ZdHpYMR4ljY
Anyone who watches Oprah should appreciate the joke.
Link via Cruel Site of the Day
Monthly Archive for October, 2006
The always clever Scott Baradell has unleashed his latest creation upon the world. It’s called Spin Thicket (where do you come up with those names?) and you should go check it out now.
Think Fark but for flacks.
Of all the false truisms or accepted wisdoms I hear about Internet and technology usage, the one that truly makes me want to stick a pen in the eye of the offender is the assumption that there’s a specific demographic on the Web. And of course that demographic is ‘the kids.’
Yes, the teenagers and young adults are on the Web and are typically early adopters of new technologies and if your client wants to reach women aged 18-35 they better be there. But don’t assume (or you’ll make an.. well you know) that those of us over 35 can’t tell MySpace from a hole in the ground.
Case in point number one – my parents (who read this blog but never admit to it, hi Mom!) live in an “active adult community” (a euphemism for alta kakas in paradise) in Florida. The whole shebang was built five years ago and the community center is wired for WiFi throughout. What would be the point if old folks don’t know how to use computers?
Case in point number two – Nintendo is going after the AARP crowd.
For the first time, it took its products to Life@50+, an annual event sponsored by AARP, and held this year in Anaheim, Calif. The event, intended for those over 50, attracted more than 20,000 people and featured a wide range of panel discussions, celebrities and exhibitors showcasing products for older Americans.
“Nintendo has never gone after grandparents before,” said Amber McCollom, a senior manager of public relations for Nintendo. “We’re targeting this audience for themselves, not just their grandchildren.”
Technology is playing an increased role at the Life@50+ events, said Bruce Sanders, AARP’s director of national events. He noted that 18 tech companies were exhibiting this year, compared with 10 when the event was held in Las Vegas in 2004.
Full article here. And also from CrunchGear’s Blake Robinson who agrees with me.
Nintendo and the other companies at the AARP event are smart – they are not resting on demographic assumptions. Other companies, tech and otherwise, would be smart to follow their lead.
That’s what a lot of agencies do – they chase the latest fad or new thing. Blogging was so last year, we need to focus on the next big thing.
This is of course missing the proverbial forest for the trees. The larger issue is media and entertainment are no longer the exclusive domain of the media and entertainment cartels. The particular venue – be it MySpace or YouTube or whatever – that becomes the flavor of the month is besides the point.
Which is why I’m amused by this article in the Washington Post.
To a youth market composed of teens like Kim and Birnbaum, MySpace is just the latest online fad. Before MySpace, the place to be was Xanga, and before that, Friendster, MiGente and Black Planet.
“They’re not loyal,” Ben Bajarin, a market analyst for Creative Strategies Inc., said of the youth demographic. Young audiences search for innovative and new features. They’re constantly looking for new ways to communicate and share content they find or create, and because of that group mentality, friends shift from service to service in blocs.
Consider the most popular teen sites tracked by Nielsen-NetRatings. Topping the list last month were Snapvine.com, PLyrics.com, Picgames.com — none of which appeared among the top 10 for April, or the list a year ago.
I’m sure some of us are going to have some interesting conversations with clients tomorrow morning.
Sorry it took you so long to get here.
I could have told you this two years ago and saved us both a whole lot of trouble.
In fact, I did tell you this two years ago…
Follow Me: