The Move to Mobile

Recently, we had a number of long discussions about our clients’ desires to get their programming to mobile devices. Anytime a new technology comes along (especially if it’s “sexy” and getting a lot of media attention) the tendency is to think that this new technology will immediately solve some audience growth challenges.

My mantra is and continues to be: It’s a great time to be a programmer. The avenues of distribution continue to grow and we must constantly be reevaluating our portfolio of media options.

Still, exploiting new media requires some careful thought and sometimes a little restraint. A recent article in Advertising Age explains that so far, the cost of reaching the mobile viewer is high and the results are low. (Of course, that observation was probably said of color TV and I still hear it about the Internet!)

So, does that mean that we should abandon a move toward new distribution options? Of course not, but it does mean that we must carefully plan what time and resource we will put toward it. Also, we cannot not ignore the current distribution streams that most folks use.

The upcoming release of Apple’s iPhone will probably usher in a giant step forward for delivering content to the viewer. With its larger screen and more sophisticated features, it may help move the mobile delivery option decidedly forward.

In the meantime, we are working with our clients to be aware of the trends and appropriately prepare for them now. Not only are there distribution and marketing plans to be made, but operational ones as well. For example, from a production perspective, it will demand a return to the “Close Up.” Watching a parade of wide and head-to-toe shots on a screen the size of your Post-it® note can be a little annoying. Moreover, the lack of close-up shots may actually destroy any opportunity to develop intimacy (that traditional TV often delivers) between the audience and the program.

Here’s to the future!