

There are, of course, more – and that number will most certainly continue to grow.

What does hypersocial mean for marketers?
Hypersocial is a boon for marketers. There’s no more guessing involved in determining a user’s behavior or interests. Hypersocial opens the door to markets of dedicated users – that’s not only for the core products but also for complimentary goods. The audiences within these networks may not reach the heights of the general social networks, but for the majority of marketers, getting to their core consumer is best way for viral and word of mouth pass along. Don’t forget you heard it here first

www.6string.com | 323.465.6580 | @6StringMedia

Where's my hovercraft?

Google maps when I travel, Engadget for toys, the Sartorialist for fashion advice, and funny tweets from Thomas Lennon!! Online advertising powers all of this.

I've had a running conversation with Brad Berens for years, the gist of which is that even with the best targeting, nobody wants to be marketed to. To most of the world, advertising seems slimy.  I'm sure you've experienced the same awkward silence when you introduce yourself to someone new at a dinner, saying, "I'm in online advertising..." Heck, Weaver just wrote about this.

But it's not as simple as that. It is you, the online advertising community, that made Facebook, my iPhone, Yelp, and XKCD possible. Thanks to you I'm living in my own Star Wars. My love of the Internet is fueled by what you do every day.

I have worked in this industry for a long time and am ready to change gears a bit. I'll still be working with senior marketing execs via events and an online community, but this time the focus will be on video. I am excited to announce the launch of Videonomics(™), a series of road shows and a new online community that will help marketers navigate the merging of interactive & mainstream video. I'll be running the company, an offshoot of crowd-sourced video leader Poptent, working closely with Event Director and iMedia alumnae Nicole Healy. I hope you'll check out our website and attend one of our events.

Thanks to my iMedia team for the past 10 years…you are the best and I can't wait to see what you accomplish next! Before I forget: thanks to the world's greatest Wookie. (I'm talking to you, Haffar.)

And for what it's worth, I'm still waiting for the robots.

The goal of this article is to make your job a little easier by helping you frame your digital marketing successes in a way that even the most skeptical CFO would want to support you.

The 20 most entertaining Super Bowl tweets

Funny stuff. Naturally, a lot of ad references.

Via @PublicityGuru

Input Error – Histories of Social Media

Just came across this site. I like both the content and the URLs implication: That social media may be a new term, but it’s a long-standing phenomenon.

Via @jonathansalem

Glam Media launches Foodie.com, a culinary site with a social network baked in

In the social media wars, what will most likely pull large numbers of people away from Facebook: A new general social network, or something more niche? I personally think the niche sites have a lot more to offer in terms of a more engaging experience. I think the big question will be how well they can integrate with Facebook, and then slowly siphon off traffic to their own properties.

Via @lizstrauss

Where To Find Budget For Content Marketing

Good content requires resources. Some of the challenge is simply identifying the diamonds in the rough, and knowing how to put the right polish on them. This is a good list of places to look into if you find yourself in need of ways to fill out a content calendar.

Via @heidicohen

98 Content Marketing Articles to Make You an Insomniac

Maybe a bit overkill, but given the increasing importance of the subject, it’s worth perusing.

Via @copyblogger

The Only 4 Reasons Agencies Should Care About Their Own Content Marketing

Content marketing is a rapidly-expanding part of the marketing world, so it makes sense that agencies should practice it for their own gain.

Via @jaybaer

Confessions of a Young Digital Media Planner

No matter what division of the agency or marketing department you’re in, this is a good reflection on where the business is headed.

Via @UpstreamDW

This is what the first half of the Super Bowl looked like on Twitter

Looks like the Twitter user base prefers Madonna to football.

Via @bdainton

Facebook is more than just a platform, it’s an experience – and it has changed the way we live our lives.

Marketers are looking to do the same – build connections with their consumers in a more personalized way. These marketers often look to agencies for advice on how to successfully engage and connect with their audiences on social networks like Facebook. What better way to show marketers how to leverage Facebook’s platform than by Facebook using itself as a marketing tool?

With the release of Timeline Movie Maker, Facebook as a brand is leading by example, showing marketers how to use Facebook as a platform to connect with people on an emotional level. Built in collaboration with Facebook and my agency, Definition 6, Timeline Movie Maker is designed with the user in mind, highlighting the most significant moments in his/her Facebook life into a one minute movie. By bringing their personal journey on Facebook to life through a customized cinematic experience, Timeline Movie Maker provides users with a preview of their Timeline, and how it tells their own story. This gives users a reason to update their profiles to Timeline early to make their own video and view their story.

This personalized video experience speaks exactly to the core of why Facebook users use this platform at all – to share their experiences. By highlighting a users’ most engaged content, it provides a snapshot into their story and creates mini movies that they can share with friends and family. Based off of Facebook’s introductory video, the Timeline Movie Maker is a strong example of how the combination of technology and marketing can produce stellar content that resonates with people.

Once a person has Timeline, the technology evaluates the person’s content they have shared, and then identifies the most engaging, relevant content and life moments to build a chronological story for their customized, shareable mini-movie. With one-click curation, a highlight reel of a user’s Facebook life is revealed seamlessly in a one minute video recap, creating a personal scrapbook of a person’s Facebook life.

Timeline Movie Maker is initially available in four languages including English, French, Spanish and German and will allow for five different music soundtracks from which people can choose to create their mini movie. People can also customize their music selection, images, videos or check-ins at the end of the first automated video view to truly see their personalized Facebook story unfold before their eyes after first viewing.

After creating my movie, I realized I need to wear shirts more often (in pictures)  and I've started a 40 day detox from drinking.  So what did your movie say about you?

Looking back to its inception, Paid  / Owned / Earned is really two things: 1. a classification system for media types, and 2. a relational model, describing how those media types affected each other. The relational model is actually the more valuable, less commonly seen version. Here's a version of how they can be visualized:

POEM envisioned Paid, Owned, and Earned channels as discrete entities: either you bought massive reach in a channel you controlled (paid), or you had the intern send out some tweets to your followers (earned), and these two initiatives had very different resource structures and, yes, budgets. But thinking of Paid vs Earned as unrelated in 2012 will get you booted back into the traffic department.

POEM assumed that each digital channel fit into a neat bucket. The new ad formats springing forth almost weekly from Twitter + Facebook blend paid and earned media opportunities, creating new ways to spend money and annihilate POEM’s neat "is it paid or earned?” distinction in a single stroke. Is a Facebook Sponsored Story from Nike featuring my friend who recently bought shoes considered paid or earned? How about a social stream ad with a funny tagline that I retweet to my friends? Or a rich media banner with a viral video and a share button? Paid / Owned / Earned distinctions don't make room for these new ad experiences that are becoming the leading edge of digital brand campaigns.

So as Twitter and Facebook become a much larger share of digital ad spend (which now exceeds 20% of media spend [1,2]), the old POEM no longer fits. It’s time for digital advertisers to create some new media classifications and relational models that can evaluate new hybrid models. Creating new vocabularies for this stuff enables more productive conversations about the value of advertising channels like Twitter and Facebook, and helps us sort out the wheat from the chaff.

Here then, is my humble proposal for a NEW framework for our new hybrid universe. It's an updated set of guidelines I've dubbed, "MASS," and it just might help us hold new hybrid paid/earned platforms accountable to a higher set of standards that end up making things more valuable for everyone. Here it is:

Measurable

• Can you track activity and engagement in the channel using trusted third-party verified tools?

Authentic

• Does the message rest comfortably in the customer's world, representing a clear and valuable position the brand stands for?

Scalable

• "I need 2 million mommy-bloggers tomorrow." Can this channel deliver that kind of reach without sacrificing targeting specificity?

Social

• Our world has become the web, and the web has become social. Ad solutions without social actions are just customer budget stolen.

The MASS framework is something we're trying internally at 140 Proof to help customers evaluate their branded digital and retool media plans to scale social. Is it perfect? Hardly. Does it shine a bright light into the most relevant bits of the most innovative ad formats on the market today? We are beginning to think it does.

I welcome questions, comments, slings, arrows, and remixes in the comments section.

[1] http://paidcontent.org/article/419-online-ad-spend-continued-to-surge-in-q1-google-overtakes-yahoo-in-disp/

[2] http://www.emarketer.com/PressRelease.aspx?R=1008432

Before you write me off as completely insane, hear me out. The key word here is media. I’ve been in print advertising, Internet advertising, advertising media, social media advertising and advertising research. I could say I’ve been in a lot of different media. But it’s time to consider the concept of one media. Not social, mobile, Internet, tablet and offline. One media! The properties that are most efficiently poised to embrace and feed this one media are, interestingly enough, newspapers.

Obviously the reason you would call me crazy is the plunge in newspaper print circulation. That’s one way that newspaper content is consumed, and yes, it is on the downturn. I’m going to give you three reasons that this is just a phase in the life of newspapers. These three reasons will show why I believe newspapers are the keystone of the future of media.

Content: One media will depend on two types of content: expert and user-generated. We all have enough user-generated content. But the complexities of global economics, the complete partisan nature of cable news and the ubiquitous nature of UGC are starting to show the need for something more. Everybody has a blog. But not everybody has expertise. Newspapers have the ability to combine both types of content.

Platform: Newspaper content can be served anywhere, anytime, anyplace. I can read the Los Angeles Times online, or in print, in the morning, check my New York Times alerts via mobile at the gym, and then check in with the Wall Street Journal on my tablet device as the market closes. I can comment on stories. I can share them. Look on your Facebook wall today and notice how many posts originate from a newspaper. Do I still sound like I’m crazy?

Commerce: Newspapers are just now starting to find creative and compelling ways to generate newfound, cross-channel revenue, from both local and national markets. Because they are the content, creative and expert engine, they are bringing multi-media programs to market that even include networking events, consumer based industry events (travel, cars. Etc) and other new-content products.

I doubt my thoughts are shared by a lot of Wall Street analysts. But I know they’re shared by a lot of brands, retailers and agencies. Print newspapers may not be preferred by all readers all the time but that doesn’t mean their content has been devalued in any way. It’s a new growth stage for newspapers. One media!

I was part of the eager pack that filed into bookstores to purchase the tome in hardcover. The lead guitarist of the Rolling Stones came up the hard way in life and in music. Soft cover would not do. Not for “Keef,” one of the hardest of hard rockers. The thought of waiting (no satisfaction there) for the soft cover, or purchasing an e-book version of Life, would have been unthinkable then and even today, at least for me.

Here’s why: On an e-reader, nobody can see what you’re reading. The legend and legacy of Keith Richards would tolerate nothing less than paying full price to lug the heavy book around, run one’s fingers through the pages, lingering on the glossy ones with photographs, and especially the one on the book-jacket cover: Keith’s care-worn visage graces the front, a flame exploding from the lighter under his cigarette, a skull ring prominently worn on the third finger of his right hand.

Like millions of others, I want to consume content how and where I want it, even if it happens to be print on a page. In case you’re wondering, I’m no digital newbie. My wife and I have worked in media and marketing our entire careers, and our household includes two teenagers and the following media-devices and platforms:

• 6 TV’s
• 3 iPods
• 2 Kindles
• 2 DVR's
• Hulu+ and Netflix
• Xbox and Wii
• 2 Blackberrys
• 4 iPhones
• 2  Mac laptops
• 2 PC laptops
• XM and Sirius satellite radio in all cars
• Various print subscriptions to newspapers and magazines

Which media platform any of us chooses comes down to context and mood. It’s more enjoyable and convenient for me to time-shift broadcast content to my iPad while I’m on the treadmill at home so I don’t have to blast the volume on the TV. Sometimes my wife or one of the kids likes to flop on the couch with the print copy of People magazine.

Marketers would do well to understand that an overconcentration of their media dollars into digital media isn’t a magic bullet because ours is not an exclusively digital world, but a multichannel one. Which platform a consumer uses at any time depends entirely on the context of the consumption, and nobody, not even teenagers, considers any of them “old” media.

In fact, according to the LEAP Technology Platform from NewMediaMetrics, for Females aged 18-24, out of 14 media platforms including everything from TV to social media to video on your cell phone or tablet -- magazines are the second most attaching media just behind TV. This demo is also more attached to hard-copy magazines than online and social media platforms:

Below are the media preferences (in order) of females 18-24, and the percentage of them that are highly attached to that medium:

• TV  -- 30.5 percent
• Magazines -- 25.7 percent
• Online -- 22.4 percent
• Radio -- 21.5 percent
• Social media -- 21.5 percent

But don’t take just take our word for it. What follows are just a few examples of media outlets and content providers embracing “unlikely” means to reach target audiences and why context should be part of media-spend allocation considerations:

• This week [Jan. 30], Reuters, the newswire service launched a glossy print magazine full of relevant news and analysis articles for distribution at the Davos economic summit.
• In December, the NFL, one of the most valuable of brands, sports properties and media franchises in the world, launched NFL Magazine in print with complementary digital access.
• Q, a U.K.-based music magazine, included a physical CD in its Oct. 25 issue on which artists such as Nine Inch Nails and Patti Smith performed covers of songs on U2’s Achtung Baby in support of the album’s 200th anniversary.
• Despite aggressive forays into streaming, both Netflix and Amazon are smartly keeping one foot planted firmly in DVD’s and hard-copy content.

Many people still tend to read physical newspapers and magazines when traveling or on lounging the beach. You needn’t “shut off” the print platform for takeoff, screen glare is never an issue, and it doesn’t matter if sand gets on it.

Doug and Richard were joined by Kristen D'Arcy, SVP of e-commerce and digital media at Oscar de la Renta, and Debbie Aho Williamson, eMarketer's SVP of e-commerce and digital media. The panel was split into three discussions focusing on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. All four gave their perspectives on an age-old question in digital media, namely: "Are these channels true drivers of marketing excellence or money pits of experimentation?"

Oscar de la Renta jumped into Facebook commerce, or "F-commerce," in November when it offered a perfume ring exclusively available on Facebook. Then, in January and February, it did the same with a pair of bracelets, doubling the sales for the two products. From now on, it's going to roll out products monthly that are exclusive to Facebook (then ultimately will sell them on the website.) For Oscar de la Renta, Facebook is a testing ground.

In case you, like me, had no idea that a "perfume ring" was even a thing, here's the ring in question.

Martha Stewart Living took a different approach, using social as a place to increase exposure to already-popular items.

Next up on the discussion block was YouTube. I've been following its "professionalization area" as Doug called it (check out this New Yorker article to get the whole story.) Kristen explained that Oscar de la Renta saw YouTube, "not as a place for us to house all of our content, but instead a place to drive awareness for our brand."

Interestingly, Martha Stewart Living's most popular video by far is "How to fold a fitted sheet" (here it is on another awesome lady's -- Oprah -- website). Much to my delight, videos like the following were also trafficking well, despite Richard calling the brand's channel "not highly trafficked."

Click here to view the embedded video.

No comment.

And finally we came to Twitter by opening up a discussion about McDonalds latest Twitter snafu (remember the fake racist sign a few months ago? Get a grip Micky d's…)

On this note, Kristen explained that Oscar de la Renta focuses on horizontal marketing, relinquishing control and trusting brand ambassadors to stand up for the brand. Richard agreed, saying that "Anything you do in the digital space is fraught with risk. Fortunately, Twitter has been a safe environment for us.

PLUS, Martha's personal Twitter account has already enabled her to become a thought leader in the space:

More than you can know, Martha. More than you can know.

Until the brand hit a dry point in the early 2000s, Dockers had been on a pretty regimented brand journey that thrived under the banner of "Men in Pants." The brand had fostered a message of being about how men related to each other, and the idea that young and older men alike really cared how they looked.

But that brand focus became fragmented around what Sey refers to as "The Lost Chapter" of the Dockers' brand strategy, when the company started to diversify into retail, accessories, women's clothing, and more -- and quickly lost its unique and pointed message to the male demographic.

Sey came on board shortly after, and at the time felt little connection to the brand. Jeans were considered the fashion leader of the day, creating massive challenges for the khaki pants maker and its dire need to overcome the "nerd" stigma that had developed against it.  So Sey went about creating a new category for Dockers, and with it, a new life for the brand.

"We needed to enliven an entire category and show men a different image of what the brand should mean to them," Sey said.

Sey's goals at the time included redefining the foundation of the brand and returning to the "Men in Pants" vision that had once so clearly resonated with consumers.

"It had to be all about the khakis," Sey said. "We wanted to be the best and most loved khaki brand around -- that men wore because they wanted to, not because they had to. We needed to bring love back to the category."

The approach she took was to get back in touch with the brand's higher calling, not in a cause marketing sense, but what they were actually offering to consumers, and how to harness the power of that connection to create sustainable attachment, brand loyalty, and engagement.

The hook, Sey said, was going back to the essence of the Dockers brand as a symbol of masculinity. At the time, Sey said, masculinity was in a sort of crisis; men were suffering during the recession. So the rebranding of Dockers became a call to manhood, which Sey said continues to resonate with that demographic.

"It's something all men want," Sey said. "It was an opportunity for Dockers to celebrate and encourage the modern-day definition of what it means to be a man."

The next big leap came just in time for the 2010 Super Bowl. On a very limited budget, Dockers  launched  "Wear the Pants," a long-term platform campaign that conveyed the brand's message and focus not just externally, but internally, and sent a meaningful message to the younger, more style-focused male demographic as well as the older, more quality-focused consumer.

The global ad play was a raging success that quadrupled Dockers' Facebook followers, doubled its sales database in one day, brought in millions of hits to its newly launched website, and blew Dockers' free pants campaign into a global frenzy as sales skyrocketed 240 percent.

According to Sey, the Super Bowl made Dockers a part of the conversation again and generated more talk within the digital space than any campaign launch Levi's had ever done.

"We were thrilled with the response," Sey said, adding that they managed the campaign primarily through social media.

Moderator Jeffrey Rayport, Operating Partner, Castanea Partners asked the participants to crystallize their paid content business strategies.

Rob Grimshaw, Managing Director, Financial Times, said the FT was essentially trying to create a business that generates more and more revenue from its content, and settled on a metered model that charged users when they hit a threshold of articles.

He also discussed how switching its mobile experience from applications to HTML5 was a risk, but it has ultimately paid off handsomely. Since the FT launched the app, its traffic from Apple devices is up more than 50%, he said.

“We feel although it was a gamble, we’ve put ourselves in a much better position,” Grimshaw said.

Paul Smurl, Vice President, Paid Products, The New York Times Company, told the attendees that they need to research the tolerance of their audience to pay for content. He echoed Grimshaw’s previous comments that the Times found that people were more than willing to pay for premium content.

Unveiling a metered system has not impacted traffic to the New York Times, remaining at 44 million global unique visitors, which is flat year-over-year.

Another interesting aspect to the unveiling of digital subscriptions is that it gives publishers greater analytics to understand what type of content their users prefer.
“You want to know where the oil is on your site better than others,” Smurl said. “It allows you to think [deeper] about average revenue per user.”

LinkedIn, as a social media company, took a slightly different approach. They made sure they weren’t impacting the experience of those who use the site for general networking, while locating a paid model for recruiters and other power users.

“We [looked to] creating paid opportunities that didn’t overall negatively impact the ecosystem,” Sutherland-Wong said.

And because a majority of users spend time on LinkedIn in a free capacity, that active audience provides an effective ROI for those who use the paid services

The panel served up plenty of evidence that online subscriptions have a bright future, with the key takeaway that publishers will find success with paid models by putting resources towards understanding their customers and paying attention to their needs.

This post originally ran on the OPA Blog.

The iMedia team has been talking with some very smart marketers in the interview studio. You'll see the videos hit iMediaConnection in upcoming weeks. Topics include new digital strategies for marketing toys and fitness products, interesting advancements in video and geo-targeting, the practicality of Pinterest, Klout and reddit, and much more.

Here are some of today's highlights, with iMedia's Bethany Simpson:

Neustar's Mike Blacker on the challenges and possibilities of geo-targeting

Testing out a possible teaser image... (you know, geo-targeting!)

The very smart Scott Roen, VP of Digital Marketing & Innovation at American Express

Doing some pre-interview research with Ian Gomar, CMO for Sporting Goods, Fitness and Toys, Sears Holdings Corporation

Ian is spearheading digital communities and new creative tools for the company's toy and fitness lines

Discussing the new Facebook timeline movie app with Michael Kogon, CEO & Founder of Definition 6

Poptent's Neil Perry talking about their Super Bowl ad for Dannon's Oikos Yogurt (the one where John Stamos gets head-butted!)

Fun in the studio, with Healthadnet's TJ Pingitore

Mark Naples from WIT Strategy giving us the low-down on Pinterest, reddit, and other influential social channels

And a special find... this is Rick from our media team, helping us set up and test the lighting!