Mobile Phones - Undoubtedly the First Screen

Mobile is the FIRST screen undoubtedly -- soak it in -- because this new reality should influence EVERYTHING we do.

Today for anything to everything we first look into the mobile screens, be it google searches, maps, chats, calls, news, entertainment, the choices we make, our influncers, our heros.... you name it and you are right there, straight, looking into the screen. It has become an extremely intimate and interactive medium (can even be referred to as your soul mate). I can't imagine even a moment without my phone -- my whole world lies in there. Can you....?

Looking into the changing TV/video watching habits, which is part of major entertainment, source of information and education for people, this is what I found.

Since, people today, specially the new generation - call them the Millennials, are most of the time mobile, TV viewing habits are thus also changing. They can't afford to sit for long hours infront of the TV sets during specified hours....they do not have that kind of time and patience. They want customised, tailor made, specific to their choice and interest programs and video content, on the go.

Here are some of the latest "must read" stats from Deloitte:

(1) Millennials now watch more TV shows (not just YouTube videos!) on mobile devices than on the traditional TV box -- 57% of their viewing behaviour is on the small screen -- their first screen;

(2) 25% of these Millennials outright cancelled their pay-TV services in the past 12 months or haven't had one for over one year (that's why Cablevision's CEO, in a remarkable watershed announcement just last week, expressly marketed new "cord cutter" and "cord never" packages and told the Street that it considers itself to be a "connectivity" company rather than a content/programming company);

(3) 72% of these Millennials indicated that streaming video is the most important way for them to view video (including television programming).

Eric Scherer, Director of Future Media at French broadcaster France Televisions gave a speech sometime back. 

Here are some quotes from his speech:

"The TV industry will have to work on a mobile-first strategy. Not a digital-first strategy, but a mobile-first strategy, because mobile is now the first screen, and it's taking time away from the TV."

"They (the millennials) are always mobile, they are always social, they are always interactive....and it is more and more live....".

"The young people will not come back to the TV screen -- at least the major TV screen that we knew for the last 40 years."

In commenting about multi-channel networks (MCNs) -- most of whom increasingly consider themselves to be multi-platform networks (MPNs) -- Scherer said, "These are the kids now ruling the entertainment, and it's just the beginning of it. Again, new grammar, new syntax, new vocabulary."

So there we are in the age of millennials and no matter what, mobile phones ARE the first screen....this is the reality....likewise we must adapt.

Resource intensive apps for our cities

Apps like "Periscope" and "Meerkat" could be useful and resource intensive for our cities, specially after seeing the Nepal crisis, since the increasing penetration of smartphones, the number of mobile Internet users in India is expected to reach 213 million by June 2015 according to the Mobile Internet in India report.

"While there are many ways to discover events and places, we realized there is no better way to experience a place right now than through live video."

Periscope and Meerkat are quite similar apps for live-stream video tweet to everyone who follows you on Twitter. These apps have the unique ability to provide information quickly, seamlessly, personally, and without reliance on traditional mediums like TV news or radio.

Telling people what they need to know, NOW! These apps can hold real value in city departments, citizen journalism and mass communication.

If there is mass adoption, cities and states could really benefit from using the tool to communicate with their constituents.

Heat wave, earthquake, flood, fire, etc, it’s critical that information is communicated as quickly as possible.

As Periscope argues, their platform could be the perfect means of letting the public know what’s happening right now.

Here are some ways Periscope/Meerkat can be useful:

1.) FOR THE MEDIA & PR: Periscope could be the new media briefing tool.

Press conferences from particularly large cities have been known to be live-streamed and widely available to the public for anyone with an Internet connection. But setting up live streams and live conferences takes time, money and resources. How can these apps mitigate costs associated with traditional press relations and be used to facilitate overall communications with the media? By being a better press conference tool, of course.

Say a city is launching a program and it needs the attention of media. One could hold a traditional live press conference, but there’s greater coordination of people and resources when going that route. Instead, why not start holding a media briefing using Periscope or Meerkat? Simply put, a media briefing on such apps allows the media to get all the relevant information they will need that one would have provided in a press conference without ever having to leave their desk. And bonus: Just in case they are away from their desk, media are never away from their phones. Being mobile, apps like Periscope and Meerkat provide much needed accessibility for media members to ALWAYS be present at a press conference– thus simpler for the media to ‘attend’ the conference, no matter where they are. 

2.) IN EMERGENCY: In an emergency, these apps could be the fastest way to get your constituents critical information.

What does it actually do? They could provide the quickest and most efficient means of getting information to the widest number of people. Set up time is less than traditional media relations, while the editing process of Twitter and Facebook updates is essentially removed since it’s live.

Can it be used should the public be in imminent danger via natural disaster? Yes. It obviously can be more efficient than other social mediums, it doesn't rely on TV or radio to get a message out. The push notifications immediately creates a sense of urgency anytime someones sees such a notification.

Periscope and Meerkat can be the best means to letting people know what they need to know when they need to know it.

3.) FOR WIDE OUTREACH: Periscope can be used to reach the greatest number of non-English speaking population groups too.

In an emergency, Public Information Officer and emergency management teams can use it in order to create a strategy that effectively communicates all critical information to every resident.

If there are large populations of local language speakers, city and state leaders can set up both Twitter handles and Periscope/Meerkat accounts specific to prominent languages spoken in the area/region – and can subsequently get translators, media professionals or trained communicators, who can effectively communicate pertinent information to these specific demographic groups. Sure, this is resource intensive for our cities – and could be a crucial tool to keeping communities safe and secure during a crisis.

Apps like Periscope and Meerkat can also be cost-effective means of extending messages to a large and diverse population. These apps also should act as good tools to promote citizen journalism.