thomas friedman

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Two Kinds of News.

June 8, 2009 in Marketing | 0 Comments

 

There was a time when breaking news only came from radio, newspapers and TV. Then the Internet arrived and it became immediate. Mobile phones and Twitter apps introduced us to big news events reported in seconds from virtually anywhere.

 

News is free. It may be ad-supported but the horse has left the barn when it comes to making money on news.  Breaking news (the best kind) is no longer appointment-driven. It hits us in real-time over the closest device. Technology has made news 1s and 0s. It’s information. And free.

 

Analysis, on the other hand, is where the money is. A well turned, well contextualized story, is worth paying for. Hearing Steven Colbert’s fun spin on something is worth an appointment. Reading Thomas Friedman’s analysis of Obama’s Cairo speech is not like hearing about it from your neighbor (not that there’s anything wrong with neighbors).

 

As the news reporting business evolves and changes thanks to the Internet, I think we will begin to see two forms: generic, aggregated news (free) and in-depth, bi-lined, star-value analysis (paid). 

 

Content is still king and as we mix the great content in with the chaff — and offer it for free — it loses value.

 

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With Original Content Yahoo Can Win

January 16, 2009 in Marketing | 0 Comments

What’s the idea with Yahoo?

Many of us have been waiting for Yahoo to make a move. The appointment of Carol Bartz as CEO is part of that move, but now the strategy must change.  Were I Ms. Bartz, I’d block all calls to Redmond on the corporate PBX and announce that search will never be sold. Never! My goal would be to become the #1 content site on the web. Like the New York Yankees, I’d create a hit-list of the world’s best writers, bloggers and social media experts (e.g., Perez Hitlon, Robert Scoble, Seth Godin, David Carr, Thomas Friedman, Beppe Grillo, etc.) and pay them big bucks to sign on.

Advertising is not a strategy, it’s the price of doing business, it’s infrastructure.  Content is a strategy. Yahoo needs to be the world’s most sought after content site. It once was and can be again. I would put the money into content and the search and ads will follow. Peace!

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Energy Technology Needs a Leader

October 22, 2008 in Marketing | 0 Comments

 

Thomas Friedman wrote today how the next American administration should focus on E.T. (energy technology.) Economic incentives should be created for companies investing in energy R&D and manufacturing in the U.S.  Companies buying energy saving technologies should get tax credits. New limits should be established for utilities to create improved clean power generation.  And the president’s inaugural parade should be on foot and/or in cars getting 30 MPG to signal our commitment. E.T., according to Friedman, should be the new IT. Great points all.

 

But who is to lead the charge?  The Sharp Corporation is already betting on the future by investing in solar panel manufacturing technology in Japan. They are the largest manufacturer on the planet.  Sharp should announce a U.S. manufacturing arm and break ground right away. They should then spend a good deal of their ad budget promoting leadership in solar power. This leadership that will elevate Sharp from a low tier 1 TV manufacturer and create new luster for the brand. And it will do so in a meaningful and important category.  Leadership is needed in E.T. If not Sharp, who? How about GM or Ford?

 

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More Freedom…in Social Networking

May 7, 2008 in Marketing | 0 Comments

Thomas Friedman reported today in his New York Times Op-Ed piece that freedom is diminishing around the globe. For the first time since the cold war “almost 4 times as many states – 38 – declined in their freedom scores as improved – 10. The freedom score is a construct of Freedom House.

 

If you have been following this blog or Zude.com in the press and blogosphere, you’ll note that one of the major tenets and brand planks of Zude is “freedom.” Zude competes in the social media, social networking sphere, a broad user-generated content category, born of open source and “sharing” doctrine. But as the category matures, I’m seeing big evidence that freedom is waning.

 

Zude is not perfect, and our so-called “Webertarian” ethos cannot in every case be preserved, but our hearts are in the right place. The Electronic Freedom Foundation and others should applaud our efforts in data portability. And our desire to give everyone the ability to have a free, customizable web presence, especially the underserved portion of the population (non-coders, poor, boomers,) is more than noble.

 

Competitors in this space, I feel, are drifting backwards in user freedom. More rules, more constraints, a tightening of the communities in favor of the “haves” are all seeping into this world. The category, like the globe, is moving backward and it’s a shame.

 

Zude’s tagline is “feel free” and please know we will keep fighting the fight.

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We the people.

September 24, 2007 in Marketing | 0 Comments

I do my very best not to make a running commercial out of my blog. But as they say, if you love what you do… 
 
Today, I read with glee of a new social network for geezers. I’m a “geeze,” so please don’t take offense.  Don’t mention AARP is the motto of this new community, called TeeBeeDee, which stands for To Be Determined.  This may be a smart business decision for its builders and investors and I wish them well, but I am so happy not to be in the community building business. 
 
Zude, you see, is a platform not a community. We don’t build Levittown’s and ask people to move in. We give them the hammers and materials and ask them to build their own residences. Because Zude allows users of any technical ability to build and customize their web presence, we have lots of 50 year olds and 15 year old users.  And they are all getting along just fine, thank you. There are no social barriers on Zude or neighborhoods gerrymandered by age, education, sex or ethnicity. It’s just a place where people “feel free” to express themselves. It’s like Queens, NY — the world’s greatest example of happy, healthy diversity. 
 
We built a platform…the people are building the rest. All the people. Thomas Friedman would be proud. We are flattening the world.      
 

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Chalk another one up for freedom.

September 18, 2007 in Marketing | 0 Comments

News should be free. Opinion should be free. The Web should be free. This is America. (“Feel free” is our marketing mantra at Zude.)   Here’s some good news. At midnight tonight The New York Times is going to make free a good deal of the content it once charged for under its Times Select program.

 
Once again Nicholas Kristof’s Op-Ed pieces will be free. As will those of Thomas Friedman and David Brooks.  
 
The advertising vs. subscription model continues to favor advertising. The Times earned $10 million last year in online subscriptions, yet still realizes the potential of the online advertising model. Search engines help drive 13 million unique visitors to NY Times.com and all but 750,000 may be turned away if they want to dig deeper into the site.  
 
Are you listening Wall Street Journal. I expect you will roll-over within 2 months. And I can’t wait.
 

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