Birnbach Communications Issues Top Media Trends for 2009
2009-01-09 19:45:05 -
Annual List Finds Change is Key Word for Traditional, Online Media Due to Cultural, Technological Shifts Birnbach Communications, Inc., an independent communications agency with special expertise in traditional, online and social media, today issued its top media trends for 2009. Birnbach, which takes an analyst's approach to monitoring the media, based the list of trends on conversations with reporters, bloggers and Twitter members to find out what they're following.
For nearly a decade, Birnbach Communications, which works with clients across a range of industries - including the financial software and services, security, technology, healthcare and life sciences, consumer, social networking, nonprofit and education sectors - has compiled an annual list of media trends to help its clients more effectively work with the media, both at traditional or online outlets, including blogs and social networking sites.
The following are Birnbach Communications' media trends for 2009:
We will need a new definition of 'newspaper' as many publications shift to an online-only format, dropping the 'paper' part of their business. Birnbach suggests calling them 'newssites' (based on the soon-to-be outdated newsstand). Calling them 'dailies' isn't appropriate either, given a 24/7 news cycle.
Dozens of secondary newspapers and magazines will shift to an online-only model in 2009. Already this year, FinancialWeek announced that it is shifting to online-only this month. The benefits of the online-only model include substantial savings since they no longer have to print, mail and deliver content to newsstands and homes. The downside: They lose three revenue streams - display and classified advertising from the print edition as well as subscription fees - and now rely on online advertising to fund their operations. Online subscription fees have worked for only select media - even the New York Times couldn't make a fee-based plan work.
Traditional media that continue to publish print editions will update their formats to include more maps, graphics, lists, ranking and stats, along with shorter articles. These print editions will also be shorter, with some papers - including the Denver Post and Boston Globe - having shed stand-alone business sections. The same holds true for magazines. As Fortune tech reporter, David Kirkpatrick wrote on Twitter: 'An indicator of the sorry state of the economy - and the magazine industry: the new issue of Time - a mere pamphlet.' (Don't forget: Time and Fortune are published by the same company! And Fortune's current issue is pretty thin, too.)
These stand-alone smaller business sections are not likely to achieve their publishers' goal. They are more difficult for readers to find, and provide less coverage of business at a time when the economy is undergoing seismic shocks a time when people need to more closely understand what's happening and how it impacts them. These smaller sections will also be less interesting to advertisers, too, because readers may easily skip over them.
Stringers and civilian journalists will become more important. Because of staff cutbacks and bureau closings, Mainstream Media (MSM) may not be able to find and send reporters or crews to cover breaking, important news outside their immediate region. The coverage of the tragic shootings in Mumbai is an example where MSM, including some of the biggest names in journalism, relied on first-hand local reports. For example, CNN uses footage from iReport, and has been posting citizen video footage since Hurricane Katrina. Expect this trend to continue.
Local coverage continues to be the name of the game for regional news organizations. Hyperlocal is the new local, with news about communities operating within a local market being the forefront of this trend.
Niche is the new normal, especially for broadcast. Due to the proliferation of social media sites, people are more likely to subscribe or search for news and information specifically targeting their interests. As Portfolio magazine says: 'There's something for everyone, but nothing for everyone.' This will make it difficult for marketers to reach broad audiences, with only a few events each year - like the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards - that reach across demographics and interest groups. In fact, that's why Birnbach Communications predict that Jan. 20th will be the single biggest media event this year - everyone will cover the Obama inauguration.
For the complete list of media trends, click on prbacktalk.blogspot.com/2009/01/top-14-media-trends-for-2009.htm .. or twurl.nl/vdl6s2.
'This list of trends, which we track and revise throughout the year, is an important element to the roadmap we develop each year for each client. To succeed with the national business media as well as online media and social networks, companies must have a strong sense of the media environment, from trends generating coverage to the state of the media itself - which is undergoing seismic shocks due to the advent of new technologies and social networks, the credit crunch, soft ad market, declining readership and viewership, etc. Cultivating the media, bloggers, Twitters, etc. is similar to making sales calls: We advise our clients on the type of stories that have the best chance of capturing the media's attention as well as how to avoid those that reporters, bloggers and others consider to be a waste of time,' said Norman Birnbach, president, Birnbach Communications, Inc.
About Birnbach Communications, Inc.
Boston-based Birnbach Communications, Inc., an independent communications agency, provides its clients with a portfolio of strategic business communication services, specializing in traditional and online media relations reaching national and trade outlets, social networking, executive visibility, corporate communications, and analyst relations. The agency enables its client base of emerging and mid-sized companies to reach customers, investors, venture capital firms and business partners; launch new products and services; establish new product categories; and drive market demand. Founded in 2001 with the commitment to combine the best aspects of large-agency experience with small-agency culture and dedication, Birnbach Communications brings senior-level intelligence and attention based on an understanding of business issues - not just PR issues. Birnbach's team represents more than 140 years of PR, marketing and communications experience across a range of industries, including the financial software and services, security, technology, healthcare and life sciences, consumer, social networking, nonprofit and education sectors. For more information, visit www.birnbachcom.com.
