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Blog posts tagged guardian
Rest in Pixels, Teletext
December 17, 2009
Checking the squared off map of the UK to see what colour weather was in store for the day ahead, cheating your way through the Bamboozle quiz and waiting for the inevitable flash of Macclesfield Town FC letting in yet another late equaliser. These are my Teletext memories and, undoubtedly, the very things that steered me in the direction of what I am currently calling ‘A Career in the Internet’
As the plug on Teletext is pulled, the easiest direction to point the fickle finger of blame is at the Internet. The super-connected network is eating up every traditional media platform in its path and showing no mercy. Print is on its knees and as the Guardian launches a paid for iPhone application and The Sun releases an innovative television commercial more out of necessity than of frivolity - it is evident that times are indeed changing.
Teletext was a British institution. Steeped in naffness, it came to represent the last ditch attempt to get information and added value out of the standard broadcast of channels One to Four. But as soon as digital became king and the real-time information we all desperately crave was readily available through mobile phones, Teletext quickly became a dated format.
Nostalgia aside, the disconnection of Teletext has vast implications for rural communities that cannot get Freeview or Internet access and have depended on Teletext for information on a daily basis.
As a place of commerce, there was advertising within it, but nothing that could compete with a trackable URL link in an advert online. There were also vast numbers of holidays available through Teletext but - and maybe this is a generational thing - I have yet to come across anyone who actually booked their perfect package holiday through the television.
And so we bid farewell to one of those cosy rituals of yesteryear. Going downstairs, checking Planet Sound for the latest music news, then onto Bamboozle to test my knowledge before catching up on the local news and sport - Teletext had it all. My modern day routine is a much more dynamic affair (and doesn’t require leaving the bed): wake up, check iPhone for email and social networking updates, get the latest news through Google Reader, and so on. I can’t remember the last time I punched in 451 on my remote. Goodbye Bamboozle and to you Teletext, I owe you a lot.
What are your memories of Teletext? Did you ever buy a Teletext holiday?
Big noise for small business
November 09, 2009
The growth in use of social media tools has been impossible to ignore over the last year or so. It is even almost customary to hear Twitter messages read out on Radio shows or TV shows. Recently a legal injunction which prevented the Guardian reporting parliamentary questions relating to the oil trader, Trafigura was overturned as a partial consequence to extensive exposure and discussion on Twitter.
But what does this mean for small firms? What it does demonstrate is that social media tools like Facebook and Twitter have become very influential means of communication. Those firms that do not have some sort of representation on social media may find themselves at a disadvantage. However, there are many significant benefits too as online platforms have levelled the playing field somewhat for small businesses. It is easier than ever before to build a cost effective online representation and get your message out to potential customers.
In fact small business by their very nature may be better placed to incorporate online strategies into their models than larger businesses. Such businesses already have an extensive corporate structure and have to look at other more complex solutions. Small businesses on the other hand are more versatile and can be more responsive to the fast-paced online environment. The recession has taken its toll on many firms but this is an area where they can leverage their strength in order to survive into the future.
Another point to remember is that it is literally possible to communicate a brand using social media tools and there is a mind-boggling variety of options in which this can be done. The way you represent yourself online really depends on your particular business and what you want to achieve. An online strategy for a restaurant may be totally different to that of an online book store. It is not just about creating noise but creating the right sort of noise that is good for business.
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