Friday, September 25, 2009

Social media for business

I recently heard a radio documentary about what 'the media' are doing these days. It seems odd to me now to hear that term being applied to magazines and newspapers. I have been up to my neck in my major project which focuses on social media lately, so the term 'media' to me does not conjure up traditional press, or even their web presence!

However one story really stood out for me. This was the story of NME. This used to be a music industry print magazine. Like so many others, they went web some time back, with a website and a radio station.

So far, so normal. But it's what they've done since then that I found interesting.

NME has a radio channel, and they have recently launched an iPhone app. According to Nick Spence of Macworld, it has been breaking records. Using this app, iPhone users can listen to the station on their phones. Not only that, but if they hear a song they like, they can instantly purchase the download. Users can also interact synchronously with the radio station by text via the app.

The app itself isn't actually free, but at 59p, it isn't going to break the bank. And I'm pretty impressed with the way NME has used current technology to stay ahead of the curve.

Pretty cool.

1 comment:

V Yonkers said...

More importantly, their use of a new business model. Embrassing mobile phones as a new medium, they developed an ap, which they sell, then work with the music industry to provide immediate purchase (making it an impulse buy rather than the traditional high or low involvement purchase decision that records and CD's require). The fact that they are open to such innovation and successful, creates a model for other organizations to emulate.