Crafty Google proofreading; Is it a test?

Google’s meteoric rise the last 8 years generates extreme cases of media envy and worship everywhere. The “Do No Evil” company seemingly never makes a stumble, even when it acknowledges they made a bad deal custom filtering Google to make the Chinese government censors happy.

Still, Google just can’t do any wrong, even as critics try to dig up the dirt.

CNN Money’s The Browser spotted and authenticated it. Jossip then posted this funny today under the catchy headline title “Google CEO Eric Schmidt Controls $144 Billion; Declines To Shell Out An Additional $10 At Kinko’s To Have Them Proofread His Business Cards“:

It hasn’t exactly been a stellar day over at Google headquarters. First, the hot lunch was described as “tepid at best” by engineers at the Googleplex cafeteria. And now comes damning evidence that Google CEO and Chairman (sp?) Eric Schmidt is carrying around a typo-laden business card.

If it’s one of those infamously-creative Google tests designed to evaluate potential job candidates (spot and fix the error, you’re Google-ready), kudos. That’s good “think differently” a la Apple.

– All posts written by Chris Kennedy

Radio Radio — Sell Those Ads!

Found this crazy (clever?) webpage that gave me a quick “state of the radio union” laugh, enough to “make me wanna weep, make me wanna holler” (double click to view full size):

When Elvis Costello sang about “Radio radio”, did he imagine this future as today’s reality?

– All posts written by Chris Kennedy

Arbitron slowly is getting digital

NYSE-listed Arbitron is slowly embracing digital.

Two and a half years ago, I met with Arbitron to talk about radio’s need to get digital and break away clean from the old diary system.

At the time, Arbitron was still in test mode for their new portable “personal people meter” (PPM) and not getting much positive industry response.

Keep in mind…Arbitron has been “developing” its PPM device since the mid-90s. What’s been developed and successfully launched since? (Hmmm, let’s see, the iPod, Google, YouTube, digital cable TV, mp3s, Colbert Report, wikis, MySpace, Firefox, etc.)

I stressed the importance for Arbitron to position the change just like a system software change, as Apple has done when it changed from System 9 to Mas OS X or Microsoft has done with Windows (98 to ME to XP to Vista).

People understand digital system operating software updates. Especially media people. However, change is hard even when it is necessary. Arbitron felt it had many “masters” to serve (radio, advertisers, media buyers, agencies, investors…and Wall Street shareholders), requiring them inch forward cautiously and carefully to ensure the investment was wise.

This easing-in process succeeded creating one thing perceptually: a lack of confidence. Being a ratings recall company, Arbitron knows the value of perception.

I was thanked for my time…and watched very little change (at least publicly) in more than 2 years.

Today, Arbitron is still trying to gradually introduce the PPM…with some success in select test markets (such as Houston and Philadelphia) as shown for consulting Fly-Ins and web seminars. But lack of confidence still reigns…despite all parties’ acknowledging the shift to digital ratings is essential.

Does Arbitron need some Stuart Smalley “Daily Affirmation” lessons?

In related PPM rollout news, another part of my conversation with Arbitron on digital ratings was about measuring In-Mall Advertising consumption, where moving, static and video ad boards emit digital code RF signals right along with code-embedded radio stations and other media and then measured by PPM devices worn by mall shoppers.

On Monday, Arbitron announced their first public test results for what they call their Mall Radio Network ratings system, showing great promise. Glad to see the results — the Jointblog agrees this is a valuable new digital opportunity for media.

It’s a new product the radio industry should to better understand the value of PPM — whether from Arbitron or from some MediaAudit smartphone.

Electronic digital media is everywhere and capable to measuring real-time audience traffic and usage than the old diary recall system. Considering radio is a $20 billion advertising revenue industry, digital ratings system will provide more accountability and tranparency…with added confidence in radio’s value, to boot.

Meanwhile, the on-going trial LLC digital ratings PPM partnership between Arbitron (radio’s gold standard for ratings) and The Nielsen Company (the gold standard for non-radio media ratings) called “Project Apollo” continues to saunter along with renewed energy.

What is Project Apollo?

Project Apollo is a national marketing research service that collects multimedia and purchase information from a common sample of consumers in order to measure the return on investment for marketing efforts, promising to enable advertisers and media planners to know radio customers as brand buyers as well as consumers of media in a very strategic and actionable way, to help make media spending more effective and productive.

Move it all forward faster….the digital revolution is well underway.

– All posts written by Chris Kennedy

DJ Play This Social Radio Networking Site: Mercora

If you’re into radio (as a music fan, talk fan or industry insider) and are tied of wading through junk social sites, you should check out a cool growing social networking site aimed at increasing DJ (and wannabe DJ) profiles. Music purists with a jones to get your DJ groove on will love it.

Mercora is a “social radio” network which enables users to become DJs and create their own user-programmed radio channel. A search function allows users to find specific songs, albums, artists, or genres of music.

It’s MySpace or Last.fm without the BS junk.

“We’re the largest social network you’ve never heard of,” quipped Mercora’s CEO Srivats Sampath to ClickZ.com’s SearchEngineWatch. Sampath formerly was CEO of antivirus giant McAfee.

Sampath said he chose to get into radio because it was “ripe for rewriting the rules of the game.” The site served more than 1.3 million DJs last year, with over 3.5 million tracks in its database. There were over 400 million searches during 300 million visits, which typically lasted 32 minutes.

Mercora offers a Web application for casual listeners, playlist software for DJs, and a mobile product to enable smartphones to become wireless radios.

The main monetization method for Mercora is its “MadWords” program, a tongue-in-cheek reference to Google’s search ads. It will serve music-based ads, triggered by a keyword search.

Searches return links to all DJs on the network who are currently webcasting songs by that artist.

Mercora’s mission? To catalog and organize the world’s music and make it universally searchable and legally listenable. Quite simply, Mercora says “they’ve built the world’s largest and legal music radio network composed almost entirely of music resident on people’s computers.”

Check it out and see what you think.

– All posts written by Chris Kennedy

XM/Sirius Merger: WWHT? (What would Howard think?)

“Wha-wha-WHAT?” (if you’ve been a Stern fan over the years, you know the SFX)…

This gave me a laugh reading Jossip’s Media Blitz this morning. Too bad I was drinking my coffee at the time (thank god for Bounty):

Sirius and XM merger described as imminent possibility; Howard Stern described as “too rich to care.”

Of course, whether this announcement happens or not, the next 15 months of FCC regulatory hell would serve as either a sideshow or a distraction…and Stern will still be “too rich to care”.

(canned applause in response)

Obviously, it is a BIG deal, if it can get through. A predicted operating savings of $7 Billion (if an accurate estimate) means satellite radio has a much better chance of thriving and surviving. But at what cost will come those savings? There’s always a cost…

Update at 1:30PM EST: ABC NEWS has “confirmed” through their sources the merger deal is happening today, although it has not been announced or commented directly by either XM or Sirius officials…yet.

So…if the story is accurate and eventually approved, how would the merger play out? Here’s one way to see it…(click through)

Here’s another point of view from Wall Street. And more. And yet more comments on the possible end of XM’s and Sirius’ head-to-head competition.

Winners and losers? Your thoughts?

Another update (3:45pm EST): It’s now official.

For a MoneyCentral financial analysis of Sirius share/investor history and its future prospects, click here.

So what does Howard Stern and Mel Karmazin think about the merger? Click here and here.

– All posts written by Chris Kennedy

2007 Trend To Watch: Widgets

Want to build your brand cross-platiform but having trouble getting it to happen online? Widgets just may be your answer.

And it’s cost-effective, too.

The Jointblog has been a longtime fan of widgets since first discovering Konfabulator in 2004 (later purchased by Yahoo! a year ago). With the release of Window’s new Vista platform, PC users will get a whole new array of widget options (also known as “gadgets”) for the desktop which will pull more Internet activity off of web browsers and onto these customized mini-applications.

Widgets were one of several great additions for Mac’s OS X system, epecially for its Dashboard advancements for 10.3 and 10.4 in the last year (expect even more once Leopard 10.5 and the new iPhone are released this summer).

And Google already has invested deeply into widgets, too.

In addition, as WiFi and WiMax helps make the web more accessible with mobile devices and cellphones, widgets will be the key killer app to make the web tolerable to use when mobile.

It’s the perfect bridge technology bringing “old” media into the new media world.

Business 2.0 said “suddenly everything’s coming up widgets.” In November, Newsweek proclaimed 2007 to be the Year of the Widget and we couldn’t agree more. Last month, West Coast wireless carrier AllTel previewed its new widget-handy cellphone tools and received rave reviews for it at January’s CES.

Most powerfully, these widgets create focused user experiences giving exactly desired content immediately, on-demand, 24/7, when the user wants it.

For content owners, it also provides an advertising opportunity that can be built right into the widget app.

It’s the media trend the Jointblog continues anticipating to grow in significance.

The big question: will traditional media sources such a radio, TV, newspapers and magazines be too slow to notice or will they see the low-cost, ease-of-use opportunity in time?

If radio could figure out its DRM and AFTRA issues, it could create the perfect bridge to build fast online tuning. For example, RadioSherpa’s radio badges.

What’s going on with your radio station this week? On your morning show? Latest contests and promotions? How about for your market’s entire cluster of radio stations? It can all be done on one widget you build. Auomatically, through RSS and other feeders.

Nice and easy. For you. And, more importantly, for your listeners’ digital online needs.

Good follow-up article: What’s Up With Widgets?

For a quick review of why widgets matter now, here’s a 2-minute YouTube/Engadget clip explaining the immediate value of widgets and why you should consider offering customized widgets for your own users to use, install and even embed into their blogs and websites (which, if done, can serve as a free form of marketing for you):

– All posts written by Chris Kennedy

That Amazon.com search brain sure is smart

With the media going gonzo 24/7 over the Anna Nicole Smith deathnews, I didn’t think there would be any need for the Jointblog to make comment. I mean, what else can be said that Mark Steines hasn’t already covered on ET?

I did see this item worth noting, though, showing how smart and intuitive at thin-slicing Amazon.com’s recommendation engine can be:

If only the Amazon.com Brain could come up with solutions preventing these train wrecks from happening in the first place…

– All posts written by Chris Kennedy

Favorite TV show viewing: Using Internet as TiVo

The Information Superhighway keep winding and twisting. Lately, I wonder if it’s becoming the new TiVo.

My TV viewing schedule has been messed up — again. Like most people, I no longer am held captive by just a few channels. I bounce all over the place: different favorite show on a different channel on different hours. I rarely keep the TV on the same channel for back-to-back shows (same thing for my teenage daughter).

Some things are an absolute must. 24 Monday night at 9pm on Fox — a must watch. My friends know not to call until after it’s done. Heroes is another must watch — but it’s broadcast on-air at the same time as 24 on NBC.

So what do I do?

What about Wednesday nights at 10pm now, when Medium and Lost air at the same time? Or Thursday night’s 9pm block, when Grey’s Anatomy squares off against NBC comedies? Or when I simply don’t have the time to watch at all? I never use my VCR — gave up using that wasted old tech device a long time ago. I don’t watch or care enough about TV to have a TiVo either, even for my high-def big screen.

My solution?

Same as it’s been for millions of people. The Network’s online streaming sites, especially for ABC as well as NBC’s Rewind. The Internet is quickly becoming the new personal video player. And it’s helping the TV networks build their brands online.

ABC got off the block first streaming full episodes almost a year ago a little roughly…but it has gotten much better since then. Fewer streaming dropoffs and more shows to watch. And far fewer commercials than what you’d see during a TV broadcast.

CBS launched their Innertube last summer while NBC waited to launch their full episode site in October — last among the Big Three networks.

In my humble opinion, despite being last in, NBC’s Rewind service is far better than either ABC’s or CBS’s service. Already, NBC’s Rewind has delivered 42 million full show viewings.

My personal rankings:

#1 — NBC
#2 — ABC
#3 — CBS

A new Mediaweek article reports that many are using the Network streaming sites just like I’m doing: as their personal TiVo. Just look at these just-released results for NBC:

> 78% of users who streamed full-length episodes watched shows from the series they usually watch but missed on broadcast television.

>81% of those surveyed said they recalled specific pre-roll ads — using single sponsors for entire shows playing only one commercial per break certainly helps make for powerful recall.

>26% said they viewed shows they had already watched on TV for a second time.

>34% said they used the site to preview shows they had never seen before.

This is a huge result. As a viewer, I say thank you broadband! The Internet is quickly becoming my personal video player. This model makes sense and is one to watch as a media trend.

I know I am.

– All posts written by Chris Kennedy

Police Reunite While Motley Fool Chooses: Sirius, Apple and XM…Which would you "Date, Marry or Kill"?

Yesterday, I heard the type of event I thought radio had long forgotten: The Police’s Whisky A Go Go press conference and live rehersal preview of their reunion tour this summer the morning after their opening performance on Sunday night’s Grammys.

Where did I hear this live, commercial-free broadcast?

Sadly, not on traditional radio. I heard it on XM’s Ethel. On my computer. Through XM’s AOL service. Using an intentional (and accurate) “I Love the ’80s” term, it was awesome.

Was this event broadcast over the airwaves in America’s biggest metropolitan area? I don’t know (it was also broadcast on VH1 Classic and VH1’s Radio Network, which includes internet streaming)…I sure didn’t hear anything about over the air, not with all the babble about Anna Nicole Smith’s death.

Speaking of death, Motley Fool did an old radio bit, wondering: If you have the options of Sirius, Apple and XM, which would you “Date, Marry or Kill”?

As Orbitcast reports, The Fool:

“…would “date” Sirius because they’re at their 52 week low right now, even though Sirius has fewer subscribers, a heavier market cap, and posted steeper losses than XM. Still, Sirius has a lot of momentum behind it and the Fool seems to like the prospect of Sirius Backseat TV should it take off.

Apple was the one to marry because, well, because they’re profitable. And they’ve got the iPod, of which they’ve sold 90 million units (compared to “only” 13.6 million satellite radio subscribers). It doesn’t hurt that Apple has topped Wall Street’s estimates for 16 straight quarters. Oh right, and then there’s the iPhone.

XM on the otherhand got killed. Why? Because of the fading merger speculation, the RIAA lawsuit and losing massive retail marketshare to Sirius. The Fool isn’t necessarily convinced over the whole “OEM is the future” thing either (because of iPod jacks).”

And yet…it was XM I heard broadcasting The Police…it wasn’t through iTunes and it wasn’t on Sirius (that I know of).

And it wasn’t traditional radio (was radio DUI and cuffed by The Police?)…

Hmmm, which new media would you date, marry or kill?

– All posts written by Chris Kennedy

Web 2.0: Are we there yet?

Convergences, digital cross-platforms, “inflecting points”, tipping points, synergies, peer2peer file sharing, user-generated mashups, social online networking, cellphone streaming…all promising the better digital life of Web 2.0.

Are we there yet? Is it us or using us?

– All posts written by Chris Kennedy