gh, according to this week’s reading from The Canberra Times, the ABC team is working hard to stay on the cutting edge of new media, their approach is hardly working.
This paragraph really blew me away:
Whereas watching the TV can be a family event, browsing the internet tends to be a solitary activity. The ABC is looking to change this with the introduction of a social networking feature to its websites. For example, there are plans to add a synchronisation feature to online video playback, allowing people in different locations to watch the same show at the same time and talk about the show in a chat window.
Why would people want to watch their computers like TVs when they already have TVs? It seems that ABC would be better off if they continued to do what works for TV on TV and came up with a new plan for tackling the web.
I think that this is one of the two biggest mistakes that media companies make when moving into the web world. They try to force what they already have into a new frame. I see where that would be easy and cost-effective, but I don’t see how companies convince themselves that they are going to attract new audiences, advertisers, or revenue.
This article also mentions the second of the two biggest mistakes I think companies make on the web: thinking that they can get something for nothing. Since the web is a very cheap way to publish, traditional media companies think that they can get away without a online budget or real staff. They think the only resources they need are a computer and an IT guy. I think that companies are going to have to start really investing both bills and brains in their online brand if they want to see anything come from it.
