Living in an Emerging Media World

As someone who is balancing a job and three kids, it is rare that I take a moment for myself to do something that is totally non-productive. Last Friday evening I decided to indulge myself and picked up my stack of magazines and relaxed in an unusually quiet home for a little “me” time.

As I delved into my stack of magazines, I had to laugh because my totally non-productive time was starting to become productive work time very quickly. First, I picked up my college magazine and read an article about how technology and media is working its way into the classroom through Second Life. Yifeng Hu of The College of New Jersey, (my alma mater), is using Second Life to “enhance student learning experiences” in her New Media and Health Communications courses. In her New Media class, Hu explored how Second Life is being used to address leading healthcare issues through a virtual medical clinic. 

After reading that article I was prompted to “Get Connected!” by joining the TCNJ Facebook fan page. I realized I was working and not relaxing as my brain tried to wrestle with all of these uses of emerging media that I couldn’t seem to escape from. 

Surely moving away from academic text to my InStyle magazine would do the trick! Only four pages in I saw a two-page ad for the Ford Fusion which immediately reminded me of Scott Monty (@ScottMonty) and Jessica Smith, (@JessicaKnows), and how they are using emerging media to spread the word about Ford’s latest vision. 

Next I saw “We’re on Twitter!” with a picture of Shakira and Jennifer Lopez using a Blackberry to stay connected, (we’re assuming to Tweet with InStyle). You can find them @instyledotcom. 

So, why is this of any relevance or value to you? It is worth noting that so many companies are utilizing the tools of emerging media to reach their audiences in new ways. Every time I see someone using these tools, I find myself analyzing how they are using them, why, and what the benefits and drawbacks are for each opportunity. One of the best ways to learn what works and what doesn’t is to learn from companies who are using the tools well and finding value in them. Stay tuned next week for some examples of a few of the companies I’m watching.