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[summerjohncommunications-blog]

Nothing But Skimm

If you haven’t noticed I’ve been on news kick lately – and for good reason. I am part of the millennial generation, a group perceived to not have an awareness of the world. Completely untrue. Eighty-five percent of millennials say keeping up with the news is important to them and 69 percent get the news daily. The difference between us and previous generations is that we use nontraditional outlets as a source of our news. According to an American Press Institute survey, millennials not only get news from Facebook (at 86 percent), but also YouTube (at 83 percent) and Instagram (at 50 percent). [1]  

I like most millennials enjoy getting news daily; I also like to have a quick summary that is delivered to me, accessible from my mobile and current. The founders of Skimm realized this need and capitalized on it in the 2008 recession turning a morning email news update into a successful news media corporation complete with a news email digest (Daily Skimm), social media presence and a mobile app that charges users $2.99 a month. 

It is an all in one news source with everything from the latest in politics, ecommerce and events happening that day. They provide an update on calendar events to look for, as well as the high level of what you need to know. 

Unlike many other news sites, the Skimm has a big digital media preference from everything from celebrities Tweet about the Skimm to engaging quips on Instagram help the brand create awareness and gain traction.  

The Skimm is also unique in the fact that they have ‘Skimm’bassadors’ that allows fans to encourage others to join the following. As Skimm’bassdors spread the word and invite more people they receive accolades with even the opportunity to fly to New York and visit the Skimm office.  

When it comes to advertisers, the Skimm is a prime opportunity. Eighty percent of their readers fall into the allusive demographic of women ages 22 to 34 who are successful. It can be a hard audience to reach and statistics show more than 1 million people a day are reading the Daily Skimm.[2] Instead of just using branding opportunities, they tie sponsorships into relatable content for their readers. For instance, the Daily Skimm is sponsored by Chase and while it includes a relatable graphic in line with the brand, it also includes an article under the Skimm Money section. 

In a world where there is so much news it is nice to have a delivered digest that gets to the point, but has a feminine touch. The founders, former NBC news producers are onto something and it is apparent by the rapid growth and following. They are not at a Buzzfeed status yet, but nothing says they won’t get there. 

[1] (2015. March 16). How Millennials Get News: Inside the habits of America’s first digital generation. Retrieved from https://www.americanpressinstitute.org/publications/reports/survey-research/millennials-news/. [2] Chafkin, Max. (2016. November 2). How the Skimm Became a Must-Read for Millennials. Retrieved from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-11-02/how-the-skimm-became-a-must-read-for-millennials.

[summerjohncommunications-blog]

News “Worthy”

In this day and age what is considered valuable news is increasingly becoming broadened to such a wide variety that I would say a majority of the news out there is anything but worthy. But if your news site name means worthy in Greek, you cannot do anything but deliver exceptional news. At least that is expectation when former Politico co-founder and other Politico staff members launched Axios in January 2017.

For much of 2016 Jim VandeHei’s departure from Politico was a mystery that is until he unveiled the launch of a new brand to address the negative perception the media has become in the public’s eye. According to Vanity Fair, the public’s trust in journalist has hit an all time low. VandeHei believes that news is split into established news sources, such as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, or sites just trying to get as much traffic to their site as they can. Axios is intended to be different, a site capitalizing on the fact we live in a time with access to more good information than ever before – but use different techniques to acquire the content and disseminate. 

The site is broken into Top Stories, Technology, Politics, Business and Health Care. 

While the site hones in on a few topics and provides to the point news, each page has a trending section with hot topics that have been trending within hours.

Of course, if browsing the site is not your thing – there is the option to subscribe to topic specific newsletters.

Overall, the site is a news site – dedicated to high-quality information with limited advertising. Throughout the site there are stories planted that are sponsored by brands and are stories about the brand. Sponsored brands include positive pieces about social responsibility and their employees.

While the site is only in its third month since the official launch, it is a great way to get your topic specific news with limited advertising. I will be using the site for news, but more than anything I will be watching how it transforms in the coming month and where it is January 2018.

[summerjohncommunications-blog]

News on the Go

Since the widespread usage of cellular devices, life and habits have drastically changed. Consistently coming home to watch the evening news has become a thing of the past. Mobile access to news allows us to stay up-to-date in current events in real-time.

But with so many news sites at our fingertips, it can be overwhelming. Most news is delivered with opinionated commentary and lots of discussion. While that can be interesting, most of the time I just want the hard-hitting facts of the issue on several subjects to stay abreast of current events. Thankfully, I recently discovered that Reuters TV is exactly that – “mobile TV news service designed for on-the-go, informed, globally-minded consumers who don’t watch traditional TV news.”

Launched in 2015, Reuters TV has access to more than 2,500 journalists in more than 160 countries. It was created for an audience in their 30s or 40s with an appetite for to the point news, but don’t have the time for traditional news programs. According to the Managing Director of Reuters TV, Isaac Showman, “Reuters TV is news for the Netflix age: it’s individually relevant, on-demand, up-to date.”[1]

While it sounds like a pretty great way to get your news and stay in the know, I was concerned that the short daily news clips may not be that relevant to me. However, I quickly realized that the news programs are personalized news broadcasts that range from 5 to 30 minute segments comprised of clips based on my location, viewing history, viewing time and Reuters editors recommendations.

Research shows that on mobile devices, users spend an average of 12 minutes and on TV streaming devices an average of 21 minutes is spent. [1]

Every program has an opening sequence and a closing sequence with several news clips in between. The programming immediately starts with limited reporting from Reuters’ reporters. The clips included in the program range from breaking news to politics to economics to feel-good stories. Between some news stories a brief ad will appear that is 15 seconds or less.

Initially, Reuters TV was launched with a 30-day free subscription followed by a minimal monthly fee to access. However, the subscription service changed in August 2015 to either charge a $2 monthly ad-free service to subscribe or a free subscription with ads. This changes resulted in massive growth with over a million monthly subscribers. According to Digiday, only a small fraction pays for the service, as the majority prefers the free ad-supported Reuters TV.[1]  

Reuters TV provides advertisers the opportunity to reach audiences when they are engaged and limits the number of ads to ensure maximum attention is given to the 5 percent of ad viewing time that occurs during every program

In the few days I have joined Reuters TV, I have found that it is a great source for on the go news, tailored for my busy lifestyle. Not only is the service great for viewers like me, it is also a good advertising platform for many brands. Research even shows that viewers prefer a free an advertiser-sponsored program over a paid, free-subscription service. Reuters TV has capitalized on the changing trends to provide news that has adapted to mobile lifestyles. In just over two years since its inception, it has seen massive growth - not only viewing the programs, but also watching where Reuters TV will take us in the future.

[1] Patel, Sahil. (2017. January 11). Reuters TV now has 1 million monthly viewers. Retrieved from https://digiday.com/media/reuters-tv-now-1-million-monthly-viewers/

[1] Patel, Sahil. (2017. January 11). Reuters TV now has 1 million monthly viewers. Retrieved from https://digiday.com/media/reuters-tv-now-1-million-monthly-viewers/

[1] Launder, B. & Woods, L. (2015. February 4). Introducing Reuters TV. Retrieved from https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en/press-releases/2015/02/introducing-reuters-tv.html

[ihearsymphony-blog]

Tumblr Switch Up: Snapchat

2. My trusty app for media consumption is Twitter. I check it for realistic weather updates, news and entertainment,  partake in the occasional #TwitterDebate or comment on a #BlackTwitter thread. Snapchat is more personal, private, and time-sensitive. I wouldn’t consider Snapchat as public an activity as Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. The social networking aspect of the app is one-on-one and through private messages that disappear after 24 hours. 

3. I find it interesting how the user-community generally represents the younger end of the Millennial spectrum. I would easily categorize Snapchat as one of “younger” apps. I’ve also noticed avid users substitute regular texting or messaging with snapchatting. I’m not active on Snapchat but I will have friends who text me to check my Snapchat which usually turns out to be a message or picture they could’ve easily just texted me instead *rolls eyes*.

4. Hootsuite notes that Snapchat’s largest age group is (as I predicted) 18-24, but those 25 and up are increasingly joining. It is apparent female users are large in number by the trending outlets in the Discover tab (Cosmo, Teen Vogue, etc.)

5. I’m still intrigued by the addition of the Discover page (tab?). Also, Snapchat’s most popular feature is the filters which transcend the app and can be seen in pictures on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The technology is also impressive with the facial recognition and voice changing. 

6. The Discover page is home to several brands and media outlets like MTV, Complex, or Comedy Central who use Snapchat to either promote content and link to articles rather than vlog or photo-document your day like average users.

7. It’s no secret that Snapchat originally had a stigma as the most convenient app for sending risque photos because they could easily vanish in seconds. But I commend Snapchat for working hard to stay relevant for an app that’s not as public. People take advantage of Snapchat’s unique filters but in order for a snap to go viral or to get public attention it has to be shared on another platform which is an interesting predicament.

[lathepowerpublicist]

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