V/Speak

For the regular readers of my blog, it’s no surprise to you that I am a Digital Zealot.  I consume  a massive amount of content each week, with my own commentary surrounding it on Facebook, Twitter, this blog, and a weekly compilation of my top 10 reads (if you’d like to be added to the distribution list, please email me).  It’s not just a passion, it’s my job.  I’m paid to help keep Intel breaking new ground and leading in the digital space.

With that said, you would imagine that I shy away from ‘tangible’ content like newspapers and magazines.  Not the case at all.  I think this article in GigaOm “Will iPad & Tablets Be Our Sunday Paper?” is accurate to a certain extent, but I hesitate to insist that print is dead.

For me, yes, I am a voracious consumer of content via a plethora of digital devices. Come the weekend, however I spend a lot of time combing through the stacks of magazines that come to my house each week.  I love the ability to turn a page, and feel the quality of the paper on my finger tips as I leaf through the contents of the book.  I also appreciate the increasingly clever advertising executions the print world is rolling out.

There is an argument for the ability to cram 5000 books, all your music, reams of digital subscriptions along with your streaming movies and addicting games into one portable device (ahem, hello iPad!) – especially when you’re traveling multiple times a month.  I get it. However, I’m also a fan of a lazy Sunday on the couch, holding a hot cup of coffee, and getting lost in fantasy as I digest the travel section of my favorite Sunday paper.  Print is not dead….long live print.

David Veneski Media Digital, Local, Print

It’s no secret that location is quickly becoming one of the key decision points when it comes to marketing to an ad receptive demographic.  The newest trend is on the mobile platform – ala Foursquare and Gowalla.  However, the offline practice is still very relevant (think the Zagat and it’s restaurant ratings – side note – they just integrated with Foursquare this year).  Web based companies are starting to make it more relevant and more ubiquitous with their signage in local businesses.  Yelp was one of the first in the growing the trend of sending out stickers to local businesses that integrate an offline analog experience with your favorite social network.  Google was quick to follow with their ‘Favorite Places‘ decals.  Facebook continues the trend of letting others pioneer and then swoop in to dominate an established practice due to the sheer size of their user base.  Who wins moving forward?  Mashable bets on Facebook.

“…one decal will prevail and we tend to think Facebook’s more than 400 million userbase and the value of an instant Fan will make Facebook’s offering especially appealing to local business owners.”

I tend to agree.  In this case, size does matter.

David Veneski Location Based Marketing Facebook, Google, Local