Leading your colleagues toward prosperitySteve Buttry, Allbritton CommunicationsMaynard Academy, Harvard University

March 18, 2010sbuttry@allbrittontv.com@stevebuttry on Twitter

Slideshare.net/stevebuttry

What are obstacles to innovation in your

organization?

Graphic from The Digital Journalist, “Circling the Drain,” by Mark Loundy

2009: 12.9% of population buys newspaper

Graphic from Reflections of a Newsosaur, Alan Mutter

Advertising market collapsing• Magazine ad revenues fall 17% in 2009• Radio ad revenue down 22% in 2009• Local broadcast TV ad revenues down

22% in 2009

Source: “State of the Media,” Project for Excellence in Journalism

“Publishers can’t stand being the first to do anything innovative. … When confronted with a potentially game-changing idea, the first question publishers always ask is, ‘Who else is doing it?’ That phrase could well stand as the industry’s epitaph.”

C3’s new relationshipsFor the public: We will be their essential connection to community life — news, information, commerce, social life. Like many Internet users turn first to Google, your community should turn first to C3, whatever the need.

C3’s new relationshipsFor businesses: We will be their essential connection to customers, often making the sale and collecting the money.

Our current relationshipwith business customers

• Huge expense line in budget• Lots of inefficiency• Ad rates dropping• Ad revenues dropping• Lots of digital competition

C3’s digital marketplace• Move beyond advertising• Direct sales (tickets, reservations, gift

registries, sports paraphernalia)• Lead generation & targeted ads• Sponsorships, memberships & events• Mobile ads & applications• Handle multiple needs (yes, competing ads)

The new relationshipwith business partners

• Revenue line in budget (maybe still expense line, too)

• Delivering high value, tailored to needs• One-stop shop for connecting with

customers

Aspects of C3 • Community content• Personal content• Business services• Entertainment• Enriched news content

College students’ media use

Our mobile future – and present 2009 worldwide cell-phone sales: 1 billion 140,000+ iPhone apps available 3 billion+ iPhone apps downloaded Droid, Nexus One, BlackBerry, Pre, iPad …

Sources: GB Guide blog, Apple, NY Times

Mobile-first strategy• Executives must emphasize mobile

priority• Journalists focus on mobile news & info

delivery & presentation• Tech staff focuses on mobile apps• Sales staff meets business customers’

mobile needs

Mobile-first strategy• Text messages• Email• Applications• Tweets• Easy-to-use mobile web sites• Podcasts• Location-based news & commercial info

Pursuing mobile-first• What are some mobile revenue

opportunities your organization could pursue?

• How should your newsroom pursue a mobile-first strategy?

Driving• How often do you buy a car?• How often do you drive, gas up, service

car?• Databases, conversations, services

focused on drivers’ everyday needs• Connect auto services with drivers

(emergency repair services)

Personal content• Births• Youth milestones• School• Graduation• College life• Military service• Weddings• Parenthood

• Divorce• Jobs, pets, holidays,

food, interests, health• Illness• Empty nesters• Retirement• Reunions• Obituaries

Personal news• Big news in small circles• Some we do as formula, some we ignore• Great opportunities• National players are moving fast

Newsroom losses• Newsroom jobs in 2000: 56,400;

newsroom jobs in 2009: about 40,000• Newsroom payroll spending, 2006: $6 B;

newsroom payroll, 2009: $4.4 B

Source: “State of the Media,” Project for Excellence in Journalism

What can you do?• Seek role in companywide innovation efforts• Lead newsroom discussion of innovation

possibilities• Offer to lead company mobile-first push• Use smart phone & consider opportunities• Lead innovative efforts w/ your staff (Twitter,

liveblogging, multimedia, databases …)

In innovation, as in news …

Don’t let obstacles become excuses

Do we want to be the monks or Gutenberg?