Monday, August 12, 2013

A one-night stay at the Capri Motel

As moteliers contemplate a where to focus their advertising dollar, they are frustratingly aware that they are trying to hit a moving target. Consumers are rapidly changing media consumption habits as media continues to shift and fragment.

There has been lots written in recent days about print verses digital and this has been prompted by the announcement that Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos has purchased the Washington Post - One of the biggest names in the digital world has purchased one of the biggest names in the print world.

Reading various media commentary about Bezos's new acquisition, it is unclear what he intends to do with it. Will print be saved or the existing media gathering assets be rehashed and redirected online?

The newspaper industry is clearly in trouble as consumers access current and dynamic news stories online and most pay nothing for the privilege.

Bezos has revolutionized American retailing, so is he able to save an American newspaper icon?

There is no doubt that digital is the future, however we are currently in a transition point from print to digital and even in a disrupted market there remains a passionate, robust market for print.

Whatever the news platforms of the future, newspaper companies need to change their business model and become multi-media companies with several easily accessible channels available to their readers. The trouble is that no one seems to have figured out how to leverage the (growing) popularity of online news consumption to support robust and expensive news gathering operations.

One aspect that some newspaper companies can still do very well is producing quality journalism that is compelling and exclusive...

A one-night stay at the Capri Motel

I enjoyed an investigative report compiled by a journo that works for a New Orleans newspaper company. This was a great example of a newspaper company producing unique content and using multi-media channels to tell a story.

The exclusive report was printed in the newspaper company's print edition and reproduced online with an accompanying video, photo gallery and a comments section where the journalist engaged with readers.

Check-out: A one-night stay at the Capri Motel

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