• Podcasts: Passing Fad or the Next Big Thing?
• In the News: Magazine Goes Internet Only
• Expert Perspective: Podcasting from the Trenches
• Did You Know?
• Follow-Up

Podcasts: Passing Fad or the Next Big Thing?

A radical evolution in showbiz awards took place this year when the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences unveiled the nominees for the digital age: the first-ever Emmy Award bestowed to Outstanding Achievement in Content for Non-Traditional Delivery Platforms—or podcasts. Nominees included made-for-mobile spin-offs of the television hit "24" and the exclusive online telecasts of AOL's "Live 8" global concert, as well as independent "short films" produced for viewing on-the-go.

Is this a sign that podcasts are more than a passing fad? Should your university be producing them to recruit students, reach the media or encourage alumni to make donations? That is the $40,000 question.

First, a definition: according to Wikipedia, podcasting is the distribution of audio or video files, such as radio programs or music videos, over the Internet for listening on mobile devices and personal computers. The term podcast, like "radio," can mean both the content and the method of delivery.

Since it was first introduced in 2001, more than 30 million iPods have been sold, and some advertisers are banking on the idea that podcasting will grow in popularity in time, too. Advertiser spending on user-generated online media—blogs, podcasts, RSS—did not begin until 2002, but analysts estimate almost $50 million will be spent on such advertising in 2006. Companies like eMarketer predict that as many as 80 million people will regularly use podcasts by 2010.

Others don't anticipate such robust growth. Forrester Research claims that only 1 percent of online households in North America regularly download and listen to podcasts now, and they estimate that only 12.3 million households will use podcasts regularly in 2010.

In some respects, podcasts have made a splash in higher education, too—from Duke University’s "iPod first-year experience" to Purdue University's decision to make lectures available via podcast. And, Fitchburg State College offered quite a twist on the traditional "thick envelope" by notifying more than 1,000 students of their offers of admission with a podcast from the College president.

Still, it's too soon to know how effective the podcast will be for higher education marketing. It may have great appeal for one sector—alumni who want to stay engaged with campus programming—and not work nearly as well for prospective students or parents, for example. As with all marketing, testing the effectiveness will be important as each institution decides how to apply this technology to its marketing mix.

In the News: Magazine Goes Internet Only

Is this a sign of the times? Despite good sales, ELLEgirl magazine's last print edition will be the June/July 2006 issue.

What it is a sign of, says publisher Condé Nast, is that they believe teens are "Internet obsessed" and would prefer to be online rather than read their magazine. In a memo to his staff, CEO Jack Kliger wrote, "I am announcing today that, in light of ongoing research combined with five years of experience in the teen market, we are redirecting the strategy for the ELLEgirl brand. Following the June/July 2006 issue, ELLEgirl magazine will be discontinued, and the company will increase its substantial investment in the brand's digital formats focusing on ELLEgirl.com and wireless content ... today the teen market is increasingly fragmented. To effectively reach these girls, we must invest in the media where they spend most of their time and where we see our greatest growth potential."

Read Media Daily News' report Magazines Face a Shakeout (April 6, 2006) or a copy of CEO Kliger's memo to ELLEgirl staff on Gawker.com for more information.

Expert Perspective: Podcasting from the Trenches

For Dennis Miller, director of public relations for Mansfield University (Mansfield, Pennsylvania), the key to successful podcasting boils down to three simple words: "Make it compelling." The Mansfield University Podcast began in October 2005 with a focus on educating high school students and their parents about what to expect in the students' first semester in college. Miller interviewed four freshmen weekly about their experiences from the moment they arrived on campus through the rest of the year. Excerpts from those interviews gave future students insight into what they can look forward to:

• "College gives you a chance to totally reinvent yourself."
• "When my mom drove away she tapped her brake lights just like she did when she took me to day care. This time I was on my own."
• "There aren't the cliques that there are in high school."

In addition to the interviews with the MU students, Miller highlighted other interesting people and activities on campus, and the show has a regular following today. With almost a year's experience producing podcasts, Miller compares the process and product to radio broadcasting. "Podcasting is simply a new way of communication delivery. Other than that, nothing else is new. The communication has to grab the listener and make him or her want to return. Podcasting is what radio used to be. It's intimate, speaking to one listener at a time. If it's done right, it creates images in the listener's mind that last a long, long time."

For those who want to try their hand at podcasting, Miller shares this advice:

1. Don't script interviews. When students don't know what they are going to be asked, it creates a better sense of immediacy and reality.
2. Edit as little as possible, but do so as necessary, especially to move along an interview.
3. Do not use the show to promote the university. In Miller's case, his show seeks to help high school students better prepare for the college experience.
4. Keep it short. Most MU podcasts are 15-18 minutes long.
5. Make it as light and informal as possible.

To learn more about the Mansfield University Podcast and Dennis Miller's suggestions for success, read the MU press release, his interview with collegewebeditor.com, or his contribution to higheredblogcon.com.

Did You Know?

New technologies are rapidly changing the buying habits and needs of college graduates, including explosive growth in Internet usage, according to Y2M: Youth Media and Marketing Networks, a strategic marketing services company. Their annual eGrad College Graduate Survey focuses on the college and recent graduate market. When comparing the 2005 and 2004 results, the survey reveals that news consumption online has grown from 20 percent to 78 percent of respondents. Additionally, the survey revealed that graduate publications, such as alumni magazines, are of little interest to graduates, although 73 percent indicated they would like to receive their college newspaper via e-mail.

Read more about college graduates' preferences in Y2M's eGrad College Graduate Survey.

Follow-Up

Podcasts to consider adding to your play list:

• Mansfield University Podcast—Designed to help high school students transition to college
• The Merrow Report—John Merrow’s weekly podcast
• NPR—Podcasts from NPR shows, reporters and more
• Stanford on iTunes—Features lectures, interviews, music and sports from Stanford University
• The New York Times—Weekly reports from the international staff of The New York Times

To have TLG help you create engaging, compelling podcasts, please contact us by e-mailing tlg@thelawlorgroup.com or calling 800.972.4345.