New Media Archives | Page 10 of 18

The Myth of “Verticalization” — Community Ain’t Easy

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:January 3, 2012
Post category:Media
Post comments:6 Comments

As anyone who's actually worked within a "vertical" knows, whether from a niche consumer or business-to-business angle (or, heaven help them, for a non-profit organization or political campaign), just because a subset of people share a common passion doesn't mean they're a single-minded group that can be engaged in one templated way. Every vertical that presents a viable business opportunity is going to have its own sub-communities and overlapping layers, with some often in direct opposition to others.

Spinning Dominoes: Don’t Believe the Hype… But DO Learn From It

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:November 30, 2011
Post category:Media
Post comments:0 Comments

Not quite one year to the day it was announced, Seth Godin is shutting The Domino Project down, offering the awkward explanation that "it was a project, not a lifelong commitment to being a publisher of books," instead of, perhaps, admitting that publishing is harder than it looks if you want to swim at the deep end of the trade pool in the middle of a dramatic transition, as he obliquely acknowledges in many of his noteworthy takeaways.

Richard Nash on Cursor and the “F” Word

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:October 31, 2011
Post category:Media
Post comments:2 Comments

Nash took an honest shot at something he believed in and, more importantly, maintained his integrity throughout the process. While neither Cursor nor Red Lemonade ended up being the "game changers" some thought they might be, one could argue (and so I will) that the publishing industry overall is stronger for the attempt, and what *did* work shouldn't be lost in the discussion.

The Truth About Disruption in Publishing

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:October 26, 2011
Post category:Media
Post comments:3 Comments

In publishing, every day it seems there's a new upstart or three that's going to disintermediate (or even better, KILL!) traditional publishers, but with the exceptions of Open Road Integrated Media and, possibly, Ruckus Media Group -- notably, both are run by major publishing veterans and have partnerships with a variety of "traditional" publishers -- you'd be hard-pressed to name too many others that have had any truly notable impact to match the hype surrounding them.

Advertising Addiction will be the Death of Magazines (Again)

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:October 10, 2011
Post category:Media
Post comments:0 Comments

Most magazines, print and digital, are little more than advertising platforms whose readers are defined as “targets”, valued in quantity over quality, and when the advertising revenue stream dries up, the magazines usually fold, readers be damned.

You Are What You Tweet

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:October 3, 2011
Post category:Media
Post comments:0 Comments

I love data, but the more complex it becomes, the less effective spreadsheets and Powerpoint charts are at presenting it. Enter infographics and the growing field of data visualization, perhaps best personified by Facebook's hiring of personal infographics guru Nick Felton to work on the visual elements of their new Timeline feature.

Beyond the Story: Engaging Experiences Rule

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:August 7, 2011
Post category:Media
Post comments:4 Comments

Book publishers, on the other hand, have traditionally either focused on "digital" as a secondary medium, or worse, not even as a distinct medium at all, simply a fascimile or marketing channel for their print products. In doing so, they've effectively positioned themselves for easier disintermediation, being seen as container manufacturers instead of content curators and community organizers.