Hope Newspapers of Paper and Ink

As I flipped through the newspaper over a bowl of Cheerios this morning, I came across two articles. The first described the demise of magazines, illustrated by the number of publications that have ceased or seen a precipitous drop in circulation in the last five years, and how easy it is to just read them online instead.

The same has been said of newspapers. Many point to the moment news organizations began offering their content online for free as the moment newspapers and magazines began their slow death march. As for myself, I can’t imagine not having a hard copy of the paper to read. I know it’s an ‘old school’ perspective, and that many young people get all of their news from the web, twitter, and to some extent, online television.

But I believe, as the second article may have illustrated, that there is still hope for the paper and ink newspaper. The article was announcing that a ‘2D Code’, or ‘tag’, would be appearing in one of that day’s comic strips. The code looks kind of like a UPC code, and if you scan the code with a reader application on your iPhone, you are linked to video, websites, or any web content. In this case, scanning the code would allow the consumer to watch an animated version of the comic on their iPhone.

If that is something that becomes more common in newspaper and magazine articles (and I believe it will), it opens up all sorts of new opportunities for delivering the news. Instead of just referencing a web page, or instructing the consumer to ‘check out our website for more video and audio on the story’, the tag could link directly to a video that could better flesh out the story, and lead to a richer news experience. And it would take less effort than even browsing the web, because after scanning, you would be taken directly to the content, right on your phone.

Obviously, I am a little biased. I still prefer reading the newspaper as I eat breakfast in the morning (reading my laptop that close to a bowl of milk just seems awkward). If I read the paper online, I click directly to the stories I am interested in, and then move on. When I am flipping through the paper, I may stop because of a fantastic photo, or an interesting headline, and read an article I would not have thought to read. So I hope that newspapers can find new ways to enrich their content, and stunt their declining readership, so a cup of coffee and the morning paper don’t become a thing of the past.

Tags: 2D barcode, Microsoft Tag, newspaper, online newspaper, tag reader

StoryTeller Moves to New Office in Bloomington

If you haven’t all ready heard, the StoryTeller team has moved into our new office space! And I must say, having the extra square footage has been wonderful. Not that I didn’t enjoy working elbow to elbow with my coworkers, listening in while they made dentist appointments and checking out what they brought for lunch everyday, but it has been nice to spread out a bit.

And while moving has presented some challenges (i.e. learning how to use the intercom function on the phone since we are not longer close enough to yell to each other), it has also presented some amazing opportunities – the most significant of those being the reevaluation of how we do business.

We’ve always had great relationships with our clients, but no matter how well you think you are doing, you can always, always do better. So while we were cleaning up and throwing things out, we also started cleaning up and throwing out some of our old habits.

Creating more streamlined and efficient methods of communication and account management has made a big difference. We have also gotten back to our roots and recommitted ourselves to coming up with new and innovative ways of developing stories and reaching out to the media. Not to mention the sexy new status reports.

With a new office and a new outlook, I’m excited about what future holds. If you feel you’re stuck in a rut personally or professionally, you could also try moving, but perhaps it would be better just to do some cleaning – get rid of the things that are holding you back and surround yourself with fresh, new ideas!

Tags: new business, storyteller, StoryTeller Media & Communications

Social Media for Catalogers

I recently had the opportunity to step back in time to my “old life” for a brief moment while connecting with a group of Direct Marketers.  The group was interested in our perspective of social media and how it can benefit the traditional cataloger.

What seems apparent after our meeting, is this is an industry that I would categorize as somewhat “late adopters” in the social media frontier.  Understandably, they have spent years refining the art of direct mail and have it down to a pretty concise science but they are having a difficult time connecting the dots to know how social media can really impact their business.

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Tags: catalog, cataloger, direct marketer, Facebook, fundraising videos, J&P cycles, Lehmans, Syncas, YouTube

Father’s Day Gift

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How Does Social Media Effect Traditional Media?

Michigan State head basketball coach Tom Izzo recently proclaimed his “lifer” status with the Spartans after considering a job opportunity with the Cleveland Cavaliers. As Izzo deliberated this life changing decision, the rumor mill was cranking away with reporters tapping sources, staking out near the basketball complex in East Lansing and outside Izzo’s offices. There were even some reporters contacting Izzo’s mother to see if she had any insight into what was going on inside her son’s mind.

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Tags: Blog, citizen, Cleveland Cavaliers, Communications, fundraising videos, journalism, media, media relations, Michigan State, News, storyteller, Tom Izzo, YouTube