One Trick Ponies

A recently released Nielsen survey points to the notion that owning a tablet like an iPad leads to diminishing use of other devices.  This includes desktops, laptops, eReaders, and game consoles.

(Prediction: As the iPad 2 proliferates, digital camera use will drop, too.)

We have seen this same phenomenon in different settings over the past year or so.  In “Goin’ Mobile,” many of our 18 respondents pointed out their use of other gadgetry had dropped due to reliance on their smartphones.

And in the new Techsurvey 7, which will be released later this week, we had respondents list devices they are using less frequently as a result of owning a smartphone.  Digital cameras and camcorders topped our list, while computers were also mentioned.

This doesn’t mean that Nikon or Canon is going to go away, but you can imagine a scenario where the people who buy high-end cameras will narrow down to the pros and photo aficionados.  For the rest of us, the best camera is the one we’re carrying – in our smartphones and tablets.

This strongly suggests that consumers are becoming more and more dependent on devices that do multiple things.  Kurt Hanson frequently shows a slide of Mr. Spock and the tricorder as evidence that Gene Roddenberry was even more prescient than we thought when he created the Star Trek series.  The tricorder was the device that did it all – close in size, look, and feel to today’s tablets.

And this goes a long way toward explaining why the Flip video camera is kaput.  Perhaps eReaders are, in fact, an endangered species, thanks in large part to the iPad.  And rumors of Amazon creating a Kindle tablet later this year make sense, given this growing trend against gadgets that do just one thing.

And that leads me to think there might be a parallel here for America's workforce, specifically in radio, where the employee base has shrunk in recent years.  We continue to preach the importance of air talent acquiring multiple skills to make a greater contribution to radio clusters – music scheduling, production, voicetracking, social media and web support, and of course, great sales relations and strong appearances.

The old “four and out the door” philosophy is as dated as cart machines and splicing blocks.  Today’s measure of success for personalities is about providing multiple services and skills.  At budget time, the jock who brings multiple skills (think "functions" or "apps") to the table has a better chance of increasing her longevity and creating more value.

In today’s world, no one loves a one trick pony.

Comments

[JJ Duling]

What's kind of ironic about all of this is that when many of your readers were breaking into radio, you were expected to do a little of everything- it's how we were taught. Specialization took hold in the 80s and now we've come somewhat full circle (albeit the technology is different). We forget how many stations were 'automated' (with those racks of carousels), how we spent almost as much time doing production as our airshifts, not to mention 2-3 remotes every week plus a couple of dances during the weekend.

None of us enjoys force reduction but we have choices: adapt to it, change it or walk away from it. Be part of where radio is going or get left behind. It's up to us.

[Abby]

Well put, JJ. But we all know how difficult change can be for folks who've been doing their jobs for decades and aren't willing to explore the new territory. I had a weekend board op ask me recently if we could install a cassette machine in one of our brand new studios so he could air check himself. I asked him where he intends to buy cassettes. We have a server set up to skim for us and it's got archived on-air breaks from the last 3 years. In response to this request, we set up a shortcut on the desktop to that server and I gave this guy a thumb drive to record his breaks and take them home. Now his son has to teach him how to upload the audio to his home computer.

[Fred]

Thanks for the comment, JJ. I am in on many employee evaluations at "budget time." Oftentimes, a DJ's ability to do many things - make a great sales appearance, schedule logs, support production, and participate in social media are all part of the discussion.

And I believe that's becoming the case with other employees on the flow chart, too. What ELSE can you do besides your primary job?

Appreciate you participating.