I don’t think I’ve put podcasting high enough on my radar. Part of the problem is that I’m not someone who listens to the radio, but I realise I’m in the minority with 51% of people identifying themselves as regular listeners. So, are podcasts just a fad? Will voice just be surpassed by video or vodcasting?
On the video front, while growth in the digital space is rapid I reckon the desire for audio only will always remain. It’s a similar behaviour to choosing to put on a CD or watching music videos. Sometimes you just want to listen to something.
There’s great growth potential for podcasting. Radio has been an enduring medium, even with the advent of digital technologies, and I see the podcast as simply providing a form of “on-demand radio”. Uptake may be slow, but awareness is growing, suggesting that podcasting suffers from the same challenges as on-demand TV services; if good content exists, it’ll just take time to ensure the delivery model is in place and help the consumer adapt.
Thanks to Anthony for this - he spots all the best videos.
Great stuff to see from VideoJug. When i was at ShinyRed last year the two companies were talking to eachother. The amount, and quality, of the content is growing rapidly. I defy you to visit the site and *not* get caught up watching vids and learning all sorts of useful (and not so useful) stuff.
Sofia’s Diary, Bebo’s new interactive drama to follow on from KateModern, has signed-up Pearl Drops as the first integrated brand for the series.
I think it’s exciting to watch how this type of advertising will create new channels for up-and-coming creative talent, particularly in broadcast/film.
On a recent trip to NZ I caught up with Bevin Linkhorn of The Gibson Group and brains behind ‘My Story’ a 2-minute x 40 episode drama series which aired on terrestrial television in NZ & was delivered to fans via mobile SMS.
Bevin highlighted some interesting benefits to this type of work:
It was relatively cost effective vs. traditional production costs
Short episodes could be shot and turned around faster (allowing future opps for audience interactivity in the story)
Fans could virally share episodes by forwarding the clips
While MyStory did get some sponsorship on board it wasn’t essential as the project was funded by TVNZ. [Update: Bevin got in touch to put me straight - show was funded by NZ On Air's innovation fund ]. As projects like this become more commonplace though and funding gets competitive brand sponsorships could drive content creation and start turning production companies into distributors. We’re already seeing the music world changing distribution.
I also saw that at the recent 3GSM World Congress Robert Redford discussed the role mobile will particularly play in allowing independent filmmakers to reach new audiences. (The GSMA recently collaborated with the Sundance Film Festival: Global Short Film Project last year.)
If I was a film student right now I’d be all over this to get my work funded and out there - and if was a brand I’d be looking at the potentially attractive ROI of this type of activity.
I don’t think I’ve put podcasting high enough on my radar. Part of the problem is that I’m not someone who listens to the radio, but I realise I’m in the minority with 51% of people identifying themselves as regular listeners. So, are podcasts just a fad? Will voice just be surpassed by video or vodcasting?
