Why should radio care about the iPad? Because it promises to change the way we obtain and manage information (media). Like its cousin, the iPhone, the iPad promises to be a game changer. Even tech experts are hailing the iPad as the replacement for the laptop. And I think they're right.
In the days leading up to its launch, the iPad was one of the hottest topics in pop culture, and a hot trender on Twitter (take that, Justin Bieber!). Apple sold nearly 700,000 iPads in its first few days on the market. The device promises to make media more portable, more accessible, more organized with aps. The iPad also fixes the two fatal flaws that most smart phones (like the iPhone) posses: short battery life, and screen/keyboard too small for serious writing. Now, a device designed for consumers of media on-the-go, or even those who stay put, is here are is surely headed toward critical mass.
Like most business, the radio industry has struggled to keep up with technology in the changing times. While many stations are trying to build the perfect Web site, fewer are building aps (the Web site of the future). Many stations are building up larger "digital" divisions (the growth sector) to develop content, but fewer are seeking strategies on how to generate content for new methods of media consumption. See, radio is not in the "radio" or "broadcasting" business. Heck, we're not even in the "music" or "news" business. We're in the business of generating compelling content. We use radio frequency, streaming audio, live events, and mobile devices to syndicate our content to our audience.
Trouble with all this technology is that it is evolving at a head spinning pace. So, start building your iPad ap today. Have clients develop ads to run on your iPad ap. Rich media is best, but not crucial. The iPad will reach critical mass within the next few years. Make sure that you're there to dominate.
Bob Knight is Executive Vice President of Harrison Edwards PR & Marketing in New York and heads up the company's advertising and digital divisions. He's reachable for questions and comments at bknight@harrison-edwardspr.com and via twitter atwww.twitter.com/BobKn
The I-Pad is no game changer! it's just a smaller laptop....Not very convenient. Infact someone is going to have to make pants with alot bigger pockets just to carry this oversized phone around.
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