Black and White Blood.

Ok so lets get the basics out of they way. AFL is everyones favourite sport and Collingwood is clearly the best team to exist in any sport.. ever. 

Relax - Im not gonna talk about sport what so ever in this particular instance. However, I am going to elaborate on the social media that the Collingwood football club have adopted. 

Collingwood run and operate their own youtube channel; CTV (Collingwood TV). CTV provides die hard Collingwood fans with weekly video diaries of players, highlights and press conferences. Here is an example of my favourite player's (Dayne Beams) video diary on a trip to Adelade: 

This simple video diary alone enhances the relationship Collingwood members and fans have with the club and its players. This experience takes you right up close and personal to the Collingwood team. Fans have a greater sense of identity when they watch their "Friends" run out and give it their all on weekends. 

Now, the Collingwood Football Club clearly has the most members, tipping the scales at a whopping 71,000 members. Is this a coincidence? I know Collingwood are reining premiers which usually boosts membership numbers (of course I know), but never before has a membership tally reached such stratifying numbers. There hasn't been a dramatic increase in population either, which suggests that collingwood has been more effective at converting fans to members than ever before. 

This can be put down to a number of facets, especially the player-fan relationships created with their social marketing, CTV.  

hot cider? only on the internet

How many viral campaigns do we see on the internet that have been scrapped from TV? Filtering organisations such as the American 'FCC' control what we see on television (which is probably for the greater social good), and as a result others are now looking elsewhere for stimulus. 

The internet is now playing host to the wild desires of humanity, and some organisations are tapping into this market. It is a cost effective way of targeting an audience with no marginal cost involved!

I managed to dig up an American cider company; Dickens. Pretty low key name for a cider company, but once we watch their campaign:

Dickens cider even continued their promotional direction, with their website:

http://www.hotdickencider.com/

Due to our thoroughly sensitised viewing, consumers are refreshed and astonished at these viral campaigns. Weather or not they are effective marketing campaigns is another question, but they certainly capture your attention. 

Myopia - Take Two

On a barmy summer afternoon, on the first of July 1960, Theodore Levitt coined a term; 'Marketing Myopia'. Essentially this term depicts a situation whereby marketers are short sighted, fixated on the now, not the future. Levitt highlighted the dangers that the Hollywood movie industry (amongst other industries) faced. Advancements in technology resulted in the production of a television, which was able to do Hollywood entrainment - free of charge. Consequently Hollywood was required to adapt, and quickly branched forward to television programs and feature films.


Once again, technological advancements will force Hollywood to re-adapt. How might you ask? Have you ever seen/herd of this web site?

In case you don't know, Megavideo is an online website whereby you can stream your favourite television shows, at any time. Due to advancements in the internet, the nature of television consumption is evolving.   Viewers of online television now have the freedom to watch what they want, when they want. They don't abide by the traditional daily/weekly viewing times on television, they abide to their own schedule. How many of you have ever watched an episode of anything online? It's convenience is astonishing; no ads, you can pause and rewind at will, and best of all you don't have to wait that extra week to see the next episode. 

There are thousands of online providers of television shows, both illegal and legal. Often, websites such as 'megavideo' upload episodes well before they even aires on television. 

How will this affect Hollywood you may ask? Think logically here. The success of television programs and movies are primarily based upon ratings and viewings. With higher rating television programs, companies and networks are able to sell advertisement spaces for premium prices. With less and less people watching their favourite shows and movies on the actual 'television', theoretically ratings and profits will drop. 

This relates directly to Theodore's myopia theory. Hollywood and large television entertainment producing networks must now readjust, due to the changing nature of the consumer market. Already we are seeing organisations beginning to buy premium online advertisement space. How annoying are those 30 second ad's before youtube videos?

Mr Wagstaff himself has already eluded us to the potential waste of internet advertisement space invested in by some companies. Is this the way forward for the visual entertainment industry? Do they perhaps provide users with online streaming of their own programs, and sell advertisement space? Do they tighten the process whereby episodes are released? Or perhaps strategic advertisement mid program, ie characters wear a particular brand. Whatever the answer, one thing is fore sure. There will be an answer. Hollywood must not be myopic, and must adjust again to the changing consumers, or face a slow and elongated death.