Archives for May 2006

Branding

By Alex Mandossian

By Alex Mandossian

Apple branded media casting by domineering the media player market with their iPods. Today, it isn′t called media casting but podcasting. Podcasting has become a brand like TiVo is a brand.

Apple is branding communication once again. By releasing the Video iPod, they will cement full ownership of the term “podcasting.” It won′t be called video casting; it′s called podcasting, both video and audio.

The impact that the Video iPod will have on monetizing podcasts is that it will not only sell more audio iPods, but it will also increase the popularity of podcasting.

Through the years, information marketers have utilized phonographs, eight tracks, cassettes, CDs, and DVDs. The next step is podcasting. There is no other choice. The video iPod has cemented it.

A Happy Medium

By Alex Mandossian

By Alex Mandossian

Most of us tend to be creatures of reference and comparison. We do not like extremes, and given choices, we will usually gravitate toward the middle.

For instance, if you put your hand in very hot water and then put your hand in lukewarm water, the lukewarm water seems a lot colder than if you just put your hand in the lukewarm water to start with.

How does this apply to the Video iPod?

On one end of the spectrum we have the iPod shuffle. It was very small, inexpensive, had few features, and no viewing screen. Now with the Video iPod we have the other end of the spectrum. It has up to 80 gigabytes of storage, a colored screen, and plays audio and video. It is full of features.

So now the 4 gigabyte iPod Nano is in the middle of the choices. Some people will look at the Video iPod, decide it has more than they want to pay for, and choose an audio iPod, such as the iPod Nano instead.

Also, not everyone wants to buy the latest technology. Some find it intimidating and too advanced. But now that the Video iPod is out, the audio iPod will be more appealing and seem more user friendly and acceptable.

I find it very interesting that Steve Jobs at Apple is promoting the Video iPod as “The greatest audio iPod ever. And by the way, it does video, too.” Apple is emphasizing that this is primarily an audio product that also does video, rather than a video product that does audio as well.

For Apple, the iPod has always been about audio. And their promotion is that the Video iPod is the best product for audio.

As an information marketer, my interest is in providing content for dead-time learning. I believe that my content is best utilized in passive learning situations, such as when listeners are traveling.

I don′t see the Video iPod′s video features being used for information marketing purposes. However, I do see it being used as an audio iPod.

With a storage capacity of up to 80 gigabytes, it can hold an entire collection of training material. Choosing which iPod to buy then depends on how much information you want to take with you and how easy you would like that information to be referenced.

Active vs. Passive Learning

By Alex Mandossian

By Alex Mandossian

Apple has now released the Video iPod. There′s a 40 gigabyte model and an 80 gigabyte model for only $100 more. It even connects to your television screen.

As an information marketer, I am not a big fan of using video for education and learning, except as it relates to entertainment, because of dead-time learning.

Dead-time is that time we waste while sitting in traffic or traveling, the time that doesn′t require all our visual attention. It is time when we can pay passive attention to music, the radio, or training information.

Nightingale-Conant is one company that has been supplying training information to their customers for years, allowing them to turn wasted time into productive time through passive learning.

The opposite of dead-time would be live-time. Live-time requires active attention and involves active learning. This is where video comes in. The Video iPod will require live-time active attention since the user must be able to view the screen.

At first glance, it may seem that the Video iPod will not have much of an impact on the information marketing industry. But I believe that the Video iPod will actually help sell even more audio iPods.

Archives for May 2006

Branding

A Happy Medium

Active vs. Passive Learning

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Archives for May 2006

Branding

A Happy Medium

Active vs. Passive Learning

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