Month: April 2007

Faye Martel has contacted me, she is the first researcher in the Philippines I’m aware of looking at the area of cross-media. She’s doing an MA in Communications at the Ateneo de Manila University. At present, she’s struggling to find some cross-media projects in the Philippines…and so am I. So, if you know of any, please let me know.

At present Faye’s research seems somewhat skewed by her lens through the crossmedia entry in wikipedia. The entry was written by my colleague Monique De Haas and while I think it is great she has got the ball rolling, I think some more information about the different meanings for cross-media is needed. I also think that some appropriate links should be in there — at present I just see links that people have put in about themselves! So, for a quick reminder about the area:

The Age of Cross-Media Production > Creators Perspective:

• * Can distribute the same content on different platforms (eg: repurposing, porting)
• * Can adapt to a wide range of mediums and art forms (eg: adapting a TV show so it works on the iPod or adapting a film into a videogame)
• * Can create transmedia series and stories (eg: extend a narrative across different platforms)
• Why?: to provide choice, to reach fragmented audiences, to leverage different business models, to benefit from local and global audiences, to increase likelihood of impact, to develop an artform, to create a unique experience…

The Age of Cross-Media Production > Audience Perspective:

• * Can access content in my preferred media, at the time I prefer it
• * Can access content according to contextual use
• * Can experience a storyworld in the artform I prefer
• * Can choose what manner of interaction I feel life
• * Can be passive or active, but still share the same world with others
• * Can have a unique experience
• * Can have a personalised experience
• * Can have an ongoing experience/relationship with content and other people

The Age of Cross-Media Production > Academic Perspective:

• * How is this different to franchises?
• * How is this different to ‘tie-ins’?
• * Is this commericial exploitation or an artform?
• * How do extant theories of narrative and game recognise or not these forms?
• * What are the infrastructural changes occuring due to these forms?
• * What is the theoretical and creative heritage of these forms?
• * Is it really new?
• * What are the factors influencing these forms?

etc…

I’d be interested to see your research questions and your research Faye, and many of the other researchers out there (as I’m sure all of you are about mine! — you’ll see some of my research come out soon!). 🙂

Faye’s blog: http://crossmediathoughts.blogspot.com/

One of the areas of industry cross-media research is that of marketing companies comign up with methods to assess the effectiveness of multi-platform campaigns. One company that looks at this area is Dynamic Logic.

Dynamic Logic’s CrossMedia Researchâ„¢ is designed for advertisers, agencies and publishers:

Measure the value and synergy of multi-media ad campaigns
Quantify the success of an ad campaign with more than one element
Understand cost effectiveness of different media in the mix
CrossMedia Research is used to quantify the effectiveness of multi-media ad campaigns that combine various media (such as TV, Print, Radio, Internet) and provides valuable insight into the performance of the campaigns. Developed in cooperation with leading research authorities and top advertisers, CrossMedia Research uses a methodology acknowledged by the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF).

Dynamic Logic offers two CrossMedia Research products.

Media Synergy Studies (MSS)
Media Synergy Studies help clients understand the complementary effects of integrated media campaigns and the contribution of each medium against different objectives and audiences. Clients gain insights about honing the success of their cross-media marketing campaigns. Media Synergy Studies answer important questions about the separate and combined effects of major advertising channels, such as:

Which media were most effective in increasing metrics such as Awareness, Message Association, Favorability and Purchase Intent?
Did the combined impact of online/offline exceed their respective contributions?
Which audiences were most influenced by the respective media channels?
Against what metrics was each medium most effective?
Media Synergy Studies Methodology | top

Cost Effectiveness Studies (CES)
Cost Effectiveness Studies provide information and insight as to the relative cost effectiveness of the different media components in a campaign. This information helps advertisers determine which aspects of their integrated campaigns are working most efficiently, and, in some cases, whether incremental spending on additional media vehicles is justified by the cost. The research also provides recommendations for future budget allocations.

Which media were most cost effective in increasing different metrics and against different audiences?
Was combining media more cost efficient than each media working alone?
How did each medium index in overall cost effectiveness?
Cost Effectiveness Studies Methodology | top

Dynamic Logic CrossMedia Research clients include leading global advertisers such as: Levi Strauss, General Motors, Molson, Intel, Unilever, Colgate-Palmolive, ING, Kimberly-Clark, McDonald’s, Sony Pictures and Universal.

Looks good!: http://www.dynamiclogic.com/na/products/CrossMediaResearch/

Yes! It’s here! Here is my little birth episode for UC101. In it you’ll meet me, find out why this podcast is needed and how we”ll all be better for it being here. 🙂

A big thankyou to Steve Springall — aka Cybster DJ — for creating my intro and outro. Check out his podcasts, CDs and his club in Second Life!