Tag Archives: social web

Social media – a general sociological approach (1/3 – structure)

Of course there are many ways sociology can contribute to a better understanding of what is happening online: the field is vast, and so is the number of experts and studies. This blogpost has become a series and is – more or less – an English translation of a presentation I have recently given in French, picking up a few of the theoretical frameworks which illustrate the impact of social media on the way we do business… and on our lives in general. Continue reading

Digital Film Marketing: more than marketing

Film Industry Marketing free admissionRecently I have had the pleasure of speaking at Digital Film Marketing 2, a one-day seminar organised by FOCAL for Swiss Film Industry Professionals. Not only speaking, but contributing to a better understanding of the digital landscape by answering many questions during the whole day. If you know where I come from, it will not surprise you that I loved it.

There were many interesting discussions and, to my great pleasure, a growing awareness of the lack of knowledge a major part of the film industry has had in digital matters. (And strategy.) One day wasn’t enough time, but it was a solid beginning of a great conversation and much-needed mind-shift. Above all: a common mind-shift… much needed, too, it seems: the few attendees who have a great affinity to both cinema and the social web expressed “a sense of relief” after the seminar because they would feel “less alone”.

Why did I entitle my presentation “Digital Film Marketing: more than marketing”? Because my three key messages were the following: Continue reading

Target moments, not target audiences.

Target moments - social media momentsIt was on Steve Bridger’s blog that I’ve discovered the quote (by Anne) “It is about target moments, far more than it is about target audiences.”

Target moments – I immediately fell in love with that notion, feeling that it contains a lot of what I have been trying to explain when talking about Social Media. Continue reading

VoD & Social Web – some basics

I have written before about why basic education about digital is needed.

This diagnosis was not only one of the significant results of my Master Thesis. I also experience every day in my work that many people know very little about computers, the internet etc. Basic knowledge is lacking.

There are many reasons for this lack of knowledge. One of these reasons: there is a lot to learn and there is tons of “learnable” stuff around. Even if you wanted to start learning today, you may not know where to start.

Because: How do you know what you should learn if you don’t even know what you could learn?

The presentation I have given last week for FOCAL to Swiss film industry people has been conceived with exactly this logic in mind, i.e. with respect to the state of knowledge about digital I have been observing within the last years. The very positive feedback I received afterwards by the participants themselves – which is always appreciated – has been encouraging.

Don’t get me wrong: these professionals know their trade. Some of them have decades of experience in the film industry. However, their trade is not what it used to be: digital has been – and will keep! – changing this industry in a profound way. And it is more difficult to take step two if you have never taken step one…

Here are the presentation “slides” [in German only – well, with a lot of English expressions anyway]:

PS: My part was only one piece of the puzzle: I’ve had 4 great co-presenters. A follow-up article on the entire workshop is coming soon to a theatre near you website well known to you.

Top picture by S Richards Photography

Digital reality: education needed

There are still many people who do not seem to be aware of the impact and the potential of internet. People who use it, probably, but who have not adopted it.

You surely know who I’m talking of: the teacher who thinks Facebook is evil… the marketing person who has never even thought about putting an ad on Google or Facebook… the politician who tweets only during election campaign… the people who still don’t know a bcc-field in e-mails exists… Continue reading