This is a presentation given on the a few of the panels that took place during the Economists Media Convergence Conference 2009 in New York.

1. vsa
Media Convergence Conference
presented by
katie eng
November 6, 2009

2. overview
“Eight Characteristics of the Digitally Activated Brand”.
Looking forward, corporations that are committed to actualizing a
centralized, global, deep expression of their online brand—its
proposition, its character, its products and services—will realize
unprecedented levels of engagement with their constituents.
We are talking about the convergence of consumers, technology and
commerce.
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3. Media convergence
About the Conference
The surge of new technologies and social media innovations are changing the future of the media landscape.
This is changing consumer behavior and the way marketers reach their audience must also change. In this
environment we need to not only understand the media available, but understand the consumer enough to
reach them in a meaningful way. However the vast array of tools at a marketers disposal is not easy to navigate
and real learning comes from a real understanding of the future of media convergence.
What does media convergence really mean for VSA?
“Convergence, simply put, is how individual consumers interact with others on a social level and use various
media platforms to create new experiences, new forms of media and content that connect marketers socially,
and not just to other consumers.”
- Henry Jenkins, Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide
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4. Cool technologies
Poken
- When you insert the Poken into the USB port of a computer, you are connected to the
Poken Web site.
- To network with someone at the conference, simply hold your Poken up to theirs and
exchange IDs, creating an electronic handshake.
- You can also use your Poken to facilitate information download.
- You can put Poken in Discreet mode so the next person you poke will get a ghost card.
Gliider
- A browser plug in that allows you to easily keep track of information taken off the
internet while planning trips.
- Could eventually be used for other purposes on complicated sites, maybe w3?
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5. Future of media: changing times
• How the advent of new technologies such as e-book readers, smart phones and flexible screen
technology will change the media model
• How will newspapers, magazines, book publishers, TV stations and others dependent on
existing models, adapt to this change?
• The potential impact of these new technologies over the next five years
Moderator: Dorian Benkoil, Founder, SVP and Senior Consultant, Teeming Media
Craig Newmark, Founder, Craigslist
Mark Hollinger, Chief Operating Officer, Discovery Communications
Robin Johnson, Chief Executive Officer, FT Search Inc. Newssift.com
Thomas Hesse, President, Global Digital Business, US Sales and Corporate Strategy,
Sony Music Entertainment
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6. key takeaways
- There will need to be a new model to support quality content especially in an on demand environment;
this may be in the form of subscriptions or premium environments paid for by advertising.
- Search will be changing and become more customized where the information comes to you, this includes
advertising content
- News media has the opportunity to find a way to leverage the way people are finding their news through
social media outlets. If the traditional curators (editors) can work with the new curators (social networks)
there could be a really interesting collaboration.
The future
- On demand is too compelling to disregard. Those who embrace it will survive.
- Ubiquitous access to information through mobile devices and cloud computing.
Knowing what industry leaders think the future of media is, how would that change the strategy of
anything you’re currently working on?
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7. New media for marketers: Hope or hype
• The role of new media in the traditional media mix
• Identifying which tools make sense
• Using new media as a platform for effective brand messaging
• Monetizing reach, frequency and exposure
• Separating fads from enduring ideas
• Future business models: Collaboration between marketers, media owners and content creators
Moderator: Joe Celia, Global Chairman and CEO, G2 Worldwide
Bonita Coleman Stewart, Managing Director, US Sales, Google
Angela Courtin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, MySpace
Jack Dorsey, Chairman, Twitter
aNGELA COURTIN, MYSPACE JACK DORSEY, TWITTER
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8. key takeaways
“Twitter has had the greatest amount of impact in the shortest
amount of time since the TV.”
- Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO, Sony Pictures
- Things marketers should pay attention to in all platforms:
- Personalization/ Leverage the platform
- Ensure a strong ROI
- Engagement model is changing from push to pulling consumers closer to the brand. You
have the opportunity to create content every time you create an ad.
- Change the lexicon, there is no “traditional media”
- Be authentic
How could this change the way we engage people around all of the Smarter initiatives?
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9. the grand finale
How we understand media convergence can differentiate us.
Have a sound understanding of the platforms we recommend and how
they can be best leveraged.
Be authentic with the consumer, and engage in conversation instead of
pushing messaging.
Always remember; ubiquitous access through mobile and cloud
computing.
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