Posts Tagged 'social media'

BBC6 gives power to the online people

Digital radio station BBC6 was saved from being axed this month, largely due to the influence of an uncoordinated protest, as fans started a huge Facebook/Twitter/blog campaign to keep it. In March, BBC management announced that 6 Music and the Asian Network would close next year, after a wide-ranging strategy review, and the best of what they offer would be dispersed to other networks. The BBC Trust opposed the channels closure and received more than 25,000 emails and nearly 250 letters of support. Millions of Tweets were hashtagged with #save6music and Twitterers sported a BBC 6 Twibbon boosting awareness of the channel and its plight. 180,000 people joined the Save 6Music Facebook campaign established by Jon Morter, the man who masterminded the Rage Against the Machine Christmas number one campaign. Online petition sites formalised the support, and petitions holding nearly 100,000 signatures between them were handed to the BBC trust. The media coverage led more people to the station and triggered BBC 6’s regular audience to grow from 600,000 a week to 1m.
The channel ‘brings together the cutting edge music of today, the iconic and groundbreaking music of the past 40 years’ and is available on DAB digital radio, TV and online.

The Times online loses two thirds of its readers post-paywall introduction

As the debate of paid versus un-paid content online rages on an NMA article gives us a glimpse into the possible outcomes of such paywalls when it comes to readership figures. Reporting on findings from Experian Hitwise the latest data shows The Times online has lost two-thirds of its readership since the introduction of its paywall on 2nd July. However, since this data betters the Murdoch-owned paper’s own predictions that readership would drop by up to 90%, is this an outcome The Times is likely to view favorably and how are other rival publications likely to respond as they watch this unfold? Interestingly, NMA report “the biggest drop in audience came in the five weeks before the paywall took effect, when visitors were asked to register their details. It was during this time that 58% of the online paper’s audience was lost. The decline since has been “modest”.” Murdoch’s cards have long be layed firmly on the table when it comes to his feeling in regards to paid for content previous stating “Quality journalism is not cheap and an industry that gives away its content is simply cannibalizing its ability to produce good reporting. … We can be platform-neutral but never free.” Yet with audience attitudes seemingly not matching this sentiment we have to wonder, which will prevail – the man whose 3 decade career in publishing has long shaped the industry or the content model as we know it?

Social media drives increase in internet usage

According to new research from the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising’s (IPA) TouchPoints3 Hub survey, Brits are spending 38% more time online, due to the proliferation of social media sites. An average Brit spends about 1.8 hours a day online and for just under 40% of us an hour of this time is spent social networking. While some respondees confessed to loggin on during working hours the peak time for social networking is between 6.30 – 10.00pm when up to 3.5% of us are active – supporting the trend towards two screen viewing a third of these also claim to be watching TV at the same time. More stats about our TV, radio and internet consumption habits available here.

Virgin to be Mavericks of online-only magazines

Virgin are set to launch Maverick, an online only magazine in October. The first edition will be available on the iPad in early October, followed by apps for the iPhone and Android, and will be Virgins first venture into consumer magazines. Richard Branson’s daughter Holly, who left a career in medicine to join Virgin in 2008, is the family’s ambassador for Maverick, working with former FHM editor Anthony Noguera on the project. The content is said to be geared towards technology, film and design and will be consistent with Virgin’s overall brand, but will not be used as a tool to promote Virgin’s vast selection of products. We can expect a high standard of articles as the title will not be available on print, leaving more budget for content, and revenue will come from subscriptions, downloads and advertising. Virgin will be reaching a market they say is ‘underserved and overpriced’, and as iPad sales are predicted to reach 13 million by the end of the year, they could be pioneering a groundbreaking platform.

Stuff on the web we think you might like:

Google Chrome Fastball: Causing quite the stir in the office our fastest time is 2.41 – see if you can beat us
Project Mouseless: Described by Wired as ‘a magic trick only geeks can pull off’ this little bit of tech wizardry  uses an infra red laser and camera so you can operate your computer in exactly the way you would with a mouse only without the mouse being there.
Draw.To: For the Rolf Harris within you, draw anyting you like (in HTML5) then share it via instant messaging, Twitter and Facebook.
8-Bit City: Take some time to think about your surroundings differently with 80’s video game style city maps, we’re a fan of this one of London

Apple release a new product, just for a change

Our Dev team got their mitts on a Beta version of the iPhone 4, oficially unveiled by Steve Jobs this week (although didn’t come as too much of a surprise thanks to the whole leaked prototype saga).  Now you can switch between third party apps, listen to Spotify and read an iBook simultaneously. Other new functions include video calling, HD video recording and editing, a 5 mega pixel camera with LED flash, and a Retina Display screen. The ‘4’ indicates the fourth generation of Apples OS software, which incidentally has now been renamed to iOS4 and has left us wondering if a 4G will be on the way soon. According to Reuters, the iPhone 3 is available in around 90 countries and on more than 150 carriers and Apple sold an astounding 8.75 million iPhones in its latest quarter, accounting for 40 percent of its revenue. But the iPhone 4 could well overshadow the newly released iPad as well as the iPhone 3, with improved battery life and surprisingly, a better screen quality than the iPad.

Livestreaming trend sweeps fashion industry

Fashion front row? It’s so last week. Hot right now is the live streaming of catwalk shows giving thousands of fashion followers a virtual front row seat to the previously uber-exclusive runways. Back in March we spoke of how Burberry Prorsum set a new precedent streaming their autumn/winter 2010/2011 collection in live 3D from London Fashion Week. This week, Oscar de la Renta followed suit unveiling his Resort 2011 collection on Livestream and Facebook. As well as a real-time level of access to product launches previously reserved for celebrities, industry elite and the press, fashion enthusiasts could also chat and discuss the collection across social networks including Facebook and Twitter. Though this is by no means Oscar de la Renta’s first foray into social, behind-the-scenes footage is available via their dedicated Facebook page and the brand engages with 7,700+ Twitter followers via @OscarPRGirl. Commenting on why he decided to stream the show, Oscar de la Renta says “I think that there is so much happening in technology that is so unbelievably exciting today, so many ways to reach a consumer, to excite a consumer there are so many ways to reach that wide world, you know?  And why wait? I think it is exciting that people [are] seeing it as it happens.” This is a sentiment clearly shared as a host of major fashion houses look set to stream their shows this September in London, New York, Paris and Milan. Live streaming…it’s the new black darling.

Sony’s Crackling video platform released in UK

Here comes another drive towards online viewing with Crackle, Sony’s version of the iplayer. Sony Picture’s vast library of television and film, from Married With Children to Dr Strangelove, is available to watch online and through mobile. The ad-supported, multi-platform network was acquired by Sony in 2006, when it was called Grouper, a technology platform using P2P file-sharing. It was released as Crackle in the USA in July 2007 but was only released in Australia and our side of the pond yesterday.
Eric Berger, senior vice president of Sony’s digital networks said, “Our content is chosen and programmed for the true video buff who loves movies and television shows and also wants to discover the best new content on the web.” The Crackle Player content is also available through YouTube, AOL, Bebo, Boxee, Break, Dailymotion, Friendster and Metacafe, and via Sony’s Bravia internet video enabled television sets.

Stuff on the web we think you might like…

Nike78 Project: Creatives let loose on Nike trainers, watch out for the fish-tank shoe.

Send your face to space: It’s social media Jim, but not as we know it…

Life’s too short for the wrong job: A smashing piece of advertising if ever we saw one.

Fully functioning Lego printer: Proving there is no end to what you can do with a small building blocks and big imagination.

After months of careful planning and build-up we’re excited to announce that last night Endemol and Channel 4’s new live and big-money gameshow, ‘The Million Pound Drop’ was launched – featuring a live social play-along game developed by us along with our partners Monterosa

The Million Pound Drop online game is broadcast-syncronised, giving fans of the show the chance to experience, first-hand, the excitement and tension of the live shows as they pitch their wits against the show’s TV contestants.

Mirroring the main show, players of the online game are given a virtual £1m, then must try to keep as much of their cash as possible, as they tackle the same questions in real-time as the TV contestants. Answers are made by placing a portion of their winnings over whichever trapdoors they believe holds the correct answer – a wrong answer will see the money swallowed through the trapdoor.

The show’s host, Davina McCall is upping the engagement-factor even further discussing live on-air how well the players of the online game are doing compared to the TV contestants.

Of the new game, Justin Gorman, Head of Entertainment, Channel 4 says “The interactive element to The Million Pound Drop adds another exciting dimension to this brand new entertainment show.  It’s a mind-blowing concept to consider that potentially 1000s of viewers for the very first time with a game show on tv will be able to play along at the same time as watching this show.  I am sure it will not only add to the viewers experience, but also heighten the tension in the studio as contestants will be aware that the viewers will also be interactively playing along and against them.”

You’ve heard us say it before but the trend towards two-screen interactive and social TV is one that particularly excites us. In particular, the high intensity of the Million Pound Drop live shows, mixed with the real-time play along functionality and integration with social media channels is one that creates a deeply involving, engaging experience that only serves to heighten the audiences viewing pleasure. Thanks to the great folk at Endemol and Channel 4.