August 2008 Archives

With the Beijing Olympics finished and the attention span of our nation firmly refocused on domestic politics, we're now afforded time to sit back and analyze how NBC harnessed the power of "new media" to turn the Beijing Olympics into the juggernaut that it became. 

NBC's three-pronged blitz worked miraculously.  Not only did I spend my evenings watching gold-medal events live as they happened (a product of NBC bargaining), I also found myself continually drawn to the website to re-live the glory of the American successes.  Bob Costas, Meredith Vieira and Brian Williams constantly told me it would be a good idea.  If I had a better phone, I would probably have tuned in to see the freestyle limbo while I was shopping for underpants. 

My mother says she finds herself suddenly tuning to NBC now even after the games.  How did a network that was so seemingly out of touch with new media turn it all around and hook us?

NBC recognized that media convergence would play a dominant role in the games and successfully managed to work the cell-phone and Internet hand in hand with the television broadcast to keep people plugged in 24-7.  They understood how we now consume: all the time.  

NBC has begun to understand where the technological revolution is taking people.  This can only be a positive for the networks that are scrambling to understand the way people watch and adapt to people being drawn to the Internet.  NBC's embrace of technology has even begun to produce fruits in the form of basic ways to track how people viewed the Olympics on mobile phones.  If the networks finally crack the code and begin to understand the patterns of how the plugged in operate, the world suddenly becomes their oyster.  The endgame? Advertising standards for the Internet and mobile media suddenly become viable.  NBC has struck pay dirt.

Lately the world of media seems like one big juggling act.  While watching the newest episode of Project Runway tonight I couldn't help but feel bombarded with advertisements prompting me to visit the Bravo TV Web site.  On the Web site I found that I was once again bombarded but this time they were telling me to watch Bravo shows.  On both mediums I was urged try out the text message alerts to keep me posted on additional information about my favorite show.  It's enough to make my head spin.  

I looked a little closer and realized that the different mediums completely compliment each other.  The content is tailored for each kind of media.  I watched Project Runway first on TV, and then I went to the web for more in depth information.  On the web they are able to post more content, designer bios, and quizzes.  It is interactive in a way that TV could never be.

Networks are in a virtual juggling act of their own. Their problem is: they don't know how to maximize profits throughout the different platforms.  How does a network monetize an audience who turns to the Internet or an iPod to watch their favorite TV shows on the go. 

Recently NBC tried to track where the Olympics viewers were turning for information. They found that the Olympics were primarily watched on televisions; 85% of U.S. TV homes were tuned in. And the NBC Web site didn't do so bad either, averaging about 1.5 million viewers a day.  

If the networks continue being able to track the activities of the consumers they will gain exponentially.  Advertisers would know how much money to pay for what time and producers will have a better idea of what content should go where.  For now, I'll probably continue to feel bombarded but at least I have a little understanding of why.