Communities Dominate Brands

Pro-Ams @ the BAFTA's

Wow a 14 year-old-girl wins a Bafta for the Unwelcome Stranger. Which she wrote, shot, edited and composed the music for An Unwelcome Stranger. A powerful drama showing how one girl comes to terms with her parents' separation.

Pro-Ams

After the rise of the professional in the 20th century we are now seeing this historic shift reversing in the Pro-Am revolution. Enthusiastic amateurs, pursuing activities to professional standards will have an increasingly important role in our society and economy.

From astronomy to activism, from surfing to saving lives, Pro-Ams - people pursuing amateur activities to professional standards - are an increasingly important part of our society and economy.

For Pro-Ams, leisure is not passive consumerism but active and participatory, it involves the deployment of publicly accredited knowledge and skills, often built up over a long career, which has involved sacrifices and frustrations.

Rosalind is a fledgling Pro-Am

Controller of BBC Learning Liz Cleaver says

Through our nationwide summer roadshow and BBC Open Learning Centres, thousands of children were given access to expert support and equipment. Many of those attending had never picked up a camera before. Now they've begun on their film-making journey we can't wait to see the ongoing results.

You can watch the film here Though it is a bit of a plalaver, and could have been made more user friendly.

None the less, would i have had the opportunity to make my own film at 14? The answer to that is No.

Rosalind, You Go Girl.

Online communities: a catalyst for connection and activism

Here are some top line stats and info on digital communities from a report USC-Annenberg Digital Future Project Finds Major Shifts in Social Communication and Personal Connections on the Internet

Online communities and offline action -- The Digital Future Project found that involvement in online communities leads to offline actions. More than one-fifth of online community members (20.3 percent) take actions offline at least once a year that are related to their online community. (An “online community” is defined as a group that shares thoughts or ideas, or works on common projects, through electronic communication only.) Social activism – Participation in online communities leads to social activism. Almost two- thirds of online community members who participate in social causes through the Internet (64.9 percent) say they are involved in causes that were new to them when they began participating on the Internet. And more than 40 percent (43.7 percent) of online community members participate more in social activism since they started participating in online communities. Online communities: daily use -- A significant majority of members of online communities (56.6 percent) log into their community at least once a day. Member interaction -- Online communities are online havens for interaction among members; 70.4 percent of online community members say they sometimes or always interact with other members of their community while logged in. Internet users: reaching out across the Web Posting information -- Growing percentages of Internet users are going online to post information, whether on a blog, posting photos, or maintaining a personal Web site. The number of Internet users in America who keep a blog has more than doubled in three years (now 7.4 percent of users, up from 3.2 percent in 2003). Likewise, the number of Internet users who post photos online has more than doubled in three years (now 23.6 percent of users, up from 11 percent). The number of users who maintain their own Web site continues to grow steadily (now 12.5 percent of users).

From TV to Internet useage, purchasing, politics and education. There are nuggets for everybody.

Sadly you have to buy the whole report. I thought that sharing information was power, but then you have to pay the bills I guess

William Gibson on Digital natives

William Gibson interviewed by Rolling Stone

One of the things our grandchildren will find quaintest about us is that we distinguish the digital from the real, the virtual from the real. In the future, that will become literally impossible. The distinction between cyberspace and that which isn't cyberspace is going to be unimaginable. When I wrote Neuromancer in 1984, cyberspace already existed for some people, but they didn't spend all their time there. So cyberspace was there, and we were here. Now cyberspace is here for a lot of us, and there has become any state of relative nonconnectivity. There is where they don't have Wi-Fi.

Its like my 10 year old son telling me he can spell the word loading and then asking why there are always 3 DOTS ... after the word. Its what Gibson calls blended reality.

From William Gibson: The Rolling Stone 40th Anniversary Interview

As we wrote in CDB the community generation will always be ON.

And in this corner.. the affinity mobile phone via Sonopia

A quick comment. One of those who fully get it around mobile phones is Juha Christensen. His latest project is a company called Sonopia, and it is offering something I've been promising in a couple of my books already - the affinity mobile phone. Just like the affinity credit cards (Manchester United Visa Card etc) now you can have phones and mobile services customized by affinity affiliation. Sonopia is commercially operating in the USA with deals already in place with for example the National Wildlife Federation and several sports teams etc. Their story was in the Nov 15 issue of Business Week. And yes, for those keeping count, this is yet another MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator). Good luck Juha and Sonopia with this venture !

iPhone SIM-free price 999 Euros in Germany or about 1,450 USD without contract

We are monitoring how the iPhone is doing, and its pretty well on target to exceed what I estimated for its USA market but behind its schedule for its European targets. Still it seems that my gut feeling they would hit the 10 million sales in the first year is well within target.

But an interesting observation along the way. I did say in my January postings on Handicapping the iPhone that I expected the unsubsidised iPhone to cost 1,000 USD for the 4 GB version and 1,200 USD for the 6 GB version when the phone would reach European shores and a SIM-free version would need to be offered as in many markets you cannot force the customer to take a subsidised phone. Many were very dubious of those numbers, expecting the iPhone to be much less when sold without contract.

Now we have the official prices. T-Mobile in Germany is selling the iPhone (6 GB version, which had been discounted in America to 400 USD on its subsidised plan) for...  999 Euros, according to I 4 U News. So that is about 1,450 USD for the 6 GB version. Yes I was wrong, but most expected it to cost less than I expected, not more. At least I was closer than most ha-ha..  And if this is a short term introductory price level by T-Mobile to discourage lots of people from buying off all the stock of iPhones who would not then use it on T-Mobile's network, you could expect the price to drop reasonably, perhaps after Christmas, to something like 899 Euros (1,300 USD) or perhaps even 799 Euros (1,120 USD). My guess from January was rather well in the ballpark?

Now comparing Apples to Apples

And then it has become very valid to compare the iPhone to other phones costing about 1,400 dollars - such as the Nokia N-95 which was selling for 600 UKP or 1,200 Dollars before the iPhone was launched this Spring, or my fave phone, the N-93 which was a 600 UKP phone (1,200 USD) back in December 2006 ie a year ago. What did you get for the same price as an iPhone now, a year earlier from Nokia (vs the N-93) - not just cameraphone but 3 megapixels vs 2; not just any old plastic lens, but the Carl Zeiss optics on the Nokia. Not just useless digital zoom as on both phones, but true optical zoom 3x on the N-93 ! And no flash on the iPhone, flash on Nokia (and yes, the flash is almost useless as so under-powered). Then 3G. The iPhone is only 2.5G. Both have WiFi.

The Apple has a 3.5 inch screen, the Nokia has a 2.5 inch screen so the Apple is better in screen size. And just like the true size is exactly twice as large, so too is the screen pixel resolution, with Apple twice the size of the N-93. But the Nokia has video-out allowing you to connect it directly to your TV set. Talking about video, the iPhone doesn't even record video, the N-93 records video - and wow, it is the first mass market cameraphone to record video up to DVD quality !  And yes, since the iPhone doesn't do video recording, it of course doesn't do videocalls. The N-93 has a second video camera (inward-facing VGA) for video calling

The Apple has no removable memory slot - the N-93 currently has 2 GB memory modules with larger soon to come. The Apple has no removable battery. The N-93 has the 2D Barcode reader. The N-93 has a built in FM radio. Both phones have bluetooth, but the N-93 also has infra-red. Both are quad-band "international" phones on GSM, but since the N-93 adds WCDMA 3G, it also works in several countries where there is no GSM, such as Japan and South Korea where the iPhone won't find a cellular network to even connect.

So for two phones of the very nearly same price, the one year older Nokia is far superior in almost all technical specs, but honestly, it is also a very large phone. Both phones are similar in height and width, the N-93 slightly taller and the iPhone slightly wider, but the N-93 is two and a half times as thick as the iPhone - yes if you fasten two iPhones back-to-back on rubber bands, it is still significantly less thick than the Nokia. Of course the N-93 is a folder phone so you also get the screen protection of a flip-phone and then the N-93 has a second screen for the closed clamshell use.

There is a valid comparison to say that the iPhone is uber-sexy but very limited, ie like a top-line 2 seat sportscar, not unlike a Ferrari or Aston Martin. And that the N-93 is the jack-of-all-trades but very bulky, ie the top-line sedan like a Rolls Royce or Maybach overloaded with every conceivable gadget and accessory. I don't mean one is inherently better than the other, but for this price, one gets you very much more than the other. For those who really want the sexy sleek cool looks of the iPhone, or the Apple interconnectedness, or the Apple ease-of-use, then yes, whatever Apple produced at almost whatever price, does not really matter, that is the phone. But if you're into pictures, the optical zoom, Carl Zeiss lens and flash totally decide this matter. Or if you're into video recording (DVD quality) again there is no comparison, the older N-93 wins hands down

Those who love the N-95, it essentially drops the optical zoom part but adds a 5 megapixel camera, GPS and HSDPA 3.5G.

And consier the above comparison, that was from a year-old phone from Nokia. At this price (999 Euros unsubsidised) the iPhone is having very serious competition from CURRENT top line phones, not just the Nokias (such as the E-90 Communicator) but also top end Sony Ericssons, Samsungs, LGs etc.

And please all Apple lovers out there - I am a fan of Apple !  I don't want this first iteration iPhone for the very simple reason that it is not 3G - pretty useless to me in many of the countries where I do business - but the NEXT iPhone is the one I am already addicted to. When Apple listen to their customers and get ever better at the phone business, they will very soon produce the best phone ever like they have with their long history with PCs and now considerable experience with the iPods. This first iPhone is the Lisa to Apple's Macintosh. The next iPhone will be the true superphone from Apple (in my humble opinion) and I do want it already..

But sorry, got off the main topic. Yes, the iPhone unsubsidised price is now finally confirmed. 999 Euros or about 725 UKP or 1,450 USD. Thats an expensive phone, and at that price, it seems to be very "austere" or spartan in its feature set..

Still doubting that m-Banking has potential? In Kenya 25% of all bank accounts are mobile

Last week's Economist had a major story - and one of its Leaders (Editorials) about mobile banking. The best example in the story was from Kenya in Africa. Banking is very poorly developed in all African countries compared to the industrialized world. There are very big barriers to getting banking services ranging from anything like high costs of opening an account, very limited bank branches and services, remarkably bureaucratic needs to verify identity for banking - on a continent where identity documents are not always well available, etc.

So in Kenya, a country of about 37 Million in population, there are only 3 million bank accounts. But then consider this, their local mobile banking system, M-Pesa, is used by 1 million Kenyans !  So even if none of the people with a "real" bank account use M-Pesa, the mobile banking system has already cannibalized 25% of the total banking customer base in Kenya (and those whose math is not that strong, yes, the more there is ovelap, the greater is the cannibalization; if all who use M-Pesa had also a bank account, then the cannibalization would already be 33%)

Now before anyone starts to object, lets be clear. These M-Pesa users tend to use them for small amounts, so the total value of the banking transactions certainly is much greater than 75% in the traditional banking services. And probably also (there was no data in the Economist article on this) the total number of transactions on mobile are less than on traditional bank accounts.

But still, at least 25% of the customers of banking in Kenya have shifted to mobile phone based banking. No wonder people get their full salaries submitted onto phones, etc. Fascinating..

We will continue to monitor these developments. (and those who want to read more about what happens in the future when all money is digital and our phone becomes our wallet, read my latest book Digital Korea, with a whole chapter on money turning digital)

Social Marketing Intelligence

Social Marketing Intelligence is the black gold of the 21st Century

The Social Marketing Intelligence company Xtract has begun their own blog which I would urge anyone interested in competing for the future, they read. As Social Marketing Intelligence will become a key component of all businesses in the near future.

And here is an interesting piece on Better advertising through science

Advertising is all about relevance: the right ad, to the right person, at the right time. Last week, Microsoft paid $240 million to purchase 1.6% of Facebook, together with the rights to serve Facebook's ads outside the U.S. (building on an existing Microsoft deal to serve Facebook's domestic ad inventory). Microsoft's interest in Facebook and Facebook's resulting valuation have much to do with Facebook's potential for delivering extremely targeted advertising to its users. Facebook holds an enormous amount of information about its users, their interests, and their networks of friends. So far Facebook has not exploited that information effectively. So how can it justify a $15 billion valuation?

Bebo and the Lost Generation. Oh you mean Generation "C"

Those readers of our blog and book will know of our theory around what we described in CDB as Generation "C" or The Community Generation.

Foolishly and in a hurry I picked up a PR story. Then again looking through my paper tear sheet stack I found a big article on Bebo, Kate Modern and A social media network becomes a distributor for other media platforms

How could I miss KateModern when we had posted The great TV shows of the 21st Century will be made for the networked and connected generation (Gen-C)

Because

a). I am too busy

b). I am too stupid

Lets have a poll

It does not matter, so it was funny then to hear Doug Richard mention it at MediaTech and then for the whole thing to fall into place today.

The Aha moment.

So in Broadcasters woo 'lost generation' in deal with social networking site Bebo we get greater insight and comment. So if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Is what this says to me.

So here is KateModern

As we said The great TV shows of the 21st Century will be made for the networked and connected generation (Gen-C) So you get, the show, blog, comment, community and polls.

A global network of people, in the same way that you would get a global network for the Soprano's, Lost, Star Trek, and such communities have spending power, the question is do these companies then know how to realy monetise? It's as we might say an ongoing project...

Anyone, who has hears me speak will know the refrane

Once you have stormed the Bastille, you don't go back to your boring day job

So

Bebo (enables its) users to collect and curate clips from BBC programmes such as Doctor Who and EastEnders, behind-the-scenes MTV footage, ITN entertainment news and a host of other items within their own "Personal Video Profile", displaying them on their homepage and sharing them with friends.

In future, broadcasters are also likely to use Bebo to premiere programmes before they are shown on television in an attempt to build up an early following.

One of their biggest challenges is to cut through the noise of competing channels and get viewers to sample their programmes.

Bebo's president, Joanna Shields, said the announcement marked a new phase for social networking sites.

"We're revolutionising the way media companies can reach audiences online ... particularly the hard-to-reach youth demographic"

Cut through = Scarcity of attention As Herbert Simon the Economist once profoundly said

What information consumes is rather obvious. It consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention ...The only factor becoming scarce in a world of abundance is human attention.

Mass Media was very successful in a world of scarcity, it a world of plenty well our economist friend has spelt that out quite eloquently.

The end of the Belle Epoque?

A fierce battle is taking place for the eyeballs of elusive younger consumers, who are increasingly turning their backs on traditional media. Advertisers are terrified of no longer being able to reach young audiences, while broadcasters and other traditional media owners are seeing mass audiences eroded.

Bebo becomes an extension of a teenagers personality by hosting pictures and notes from friends and displaying their favourite bands and TV shows said Joanna Shields.

And there is nothing like a bold statement from the lady herself

Bebo predicts the new deals would help mark it out from its rivals, describing Facebook as a functional BlackBerry equivalent and Bebo as a multimedia iPod Touch.

As they say... Bring it on.

When you see someone on television, you think they're talking to everyone but you. When you hear someone on the radio, you think they're only talking to you.

Zoe Williams has written a wonderful piece on why radio is thriving in the our new digital world.

Stuart Maconie of BBC 2 thinks

You know how it is with telly - everyone says they want to do something brilliant and original, but really they want something that everyone else is doing, that they know works.

And Williams believes

There is a risk-culture in radio, which paradoxically increases that sense of intimacy. The mistake television makes is to think that the less demanding the content, the more universal the experience will be. In fact, the opposite is true: the more people are stretched beyond what is familiar to them, the greater their sense of identification and belonging.

In the Moore household the radio is on BBC Radio 4 if I can fight my daughter off from listening to Radio 1. It forms a back drop to our lives, as you dip into the intimacy of conversation and the wonderful sound of the human voice. No wonder podcasts are so popular. Read: Podcasting is the new Radio and Radio 1 driving engagement into the 21st Century and What have Ricky Gervais, Chris Moyles and three french maids have in common?

One BBC insider bemoaned the loss of meta-data from back catalogues and archive material, aka the Long Tail, so its interesting to see radio learning the rules of engagement to release that value. Again its simple really.

BBC7 introduces us to archiving as an art form, rather than just 100 Best Ways To Do Something Really Cheap. Mary Kalemkerian the channel's controller, is terribly well thought-of for turning what could have been a sub-visual UK Gold into the most successful digital channel there is, unless you count Five Live's cricket coverage (which they undoubtedly do). The distinctive thing about her approach is that with comedy (much of the station's output) she is not looking for kitsch or nostalgia, but for programmes that actually make people laugh.

And

Chris Moyles is hoovering up listeners as if they were Pringles: he now has Radio 1's breakfast listenership up to 10.87 million. It is closing the gap with Radio 2, which is by no means struggling itself, at 13.7 million listeners. Its director, Lesley Douglas, is so popular in the corporation that she can have as much money as she wants, for anything, and they are currently trying to clone her on the back of a mouse. The digital stations BBC 6 Music and the speech-only BBC7 inspire Joan of Arc-like loyalty.

Audience-wise, Radio 3 looks to the uninitiated like the poor relation (1.78 million out of the UK's total 45.6 million listeners), but in other ways it remains a heavy hitter: it is the largest commissioner of new music in the world, with insiders portraying it as an artistic patron on the scale of Louis XIV.

Remember, a mass audience for TV is measured outside of exceptional circumstances of 6 to 8 million

But, I think it is the social nature of radio, whether just listening to people talking in the studio, or listening from Cambridge to the sounds of the Shetland Isles, and the voices of those that live there, which brings a richness to radio that audio-visual content struggles with.

If this is true, why don't newspapers do live interviews and deliver them as podcasts, in conjunction with print based or web based product?

Media companies, I suggest they would do well to think about the power of the human voice.

Expect more of these: UK identity theft involving millions

I'm at the airport lounge and rushing, but the big story on BBC international news is the fact that disks containing digital identity data on millions of people in Britain, I think the story said includes all children in Britain, or something of that scale, have been lost and/or stolen.

This kind of stories will become more commonplace. As we have ever more valuable personal data behind given numbers and in certain databases, then their theft will also mean massive damage. Lets monitor this story as it develops and see if any actual damage is reported from this instance.