A Cartel to Save the World’s Great Newspapers?

News Corp is trying to pull together a newspaper cartel of sorts to charge for content online. They are holding meetings with the top newspapers of the world trying to get the key players to commit to an agreement to charge for their content. While they certainly should be able to charge for their content and have every right to do so, I think they are going to put the “final nail in their coffin”.

To think that they are going to get every provider of quality news content to sign-up for this pact is crazy! As long as we have access to the entire Internet, and not a walled-off proprietary community like AOL used to be, there will always be others who will play to a different business model. Have they forgotten about capitalism?

What a big waste of time and money. A smarter solution would be to explore how they can leverage their audiences to provide and charge for value added solutions. A good old-fashioned SWOT analysis would be in order. And, of course, you need some open minded, forward thinking individuals to think through solutions based on the analysis.

My business is built of finding client solutions to problems. That’s what we do for a living. Surely these well-known and once powerful newspapers can find the right people to help. Who knows, one of the big players may already be on to something. It will be interesting to see who comes up with some smart solutions first. I wouldn’t put my money on anyone who signs up for a cartel.

News Corp is trying to pull together a newspaper cartel of sorts to charge for content online. They are holding meetings with the top newspapers of the world trying to get the key players to commit to an agreement to charge for their content. While they certainly should be able to charge for their content and have every right to do so, I think they are going to put the “final nail in their coffin”.

To think that they are going to get every provider of quality news content to sign-up for this pact is crazy! As long as we have access to the entire Internet, and not a walled-off proprietary community like AOL used to be, there will always be others who will play to a different business model. Have they forgotten about capitalism?

What a big waste of time and money. A smarter solution would be to explore how they can leverage their audiences to provide and charge for value added solutions. A good old-fashioned SWOT analysis would be in order. And, of course, you need some open minded, forward thinking individuals to think through solutions based on the analysis.

My business is built of finding client solutions to problems. That’s what we do for a living. Surely these well-known and once powerful newspapers can find the right people to help. Who knows, one of the big players may already be on to something. It will be interesting to see who comes up with some smart solutions first. I wouldn’t put my money on anyone who signs up for a cartel.

Newspapers May Be Suffering From a Case of Marketing Myopia

If only Theodore Levitt were around today to hear so many of the world’s remaining newspapers complain that they just can’t make money. Could it be that the problem with newspapers today is that they really don’t know what business they are in?

The “newspaper business” is really a misnomer. Originally, “news” as it relates to newspapers was about content (the news) as well as delivery (the paper). With the advent of the Internet, newspapers began competing with other providers of time sensitive content as well as other delivery systems: blogs and other websites, RSS, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc. All at once, the unique benefits of content and delivery were rendered unique!

Newspapers have competed with television and radio for years. But, newspapers provided a more comprehensive and detailed version of the news. In doing so they were able to differentiate their product enough to maintain a strong audience.

Newspapers offer solutions to at least two different audiences: business readers, who need information about business and industry to help them stay current and competitive. The second audience is consumers, who want information on current events, sports, products, services and anything else integral to their daily lives.

It used to be that people read newspapers more to find out about things and look for specific products and services. But, with the advent of the Internet and search engines, it’s much easier to “search” online for whatever your heart desires. Find it quick and find it easy via Google, Yahoo!, Bing, etc. Search engines take you directly to what you’re looking for.

And, while newspapers might offer a helpful review or two about a particular product or service, consumers will probably get more valuable information from social media sites. Reviewing comments from people you trust on sites like Yelp or from your personal Twitter following or Facebook friends can often provide you with better information on which to make decisions.

That brings me to entertainment. People enjoy reading newspaper articles on various topics for the same reason they enjoy listening to radio, watching TV, reading a book, watching a movie, etc. If newspapers viewed themselves in the entertainment business they might have a better perspective on the various and potentially more enticing entertainment options available to their readers. Isn’t television a more compelling entertainment option than newspapers? I think broadcast news realized they were in the entertainment business years ago. Just look at CNN and Fox News.

As newspapers and news organizations struggle to find a better business model, they could look more closely at solving customer needs. Doing the same thing and expecting a different result isn’t a good strategy. People are constantly experimenting and trying new things. Look at Twitter and some of the other social media outlets. Consider what Guy Kawasaki and his associates have created in Alltop.

I think the key to success lies in finding a better delivery mechanism. People want great content. But giving it to consumers in a more useful and enjoyable way could provide the answer. The ink, paper and presses have to go. And, newspaper websites aren’t the answer. How can newspaper organizations provide solutions to business and consumer needs? The answer will no doubt be something worth paying for!

If only Theodore Levitt were around today to hear so many of the world’s remaining newspapers complain that they just can’t make money. Could it be that the problem with newspapers today is that they really don’t know what business they are in?

The “newspaper business” is really a misnomer. Originally, “news” as it relates to newspapers was about content (the news) as well as delivery (the paper). With the advent of the Internet, newspapers began competing with other providers of time sensitive content as well as other delivery systems: blogs and other websites, RSS, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc. The once unique benefits of content and delivery no longer apply.

Newspapers have competed with television and radio for years. But, newspapers provided a more comprehensive and detailed version of the news. In doing so they were able to differentiate their product enough to maintain a strong audience.

Newspapers offer solutions to at least two different audiences: business readers, who need information about business and industry to help them stay current and competitive. And consumers, who want information on current events, sports, products, services and anything else integral to their daily lives.

It used to be that people read newspapers more to find out about things and look for specific products and services. But, with the advent of the Internet and search engines, it’s much easier to “search” online for whatever your heart desires. Find it quick and find it easy via Google, Yahoo!, Bing, etc. Search engines take you directly to what you’re looking for.

And, while newspapers might offer a helpful review or two about a particular product or service, consumers will probably get more valuable information from social media sites. Reviewing comments from people you trust on sites like Yelp or from your personal Twitter following or Facebook friends can often provide you with better information on which to make decisions.

That brings me to entertainment. People enjoy reading newspaper articles on various topics for the same reason they enjoy listening to radio, watching TV, reading a book, watching a movie, etc. If newspapers viewed themselves in the entertainment business they might have a better perspective on the various and potentially more enticing entertainment options available to their readers. Isn’t television a more compelling entertainment option than reading a newspaper? I think broadcast news realized they were in the entertainment business years ago. Just look at CNN and Fox News.

As newspapers and news organizations struggle to find a better business model, they could look more closely at solving customer needs. Doing the same thing and expecting a different result isn’t a good strategy. People are constantly experimenting and trying new things. Look at Twitter and some of the other social media outlets. Consider what Guy Kawasaki and his associates have created in Alltop.

I think the key to success lies in finding a better delivery mechanism. People want great content. But giving it to consumers in a more useful and enjoyable way could provide the answer. The ink, paper and presses have to go. And, newspaper websites aren’t the answer. How can newspaper organizations provide solutions to business and consumer needs? The answer will no doubt be something worth paying for!

The Train Has Left The Station

More and more we hear metaphors for “it’s too late”, for example, “the train has left the station”,”the ship has left the dock”, “the genie is out of the bottle”, “the horse has left the barn”, etc. And, frequently, these are applied to all things “Internet”.

Most companies have recognized that their “cheese has been moved” and have made or are making adjustments to their business model or sales channels to leverage the Internet. But, more often than you would imagine, there are people and companies who really don’t believe the Internet has forever changed their business.

Gord Hotchkiss, one of smartest people in the search marketing industry, posted an article this morning entitled, “Get It or Die: Online Is Your Core Business”. His story describes what it means to fully comprehend this life changing event. Good reading for anyone who thinks making accommodations to adapt is the same as embracing and capitalizing on a new way of working.