Apple is looking to change the media landscape again, this time with print

Will Apple’s new iPad help revitalize a dying medium? Along with the success of the iPod and the iPhone, Apple’s new product is looking to change the way multimedia is distributed online.

The new highly anticipated iPad was introduced Wednesday to the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. This new product is supposed to combine the mobility of the iPhone but with the computing power of a standard desktop or laptop.

The new technology will finally give media producers a chance to generate revenue for their online content that until now has been mostly free. Newspapers, magazines and other print mediums are working to transform their content to a tablet format in hopes to revitalize the print industry by collecting revenue for the content they currently distribute for free.

Hopes are high for Apple’s iPad in the media industry, however there are several naysayers that are concerned that it isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. The main problem with the product is that it will take awhile for it to make an impact large enough to see results. The product is coming out at a time where there isn’t much of a demand for a new-gadget as there is for the new lower-priced net books. Also, many media analysts are concerned that Apple will now be able to impose their price restrictions and other terms to online content the same way that iTunes and the iPod did to the music industry, destroying the novelty of an album.

Either way, Apple is set to change the way we view media. Although the outcome of the new Apple iPad is unknown and may not exceed the popularity of the iPod or the iPhone, one thing is for certain: Apple will be spending a lot of money advertising its new product, spreading the wealth over several mediums. That is one thing that every medium is looking forward to.

Be sure to visit Ruth Burke & Associates’ blog to find the latest in media news and receive helpful tips to make your advertising campaign successful...

Take advantage of the blockbuster sensations through theatre advertising

Have you caught the Twilight fever or been enthralled by the latest James Cameron masterpiece? It seems that everyone is talking about the biggest blockbusters hitting the theatres week after week.

Avatar, the new James Cameron sci-fi spectacular has raked in over $554 million dollars at the U.S. box office alone and the latest Twilight Saga: New Moon flick drew in over 18.9 million viewers on the opening weekend. The Twilight opening weekend numbers smashed the highest ranked television premiers including Sunday Night Football, Dancing with the Stars and CSI by well over half a million people.

You don’t have to spend millions of dollars in order to capitalize on these huge blockbusters. Theatre advertising is a very cost-effective way to reach a broad and captivated audience. According to TwelvePlus MRI research, 56% of moviegoers 12+ are between the ages of 25-54 years old. The average cost of theatre advertising ranges from $50-$2,500 per week depending on the market you are in.

Theatre slides provide a way for advertisers to get their message up on a large screen in a full color, often digital format. When you combine a captive audience with an engaging message on the big screen, it’s no surprise that screen slides have a high recall rate. According to the Nielsen New Media Research, there is a 66% recall rate for on screen entertainment slides. Add the high recall rate and a record breaking blockbuster together and you can create the perfect advertising formula for your company.

Be sure to visit Ruth Burke & Associates’ blog to find the latest in media news and receive helpful tips to make your advertising campaign successful...

Kraft to promote with a bang

Risk taking in advertising can make a campaign stand out from the rest.

MediaPost reports that Kraft plans on sponsoring the demolition of a well-known sports arena this spring. The Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas was the residence of the Dallas Cowboys football team for the past 37 years. The team has since moved to a new venue.

Kraft is utilizing the implosion of the old arena to promote the new version of its Mac & Cheese brand. While other companies have attributed their names to stadiums before, this appears to be the first sponsorship of its kind. To earn the naming rights of the destruction, Kraft will donate $75,000 to local charities and $75,000 worth of a variety of products to local nonprofits.

The “Cheddar Explosion,” which the company has branded the project, will have an essay contest to choose a youth to press the button to begin demolition. It is scheduled to be imploded on April 11, 2010 and will be broadcasted online.

Risk taking in advertising can make a campaign stand out from the rest. Alternative sponsorships can be an innovative way to bring awareness, help a community, and still get a brand message to the public.

Be sure to visit Ruth Burke & Associates’ blog to find the latest in media news and receive helpful tips to make your advertising campaign successful...

Newsday.com joins other news sites by adding a pay wall

As media adapts to the ever changing advertising climate, it can take some time for consumers to embrace it.

Online newspapers have attempted to implement pay walls in the past. According to MediaPost, Newsday has joined the ranks and began to charge visitors $5 a week for unlimited access to the site. Everything from sports, local news, columns, blogs and entertainment news, to videos are now only accessible for a fee. Weather forecasts are among the only information that is still free.

Since the pay wall took place on October 28th, the unique visitors and traffic have decreased compared to the preceding months. In fact, Nielsen data shows that 2.1 million unique visitors came to the website in October. Only 1.7 million were accounted for in November.

Many newspapers, like The New York Times, have attempted pay walls only to rescind the block for various reasons. However, the Wall Street Journal has had success for more than a decade in charging readers for content.

As media adapts to the ever changing advertising climate, it can take some time for consumers to embrace it. Therefore, it is wise to know the target audience and discern if a change will be readily accepted. Allowing customers the time to adapt can be crucial for a successful outcome.

Be sure to visit Ruth Burke & Associates’ blog to find the latest in media news and receive helpful tips to make your advertising campaign successful...

More people are seeking out HDTV programming

As media options become more fragmented, it can be helpful to know where audiences are residing.

Knowledge Network conducted a survey this year to document high-definition (HD) TV viewing in the United States. Compared to two years ago, HD TV viewers who watch that format on a daily basis has shown exponential growth.

According to MediaPost, the survey polled people who were between the ages of 13 and 54 and who were HD-enabled. From this group, 43% watch HD programming each day which is a large increase from 26% two years ago.

The study showed that men chose HD programming when accessible over standard definition more than women. Also, men were shown to notice TV commercials more often in the HD format than women.

As media options become more fragmented, it can be helpful to know where audiences are residing. It is also important to allow advertisements to adapt to new media so that it does not stand out in an off-putting manner. For example, a standard TV commercial will stick out negatively if it runs within an HD show.

Be sure to visit Ruth Burke & Associates’ blog to find the latest in media news and receive helpful tips to make your advertising campaign successful...