C3 overview for Siberian journalists

Читайте C3 обзор на русском языке, перевод Google. (Link to Russian translation.)

I will be discussing my Complete Community Connection business model Friday at a conference of the Press Development Institute-Siberia. This is the one-page handout. I am publishing it online, so I can use the Russian translation linked above for the participants. Here are the slides for my presentation.

The business models that have supported news media for decades in the United States are breaking down:

• Newspaper circulation was 31% of U.S. population in 1940, 13% today.
• Newspaper advertising has dropped 14 straight quarters (8 straight over 10%).
• Local broadcast TV ad revenue dropped 27% first half of 2009.
• The problem is not giving content away free online (we never supported content operations with circulation revenue; that pays for production & distribution).
• To remain relevant for the future, we need to master digital & social media and develop new revenue streams.

My Blueprint for the Complete Community Connection proposes a new business model for community media companies (let’s stop calling them newspapers). The core goals:

• Like people turn to Google for multiple needs, people will turn to C3 for whatever they need in and about their community.
• Businesses will turn to C3 to connect with their customers and where possible, C3 will conduct the transactions with customers.

C3’s revenue approach

• We have to move beyond advertising. Advertising is still a service we offer businesses, but only one of many.
• C3 will handle direct sales for business customers (tickets to entertainment and sports events, reservations, gift registries, sports paraphernalia).
• Where we can’t make the sale, we will help connect businesses with customers who most need or want their products or services through lead generation.
• C3 will help advertising reach the customers businesses most want, through targeted advertising.
• We will pursue other revenue opportunities such as sponsorships, events and mobile apps.
• Mobile-first strategy throughout the company.

Aspects of C3

• Community content (driving, home, conversation, calendar,knowledge)
• Personal content (births, graduations, weddings, schools, etc.)
• Entertainment (fun stuff, entertainment news, user content, games)
• Business services (local search, direct sales, communication services)
• Enriched news (what’s happening now, community engagement, multimedia)

Read a Google translation of the Altapress story on my C3 presentation.