Changing Media Trends and what they mean to you: One editors view

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Changing Media Trends and what they mean to
youOne editors view

• Jane Wooldridge
• The Miami Herald
• October 2008

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The tipping point?

• Many magazines are shrinking
• Newspaper travel section and/or dedicated
  editors are diminishing
• Websites abound
• Social-networking sites continue to gain
• Upscale publications are likely to gain ground
• Regional emphasis is becoming stronger
• Mobile devices will become more important

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Why now?

• Advances in technology
• Growing influence of younger generation
• Economic downturn

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So, what are key trends?

• Travelers are returning to trusted voices
• Digital is only part of the answer
• Newspapers are down but not out
• Not all new media are created equal
• Social media are here to stay
• Social media cant be controlled but it can be
  managed
• Multimedia presentations will become increasingly
  important
• Mobile devices will become even more important
• Think high, low and close-to-home

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TMI Too Much Information!

• So many (websites, magazines, TV channels), so
  little time
• Even the multi-tasking generation is subject to
  overload
• This is resulting in a return to trusted voices,
  such as authoritative editorial publications and
  travel agents

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Digital is the future

• 108 million North Americans (about 73 percent of
  the population) use the Internet today 105 in
  the U.S. alone are counted as active surfers
• The global total is about 1.4 billion
• The global total will increase by 44 percent
  between 2007-2012

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BUTdigital media are only part of the answer

• 154 million Americans read a Sunday newspaper in
  print
• 187 million Americans read magazines in print
• Consumers use online and print media differently

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Despite the obituaries, newspapers are not dead

• More people read the Sunday Miami Herald in print
  each week than watch American Idol each week
• Newspapers remain a or the dominant media company
  in most markets
• In 2007, more than 60 million unique viewers
  visited newspaper websites each month
• In McClatchy markets, newspaper print circulation
  and websites together offer more than 50 percent
  penetration
• More than 5 million unique visitors came to the
  Miami Heralds website in September

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Web traffic at magazine websites is also growing

• 70.7 million unique monthly visitors went to
  magazine websites during the first quarter of 2008

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Not all new media are created equal

• 175-million-plus sites on the Web
• News and the offbeat often dominate traffic
• Among travelers, the importance of blogs has
  dropped in the past year (Yankelovich)
• Popular online doesnt always equal widespread
  acceptance remember Snakes on a Plane?

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Most popular U.S. sites (Alexa.com)

• Google.com
• Yahoo.com
• YouTube.com
• Facebook.com
• Windows Live (live.com)

• Microsoft Network (msn.com)
• Wikipedia.org
• Ebay.com
• AOL.com
• Craiglist.org
• Blogger.com

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Most popular blogs (Technorati)

• The Huffington Post
• Gizmodo, the Gadget Guide
• TechCrunch
• Engadget
• Boing Boing

• Lifehacker
• Ars Technica
• Daily Kos State of the Nation
• The Official Google Blog
• Free Travel Blog to Share Your Tips
  (Travelpod.com)

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Top 5 Digg Stories / past year

• Diggs April Fools Day Joke 31,803 diggs
• Digg this if you are sick of Scientologists
  burying articles 25,698 diggs
• Heath Ledger dies 22,472 diggs
• George Carlin has died 19,793 diggs
• Ninja cat comes closer while not moving 18,308
  diggs

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Top Travel websites by traffic (Hitwise,
September 08)

• MapQuest
• Google maps
• Yahoo! Maps
• Expedia
• Southwest Airlines
• Travelocity
• Orbitz
• Yahoo! Travel
• Priceline
• Cheap Tickets

• American Airlines
• Delta Air Lines
• TripAdvisor
• Local Live
• Hotwire
• Kayak
• CheapoAir.com
• Hotels.com
• Northwest Airlines
• United Airlines

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Social Networking is here to stay

• YouTube ranks No. 3 among all U.S. websites by
  traffic
• Facebook ranks No. 4 among all U.S. websites by
  traffic
• TripAdvisor ranks No. 13 among top travel
  websites
• According to the Yankelovich Travel Monitor,
  friends and neighbors are the most trusted source
  for travel recommendations (8 in 10 surveyed.) 25
  percent are confident of what they read on
  TripAdvisor)

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Social networking cant be controlled but it
can be managed

• Know what is being said about you
• Address it on the website where it is posted
• Encourage reviews from happy guests
• Explain on your own website how you are
  addressing concerns
• Create a Facebook group and use it to promote
  specials
• Host your own blog but keep it real
• TSA blog
• John Healds cruise blog
• VisitFlorida blog

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Multi media is increasingly important

• YouTube, you got it
• Ritz Carlton short film
• Magazines and newspapers are adding video stories
  daily (but no, they arent really paying for it.)
• Doug Lanskys souvenir slideshow
• Survive a bear attack
• Travels with Jane

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Dont ignore mobile devices

• 256 million in the U.S. subscribe to wireless
  phone service
• China has 540 million users India has slight
  more than the U.S.
• Abacus International estimates 1.5 billion cell
  users in the Asia-Pacific region

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Its all about the economy

• Checked your 401K lately? The Dow has dropped
  more than 40 percent in the past year.
• Despite this, experts predict that the luxury
  category will rebound quickly.

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So what does this mean to me?1. Think high and
low

• Luxury or budget, value is the key.
• Deals, packages and cost-wise strategies get
  editors attentionbut be ready to explain the
  value.
• Fixed-cost vacations cruises, all-inclusive
  experiences and packages find favor with
  consumers and editors.
• Travelers likely will be making plans last
  minute look for ways to promote last-minute
  deals in stories and on websites.
• Unless it has a value hook, save green for
  upscale publications

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2. Think regional

• Travelers likely will stay closer to home.
  Whether youre a writer or a PR professional,
  your best hits are going to come from regional
  media.

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3. Think short

• The trend toward short vacations will grow even
  stronger

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4. Focus on other best bets

• Niche travelers are driven by passion and
  passion often outweighs economic sensibility

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Know that editors are more short-handed than ever
before

• Give them story ideas that are fully developed
  and involve sources beyond your own.
• Be sure information about packages and deals is
  complete and includes pricing.
• Be accurate. Fact-check everythingtwice.

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Do I need a website?

• Yes. Yes. And yes. (And that includes
  journalists.)
• www.douglansky.com
• www.timshisler.com
• www.elliott.org
• www.janewooldridge.com

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Do I need a blog?

• If youre looking to make money, maybe not.
• If you want to brand yourself and/or serve a
  niche market, maybe yes.
• BUTif you start a blog, you must feed, bathe and
  clean it.

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Do I need to be multi-media?

• If youre a travel supplier (or represent one),
  you can get additional exposure if you have high
  quality B-roll and audio clips.
• If youre a journalist, its not essentialbut it
  may be soon.

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Where can I find out more?

• Forrester Research www.forrester.com
• Jupiter Research www.jupiterresearch.com
• PhocusWright www.phocuswright.com
• Hitwise www.hitwise.com
• Yankelovich Travel Monitor www.ypartnership.com,
  www.yankelovich.com
• TIA www.tia.org
• Multimedia www.timshisler.com
• This presentation www.janewooldridge.com