Mobile Media Simplified. Accessible. Relevant.

I am only taking credit to a small degree, but I must say that their well demonstrated approach reflects what I have been hearing myself say for a long time now to radio network execs and show hosts, as we build out our all-accessible media network.

The walled gardens we see so readily among the cell carriers and more recently Facebook and MySpace are nothing new to radio.

So FriendFeed, I salute you in hailing the value of media finding new outlets and new audiences! Let us join our rings of power together to amplify the message that the universe is indeed expanding. Media wealth is still being created. The new consumer is daily more empowered and sharing information between the newsmakers/pundits and the consumers will uncover an unprecedented yet-to-be-appreciated market awareness in the months ahead.

Andrew

P.S.
I got inspired reading and listening to these posts today…

/why-friendfeed-deserves-a-one-billion-dollar-valuation/

http://gillmorgang.techcrunch.com/2008/05/29/gillmor-gang-052908/

http://gillmorgang.techcrunch.com/2008/05/31/gillmor-gang-053008/

This article in BtoB speaks a loud message that companies of all sizes need to heed. Just as in 1999 the strategy shifted from “get a website to be ahead of the pack” to “get a website to avoid being irrelevant”, we are coming into a time where a marketing strategy without content is incomplete.

We are not just talking about more lengthy product pitches, but content that aids business partners of various types. Tips for consumers. Timely updates for strategic partners. Industry news for PR. Internal communications for team members in the field. Whatever you can do to become a great source for good information is good for business.

Enjoy the article and consider two things while you read. 1) How does your budget break down in comparison to the finding of the survey, and 2) Can you see how an audio component available fully on-demand over the phone can help in this regard? This is a new area of research for us, and we see cellecasting as an advantageous way to create and distribute customized content on the enterprise level through our messaging and audio-on-demand tools.

(Vancouver, WA – May 8, 2008) - Andrew Deal, founder and CEO of CelleCast Inc. announced today the launch of its social media tools built to enhance the burgeoning user community. CelleCast Listener Central brings the popularity of sites such as MySpace and Facebook to a 490 million phones and the mobile, audio-on-demand environment. The CelleCast Listener Central page features a variety of social media tools including talkbacks, polls, playlists, top shows and user statistics and they’re available to anyone with a phone.

Powered by a robust user profile tool, CelleCast Listener Central displays the most popular shows and topics of the day, and lets users listen to Talkback comments to shows made by others, as well as their own. It provides a pulse for what’s popular on CelleCast, and gives people a chance to express themselves openly in light of their favorite programs and their opinions on various cultural issues.

“The caller download hotlink maxis ringtones | download free ringtones nokia | download free sprint ringtones | cell cingular free phone ringtones | ringtones for alltel cell phone | free sprint cell phone ringtones | tv ringtones | cell free phone ringtones wallpaper | listen mosquito ringtones | ringtones for cingular phone | digi caller ringtones | free verizon wireless ringtones | download free ringtones yahoo | free phone ringtones | cingular free phone ringtones | tv theme ringtones | free phone ringtones verizon wireless | crazy frog ringtones | cell free get phone ringtones | download free real ringtones for tmobile | impact of social media services on today’s culture is undeniable,” commented Deal. “With the CelleCast community, our approach centers around not only connecting users with similar ideologies, but allowing them to share media with those in their real social network – people in their phone address book. Other sites allow you to create networks stuffed with people you’ve never met. Our service enables sharing audio media with your existing contacts, and finding others who have similar tastes. And there are no obstacles to be a part of the action. All it takes is a phone.”

The difference between CelleCast and sites such as Facebook and MySpace is the telephony-based channel, with the user’s phone number rather than email as a hub. Talkback interactions made to programs on CelleCast are displayed on the user’s profile, and some make it to the community page itself where ideas and ideologies are shared freely.

There is something very sweet about being in the right place just ahead of the right time.

Informa Telecoms and Media report, entitled “Mobile Advertising Services: Generating revenue through subsidised content” points to great trends coming into being, but even they can’t predict newer types of mobile advertising that is not even on the radar yet.

We are in that spot, with interactive spots available now, highly measurable and profitable.

Of course, as always I am talking about the cell phone, and about the voice channel.

What bears re-iterating in this post is that with all the intrigue about the next manifestations of New Media, the elemental success factors cannot be separated from what the mainstream can access and adopt.

We are finding that our competitive advantages are emerging in how we are not only innovating ways to make it easy for people to get radio media easily on demand, but in innovating around the power of the natural, familiar advantages that are inherent with the telephone.

As we are about to go from soft launch to the actual launching and announcement of the CelleCast Community version 1.0, and deliberating with team members, industry friends, and early adopters about what we are building, I am amazed by the advantages we have. We have made on-demand audio and sharing a no-barrier deal for all.

Having said that, we have a lot of work to do on messaging focus, so features and benefits are not too long of a laundry list. It is good to have great people and partners around me with who we can share problems and solutions with.

Thanks Mark, Israel, Geoff, Jim and the team for your great input this week as we are about to announce what radio is longing for.. a way to bring their listener communities together to opine, share info, and meet up with others around the shows they are loyal to.

Andrew

The Equity Kicker’s post about the trending of social networks is excellent in it’s forward thinking. I agree that the future of it is not all automatically guaranteed rosy, and that there is going to be a shakeout of this space soon… at least the generalized networks, where the community factors are an end unto themselves.

Our socnet niche is in building for a specific audience of people that love talk radio, or more specifically, thoughtful, informative discussion and debate that is relevant to their lives. Since people have a built in affinity around the media voices they listen to, there is a natural desire to gather together with others who share that affinity. Empowering this paradigm, we plan to bring a whole a new group of people into social networking, who have not bothered with it to this point.

The talk media channels are just the beginning, but are a powerful beginning, provided we can convince our emerging talk partners that the model is being built to support them, rather than derail their focus.

We’re set to soft launch the social media side of CelleCast on Friday, April 18th. We could use your help in generating buzz. This is what we’d like for you to do, for the chance to win a pair of free movie tickets!

Go to http://cellecast.com. If you haven’t already registered, please do so and create a profile.

1. Make your profile complete, giving the CelleCast community a good taste of who you are with poll questions, an updated playlist and a photo. Please be sure to make it public.
2. Call the number 360-335-6000. Hit #, 1 for general program seek. Listen to a minimum of 5 shows for a minute or so each. Leave a talkback for one of the shows. Your talkback should be relevant to the show and topic, so it can be published on the program’s home page.
3. Give us some feedback! Complete the special poll questions starting with the word “SURVEY” (required), and post any comments about the experience, whether philosophical or technical, complimentary or critical(optional). Just post your comments here on the blog.

To qualify for the movie ticket drawing, each step above must be complete. Qualified entries will be in the running for a pair of Regal Cinema passes. 20 pairs are available. Winners will be notified via telephone or email on or around Friday, May 2nd.

When we announce the launch of our social media community to the world in early May, our goal is to have you in our system as an early adopter of the bridge we’re building between talk radio lovers and the social media world.

To be entered in the movie ticket drawing without going through the steps above, you may send a send us a postcard with your full name, mailing address, email and daytime phone number. Address your correspondence to: CelleCast Movie Ticket Drawing - 4209 NE 66th Ave - Vancouver, WA 98661

Here is some wisdom I can bring back from my visit to Hawaii. It is a snippet from Bob Harrison’s newsletter, whose conference I just attended in Maui. Starting a bit off-topic, it relates to what can happen to any of us who resist change or remain in close proximity to others that resist it.

An overzealous zookeeper who was trying to overcome an elephant’s constipation problem fed the animal 22 doses of laxative plus several pounds of berries, figs and prunes. When that didn’t seem to be working, he proceeded to give the ailing elephant an olive-oil enema. Unexpectedly, the relieved beast unloaded on him like a dump truck full of mud.

According to the article the sheer force of the elephant’s unexpected defecation knocked the keeper to the ground, where he struck his head on the pavement. The elephant evacuated approximately 200 pounds of dung on top of him.

I know what it feels like to have someone “dump their dung” on me. This situation has happened in my life on more than one occasion. It has occurred when someone was misinformed or had allowed an accumulation of negative feelings about a proposed change to persist in their thinking. As a result, some event or announcement triggered them to overreact emotionally and respond in a negative manner. At the same time, there have been times in my life where I have misinterpreted change and therefore have reacted negatively.

In his classic book Peak Performance author John Noe states… “The greatest challenge that people committed to going to the next level will face is disagreement from those closest to them. The reason is, most of the people close to you are more interested in you not getting hurt than they are in seeing you succeed.”

“Peak performers can not allow the possible negative reactions of these people to paralyze them from making correct decisions.” Noe goes on to state…

“High achievers must be willing to risk rejection by their peers.”

Over the years I have observed that the possibility of rejection by others is a key challenge that leaders must be willing to face. This is particularly true when they attempt to remove blockages to productivity, launch new products, change operating strategies, and/or when they introduce a new person to a position of authority or influence.

Thanks for the imagery Bob. I am sure we will all think twice before forcing change on those not ready to digest it.

Stay regular!

I had the honor to be on a panel at the Convergence Conference this week where the stated goal was to get down to the nitty gritty on ‘Revitalizing Stodgy Old Media’. Of course with any panel, there are many points to be made and moderator questions can create an unexpected context where the core issue loses some of it’s focus.

Mark Ramsey did a great job keeping things interesting, but surprised me a bit by defining the context of the session to identifying problems and solutions on the radio station and group level. No problem. We had a few minutes at the beginning to address the ’stodginess’ premise. I made the point that there is a droned narrative about radio’s backwards views on media that I don’t agree with at all. It is an unfair characterization, and as Mark also clarified, stodgy might just be another way of saying that radio is established and careful not to sacrifice it’s soul at the alter of ‘new’.

This brings me to the larger point I had hoped to bring across on the panel had we not moved on from the attitudinal to the practical. The point is that in my experience, new media types have issues of their own to deal with if we truly want to see convergence happen as it should to the benefit of all. New media has at times an unpleasant arrogance to it. There I said it. The idea that something new is categorically more valuable than something established makes as much sense as electing Barack Obama on the mere oratory of change alone. New media types expect to grow virally and replicate with impunity, but then come around to radio to exploit their mass reach.

Coming from the new media side, we have enjoyed much more success in convergence as we have sought to compliment radio and became students of the radio culture and mission. Not only has this been rewarding for me personally, but will reward us greatly as our partnerships continue to expand.

For all of our readers in the radio industry, the interest level is quite high regarding how our partnership with Westwood One is going to change with Gary Krantz no longer being at the helm on the digital side. After reading todays post on Thomas Beusse’s new leadership strategy at Westwood One, I am very encouraged. We can relate to some of the frustration expressed through his quotes in the article, and look forward to continuing to help them go “platform agnostic” as a key distribution partner. My favorite quote of his being, “We need to expand the focus of the business to become platform-agnostic. In the long term, my plan is to have Westwood One become a platform-agnostic content company.”.

It is clear to me that he understands, and it is already being reflected on WW1’s site now, that radio is being disassembled from being a package deal of content and distribution, to where content flourish’s best with multiple distribution methods, and distribution flourishes when it finds complementary, symbiotic new media partners. I’ll talk more about that in my next post, but I just wanted our friends at Westwood One (new and old) to know we are in their corner.