The 511 by Hunter Public Relations Social and Digital Media Practice

Five Things You Need To Know About Old Technologies — And How They Are New Again!

In the digital age, what’s best is often confused with what’s newest, but there are plenty of technologies that remain relevant today, long after they were first introduced. Before the MacBook Air, there was Konrad Zuse’s Z1 computer. And before early adopters were clamoring for Droids, Motorola’s Razr was all the rage. The most successful technologies have found ways to remain relevant, thanks to creative marketers implementing the tools in new ways, especially in regard to Digital PR. Here are five things you need to know about old technologies — and how they are new again:

1 Location, Location, Location.
Global Positioning System (GPS) technology was first used by military intelligence during the height of the Cold War. A few decades later, civilians began utilizing the same technology for personal use in automobiles as a replacement to physical maps. Most recently, GPS has found its way into the world of social media marketing with the advent of geo-social apps. These tools create connections with consumers based on a location or event they share. Brands can incentivize attendance, offer exclusives or even create virtual scavenger hunts, giving this old technology a new and entertaining use. Additionally, this sense of brand co-ownership (or mayorship, in the case of Foursquare) can act as a powerful way to strengthen consumer loyalty.
2 Mobile messaging is here to stay.
Once considered a luxury add-on to basic cellular telephone service, SMS (short message service) text messaging is now ingrained into popular culture. In fact, there are five times as many texters in the world as there are Facebook users (MBAOnline.com). Text messaging is often overlooked as a viable opportunity for brands, but the technology provides an excellent opportunity to unite digital PR, advertising and promotions. Given the lack of QR (quick response) adoption by consumers, a text message could include a link that leads to branded content without requiring the consumer to scan and unlock a QR code. Mobile messaging also better enables niche marketing, allowing brands to target men (or women), Virginians (or West Virginians) with news relevant only to that audience.

For a closer look at the advancement of text messaging, check out the infographic in the right sidebar (Tatango).
2 TV is taking over the Web.
When television reached critical mass, it brought about the perfect picture of an American family huddled around their sole screen. While the concept of TV lives on, it has changed with the times. By 2009, the average American watched approximately 153 hours of TV at home every month, but they weren’t always watching it ‘live.’ In 2011, digital video recorders (DVR) reached 40 percent household penetration across all markets (Nielsen). These devices record live television to be watched at the viewer’s convenience. The growth of online television has also brought with it more impactful opportunities for brands, including social media content integrations that let viewers interact with their favorite programs. Even newer technologies, like the just-announced MySpace TV, prove that while TV is evolving, it is far from endangered.
2 It all began with an e-mail.
The first email was sent in 1971, more than three decades before friendships went digital with the launch of Facebook. And yet, 58 percent of people start their online day by reading emails (ExactTarget). Another 42 percent believe the best way to receive ads for sales and exclusive specials is via email (Econsultancy). One of the easiest ways marketers can utilize email in a socially dominated digital world is by integrating it into their social media plans. Reach social media users via direct email to offer exclusives or protected content, which can only be unlocked via digital media interaction with the brand.
2 The new face of face-to-face communication.
One of the first forms of video messaging came when NASA used two video links, one in each direction, to ensure communication during the first manned space flights. This technology would later become commonplace in television news, spawning the common phrase, ‘live via satellite.’ As social networking has become more sophisticated, built-in video messaging has made online video marketing easier. Google+ introduced its Hangouts, which allows up to 10 individuals to discuss a topic — or brand — in real-time. Additionally, social sites like VYou let users ask and answer questions via video, putting a refreshing spin on how brands can handle Q&As with spokespeople.

Hunter Public Relations has a wealth of experience in creating and executing customized social and digital media programs—from Twitter parties and Facebook contests, to webcasts and mobile app development. Our knowledge of social and digital media is both wide and deep—every account staff member at Hunter PR serves on one of our agency’s 14 task forces, each dedicated to a particular facet of social and digital media:

 

VIDEO LINKS

Text Messaging Through the Years

Text Messaging Through the Years

 

THE 511 ARCHIVE

DECEMBER 2011
Five Things You Need to Know About Online Video

OCTOBER 2011
Five Things You Need to Know About Google+

AUGUST 2011
Five Things You Need To Know About Using Social Media in a Crisis

MAY 2011
Five Things You Need to Know About Evaluating a Brand’s Social Media Presence

MARCH 2011
Five Things You Need to Know About Managing a Successful Facebook Page

PRNews Digital PR Awards: Hunter PR named a Best Digital PR Firm in 2010

SubscribeContact our Social and Digital Media Practice leader, Donetta Allen at The511@hunterpr.com