Here’s the long and short of it: there are no rules with online media.

Sure, take a moment to digest that because it goes against just about everything we’re typically conditioned to think.  We’re used to “best practices” and guidelines.  Think about it in terms of traditional media where there are a wide variety of rules & guidelines.  For instance, typically newspaper articles are a few hundred words in length; for television outlets the news department always tries to find a local angle on a story; while in the land of radio stories are usually told these days by a reporter, often syndicated, that at best feature a quick sound bite.  And accordingly, with each of these different arenas there are certain rules of the game if you will for for gaining traction for your particular story; however in the online space we have a blank platform through which to tell our stories.

This platform extends beyond the simple press release or website, but today expands into the mobile space and allows any organization to create rich media that is on-message and helps to tell its story.  This is vastly powerful space - organizations can now share video of their events, conversations with executives, and insights from their latest research with global audiences with ease.  A pretty powerful development that has come of age in the last few years, but as organization’s go to implement these types of tools they are often faced with questions in regard to the “right” way to do things…which is where we enter new & uncharted territory.

That said, the online space brings with it a double-edged sword because on one hand there are no rules, and on the other hand well, there are no rules.  Since there are no right or wrong way ways to leverage this space, it is most important that you think strategically about how to integrate these outreach efforts, how to brand them accordingly, and how to keep them professional and polished - just like you would do with any other piece of marketing collateral.

The bottom line is online space can be a powerful new venue to tell your story.  While there aren’t any rules per se, you’ll be able to think of plenty of new ways to include these types of options in your PR & marketing plans, and find opportunities to leverage your efforts and tell your stories.

The PR business is changing from an industry that once relied on traditional content producers, into a field that is leveraging new tools and crafting unique audio and video content itself.

Prior to the internet boom, if you had a story you wanted to tell you had a variety of options from local & network television, to radio, newspapers, and a wide variety of periodicals.  So, your best bet was to craft a news release and start pitching to the respective outlets that you were targeting.  Along the way you would find a number of different reactions from the standard “We’ll get back to you…” to the “That’s not something we would be interested in,” or “Send me more information.”  Ultimately, if your story was accepted by an editor or a reporter, the final message was in their hands.  You could only provide them with the information and coordinate an interview - from there it was up to them what would make the final cut.

While those were the rules of the game, for professionals who pride ourselves on helping our clients to tell their stories that created a pretty vulnerable and uncontrolled situation.  Now, before I go on, of course I recognize that that type of situation still exists and that there are many talented individuals that still pitch and provide great results for their clients.  However, with the advancement of the internet, the ubiquity of an internet connection from the PC to the cell phone and new gadgets such as the iPod and the iPad, a new channel to reach audiences has emerged.

It is this new channel, via the internet, that has ushered in the winds of change for the PR profession.  Certainly, many have dealt with the client’s website, and added outreach efforts such as e-newsletters, and promotional e-mails for campaigns.  But today, with the plethora of digital devices that allow consumers to easily download & tap into content, new avenues have emerged that allow us to directly distribute unique audio and video content that tells our stories.

In the process, PR professionals have gone through the shift from pitching & booking to creating & producing.  The result is that our industry has become revitalized & exciting new opportunities have presented themselves to help tell our stories and reach niche markets.  From iTunes, to YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, PR pros are the ones that are navigating the new online space and making sense of it for organizations and their initiatives.

I have a plan for Fox to change the Late Night game – it extends beyond just hiring Conan - and in the process it would leverage their existing assets and create a significant stream of revenue for the Fox television network. This strategy would shake up the network TV landscape, and would offer Fox the opportunity to join the party at 11:35 PM.

It wasn’t that long ago that Fox was as struggling start-up network, however today it is often ranked at the top of the ratings with blockbusters like American Idol, and 24, and yet after the local news at 10 PM the local affiliates transition to blocks of syndicated sitcoms. So, it’s time to shake things up and move past old Seinfeld repeats.

Here’s the idea: build a national newscast to air at 11 PM using the resources of the Fox News Channel and then lead into Conan O’Brien at 11:35 PM. It’s the perfect opportunity to extend the Fox News Channel’s brand, to bring something new to the timeslot, and to set Conan up for a fair fight in late night. On the other Networks, the traditional 11 PM newscast has been produced by the local affiliates, however Fox already serves that niche at 10 PM and there is no other eleven o’clock National newscast on any of the broadcast networks. This would offer Fox the opportunity to differentiate its programming, showcase its news reporting talents, and to familiarize new audiences with the FNC brand, and then position them to lead into Conan at 11:35 PM. With that strategy, since Conan’s demos match up better with Fox’s than NBC, he could build an audience that would grow over time and carve out a real home run for Fox in the Late Night day-part.

While many are arguing that Conan can sign with Fox and go on the air at 11 PM to beat Jay and Dave to the punch, I think that’s the wrong approach. It’s too similar to Jay Leno’s failed primetime experiment; which if nothing else teaches us that audiences expect that Late Night television will start after the late news. Further, a weakness of putting Conan on at 11 PM is that Fox could find itself in the precarious position of viewer turnout thirty-five minutes into his program as they flip to Leno or Letterman.

This proposed strategy has a unique value proposition as a win, win, win. First, a win for the affiliates because Fox will make their 11 PM more relevant and differentiate them in their marketplace; a win for Conan who gets to re-join the Late Night competition going head to head with his rivals, and perhaps most importantly a win for advertisers who covet Fox’s younger skewing demos.

If you happen to work for the Fox network feel free to run with the idea; of course I would be happy to further consult with you on how to best design and bring this strategy to fruition…

Over the past year, as a Nation we have witnessed a financial meltdown, which has been unlike any other series of events that many of us have lived through. Millions have lost jobs, and confidence in the market has eroded. Certainly, it is normal for the market to have fluctuations and for corrections to take place from time to time, but the last year was beyond what anyone including the “experts” had envisioned. The repercussions from these recent events run deep and have impacted millions; leaving many wondering what tomorrow will bring.

As organizations look to the future and to moving forward beyond the financial crisis, and as markets strengthen and projects move forward, perhaps the most important component to the recovery is Communications. I do not write that flippantly, nor because it is the arena in which you or I practice. Instead, in order to get our Nation back to work, and to ease everyone’s concerns we must leverage the opportunities before us in today’s new media landscape to openly and honestly communicate and share the direction that our organizations and clients envision. Whether that means sharing notes and information via today’s social media tools such as Twitter, or Facebook, or doing a periodic Podcast interview with members of the C-Suite, or doing a media tour to promote events and campaigns.

Utilizing these tools affords us the opportunity to share where our organizations (and our client’s) are heading with both internal and external audiences. Further, sharing our message will help to ease people’s fears, and instill confidence in the greater business environment and to our customers.

While the news these days is often about the high unemployment rate and the many negative aspects to today’s economy, despite those headlines, there are millions upon millions of hard working people heading to their jobs every day. They are our colleagues in research and development, customer service, shipping & management and collectively they are doing great things and helping their organizations move forward. As for us, as communicators, PR flacks, & marketers it is our role to shine the light on the positive stories and demonstrate to our communities both locally, domestically, and abroad that we are holding our heads up high and moving the economy forward.

As communicators we manage and implement new strategies that best fit our goals and as marketing and communications have gone through various cycles we’ve adapted our strategies to deal with the latest tactics.  Whether that means having a daylong conference, doing a media tour, producing a tri-fold brochure, or taking a weighty campaign and making it make sense in a one-minute radio or television spot.  Regardless of the medium, it’s our job to tell the story and leverage new communications platforms to find ways through which we can deliver our messages.  With that in mind, I thought I’d take a look at the latest communications tool, which of course has been getting a lot of attention, Twitter.

While I realize that many organizations have already started thinking about and integrating Twitter into their communications campaigns, there are many that have yet to fully delve in.  So, for those that are still leery let me share a few quick ideas about how Twitter can be beneficial for your next program.  First off, the basic premise of Twitter is to share with essentially the World, what you are doing, or thinking, in 140 characters.  Now, I know your first reaction might be that it seems like we have finally reached that point where we’re boiling everything down to the lowest common denominator, and you’re probably wondering how can 140 characters help me communicate about my campaign.

Well, I would argue that upon a closer look and once you’ve taken some time to explore the Twitterverse you may actually realize it is filled with potential and be of a different school of thought.  I know, you’re thinking exactly how that could be, well Twitter allows you to give your campaign and active avenue through, which you can reach your target market and engage them in an open dialogue.  Perhaps, best of all, Twitter opens the doors to having a conversation with audiences that are located anywhere and about any topic.

So, how can you benefit by integrating Twitter into your next communications campaign?  Here are a few ideas, you will be able to:

• Develop an on-going dialogue about your campaign; sharing new information and keeping your brand in front of your audiences.
• Share message points with diverse and geographically dispersed audiences.
• Take an active voice in helping to answer questions in real-time.
• Monitor feedback and control your own message.

Beyond these key points, by utilizing Twitter you’ll be able to engage in a virtual dialogue, which will help hammer home your message.  Further, being active on Twitter will help you establish new relationships, strengthen existing ones, and perhaps most importantly share knowledge and information with new contacts who may even be potential clients.

So, think about it 140 Characters really is more powerful than you would have initially thought, right?  Tweet me @jasoncohen

Late Night’s faces are shifting, and in the process so is the business of television.

Over the course of the past several months we’ve already watched late night television begin to evolve as Conan moved from New York to Los Angeles and handed the keys to Late Night over to Jimmy Fallon.  Now, of course, Jay Leno has handed the storied reigns of The Tonight Show to Mr. O’Brien – but unlike those late night shifts of the past this story doesn’t end here.  Instead, in September, Mr. Leno will re-emerge in a new prime-time show on NBC nightly at 10PM.

So in essence, rather than a simple hosting transition, like that of Carson to Leno, this movement instead is more like a seismic shift for late night television.  (Actually, I’m not even sure that moniker is accurate anymore, as we’ll now see this variety-style show airing from 10PM to about 1 or 2 AM.)  With the addition of Leno’s new program to the landscape there are many questions, which are left to be answered in the coming months and years.  Can Leno be successful at that early hour? Who will get the big guests? What will differentiate the programs? Does the audience have enough interest for what amounts to 3 hours of talking heads on Network television each night?

That said, however, potentially one of the most interesting questions that remains to be answered is that of what the impact will be on the Business of Television.  Consider for a moment, that if the strategy works NBC, will have taken a time slot that typically requires on average $3 million dollars per night to create an hour long drama – and filled it with a topical comedy variety show which is costing somewhere in the ballpark of $30 million for a year.  The result for the network will be the ability to earn a higher return on their investment – and therefore a better payoff for the network’s ownership: GE.

Further, if this proves successful, there is a high likelihood that it will change the entire game of television: putting pressure on the other broadcast networks to adopt similar strategies; yielding improved profits for the other ownership groups (and their shareholders).  Additionally, this shift would leave a lot of popular programming and creative talents without a home – a void that can actually create new opportunities for growing cable outlets like TNT, FX, Lifetime and others.  All in all, this late night shift could alter the television landscape as we have known it for quite some time.

Actually, if it works out I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw NBC extend the Today show by a few more hours, and rebranded the 10PM – 1AM block as The Tonight Show and called it a Day.

MediaBack Page’s Quick Hits for April 30th :

• Disney Decides to Dance the Hulu - TVWeek - News -
• Clear Channel Faces a Crisis in Cash Flow - NYTimes.com - And now somehow it just seems as that mantra "bigger is better" doesn't seem to apply…

MediaBack Page’s Quick Hits for March 23rd :

• The Associated Press: Adam Carolla goes from canceled to podcast king -
• How the iPhone 3.0 Will Create a New Mobile Economy -
• Social Media Marketing Budgets on the Rise -
• Newspapers fold as readers defect and economy sours - CNN.com -

MediaBack Page’s Quick Hits for March 19th :

• Time Inc.'s new made-to-order magazine lets readers tailor content - Yahoo! Canada Finance -
• How the iPhone could save the newspaper industry : Ben Patterson : Yahoo! Tech - An interesting take on how Apple's iPhone 3.0 technology can be leveraged for struggling publications to build a new stream of revenue.

Do you read the paper, or surf to their website, subscribe to an RSS feed?  Do you listen to the radio, or download Podcasts, listen to Slacker, or Satellite?  Is prime-time TV your thing; do you watch on a television, via SlingBox, or do you Hulu?

The questions can go on and on, as today’s audiences are increasingly fragmented.  It’s a point I often make during presentations and conversations with clients – today’s audiences are increasingly sophisticated and get their news and information in varied ways.  The translation for communications professionals is that we have to think about communicating differently and in ways that go beyond the traditional methodologies.  That is not to say those aren’t important avenues, because they are clearly still powerful outlets, but today they are just one part of today’s communications landscape.  But increasingly, so are new technologies from audio and video on the web as Podcasts and Webcasts, to desktop widgets, and BlackBerry and iPhone applications; the translation communications and marketing are becoming platform agnostic practices.

There are two recent examples, which showcase how content providers are adopting new strategies that are increasingly platform agnostic.  First, Amazon on the heels of releasing the second edition of its Kindle e-book reader, released Kindle for iPhone.  Now, instead of only selling e-books to owners of Amazon’s own hardware they are able to tap into new audiences who own either the Apple iPhone, or the iPod Touch.  Further, this strategy will expand the availability of Amazon’s e-books; generating increased content sales and potential even furthering interest in the Kindle device.

Secondly, on the heels of the Sirius/XM merger, and under increased pressure to differentiate and compete in today’s media marketplace come rumors that Sirius XM is evolving and developing a new broader internet strategy.  It seems as though the firm is working to give subscribers easier access to the Sat Radio’s content from any number of devices including Windows Media Center, via Boxee, or even via the iPhone and iPod Touch.  These moves suggest that Sirius realizes the importance of reaching subscribers in any number of venues, in order to meet the increased demands of today’s consumer in an effort to keep them as subscribers.

With both examples, we see that these providers are leaving behind the idea of proprietary hardware to access their content – instead they will find greater success with a platform agnostic approach.  These instances can serve as examples of the new way in which communications professionals need to be thinking about delivering their own messaging.  With this approach in mind, the more avenues through which communications professionals can try and distribute their own messaging then the more success we’ll have at telling our stories.