Technology Consultant

Craig has been on the DPCI team since 2001, and in that time he has participated in building content management applications for some of DPCI's key customers. Most recently, Craig has been on the core Drupal development team, implementing Drupal solutions for DPCI customers.

A graduate of University of Michigan, Craig heads up DPCI's west coast offices. His blog is focused on business and technical topics in content technologies.

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> Integrating K4 and Drupal to Support Multi-channel Workflows

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> Article on Multi-channel Publishing

> Innovations in Digital Asset Management, Circa 2008

> The Case for Digital Photography

December 17, 2008

Buzz makes the world go around, doesn't it?

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With Apple pulling out of MacWorld after 2009, some of us (myself, specifically) wonder what their decision means about the state of capital 'B' Buzz anymore. For years, that event has had Macintosh fans (and detractors) waiting on baited breath for the latest and greatest developments out of Cupertino. While there are economic reasons involved as companies position themselves to handle the current fiscal environment, I can't help but wonder if it is getting so hard to manage and build old-style "buzz" that companies are looking to other avenues to disseminate information.

We are in a 24/7 news cycle, as was evidenced by coverage during the election cycle and the incidents in Mumbai, and indicative of the trend news and media have taken over the last several years. Media and content creators have a myriad of ways to publish information at any and all times, and across a variety of channels. We've also opened up the floodgates so that everyone can quickly and easily contribute content to a variety of networks. Social media has enabled all of us to become citizen journalists and 'social' publishers (the old joke "everyone's got an opinion' is now truer than ever!). Search engines and social tagging have helped to change the playing field and give everyone from the individual to the corporation an even chance at presenting information.

We're no longer dealing with one-way publishing. Product launches have become conversations that start weeks and months before the "official" date. News stories are hinted at and leaked in advance. We've already seen many publishers and media organizations take advantage of this new level of communication. Media outlets now publish across several new channels, including Twitter, Facebook (groups and apps), Myspace, etc. Many publishers have also incorporated reader/viewer comments and contributions into their formats, either indirectly or directly-- CNN's iReporters, BreakingNews' integration of filtered Twitter feeds, etc. We no longer have to wait for a letter to the editor to find out how people feel about coverage and/or content.

So what does this all have to do with "Buzz"?

The act of building hype around product announcements, or around the timely release of information, is changing. Social publishing has poked a number of holes in the information dam making it more and more difficult for organizations to strategically deliver announcements. There's a couple ways of dealing with this. One way, is simply gnashing of teeth and redoubling of efforts to shore up the information dam; playing the cards closer to the chest, and the like. I think this approach may have largely gone the way of the dodo as the avenues of communication and social publishing get more and more accessible.

The other is to embrace the fact that the public has greater and greater access to information, and to use that knowledge to greater effect. Product pre-tweetleases, viral video teasers, widget "guess the features" games can help up the mystique, as can direct engagement with your readership/viewership. Instead of allowing 3rd party affinity sites to steal your thunder with leaks, spy shots and insider gossip, co-opt the format and give a platform for enthusiasts within your brand umbrella. That can serve to drive more traffic, generate more hits, raise search engine rankings, and serve as the vehicle for the "new buzz".

I certainly don't have all of the answers, so let's have a discussion. Let me know what you think in the comments below. Is "buzz" dead? How can we control the distribution of information now that the dam looks more and more like a sieve every day?

Posted at 05:53 pm by Craig McEldowney