Crossmedia Atelier

Internet, GSM, PDA, laptops are all platforms and devices designed to carry information and to communicate. Organisations such as publishers, ad agencies, multi media companies, governmental organisations and supporting ICT companies, all deal with the problem of communicating their propositions the best possible way using these new platforms and devices. But do they reach the people they target and what is the impact of their communications? With this question in mind the universities of professional education Saxion and Utrecht decided to team up with Novay, FRIS and Syntens in a consortium and develop a research program that aims to address the fragmentation of media, channels in relation to targeting audiences.

In the Crossmedia Atelier program, the consortium members, along with different public and private organisations develop new crossmedia concepts and test them through their respective networks in real life situations. Nowadays it is difficult to segment audiences to deliver specific messages and propositions. The ?new? media fragment media consumption and traditional segmentation models do not seem to function properly anymore. There are, for instance, ?mentality groups? that cluster in a certain feeling, a theme or a common interest. Youngsters retrieve information through the Internet or Instant Messaging. Networks are created, facilitated by Facebook, Hyves (in the Netherlands), Twitter and Flickr. Printed newspapers or the eight o?clock news as single sources information carriers are overrun by the digital availability of an infinite number of sources on the Internet.

The research program focuses on five themes: Marketing, Mentality approaches, Customer approaches, Timeless information, and Time sensitive information. The consortium intents to deliver general solutions as well practical hands-on tools. The goal of this innovative program is to bring together users and developers of crossmedia technology in an atelier setting in order to develop formats. The crossmedia ateliers offer a physical environment to combine ideas and crossmedia formats. With crossmedia formats we mean the combination of film, Internet, mobile, PDA, laptop, MP3, billboards, GPS, smart phones, etc.

Mentality approach
Within the main research program, the research group of the CrossmediaLab focuses specifically on the theme of mentalities. It is not easy to efficiently segment current society in audiences with specific characteristics. To address a specific group, we need to target on what this group bonds, its interests, life style and its mental attitude. This starting-point offers organizations interesting ways to get into contact with groups of people, especially those groups that are wary of advertising or corporate communication or can simply not be identified with the current segmentation tools.

Radio 538
In this context, the research group has initiated its first research program for Holland’s favourite radio station Radio 538. Key question in this program is how to commit youth (13 till 19 years) to the station without alienating other age groups. The average age of a typical Radio 538 listener is 36 years. The research group has conducted a desk research on existing research material regarding use of media. One of the outcomes is that traditional research does not focus on mentalities. It is the research group?s presumption that the proposition (and product offering) should be focused on common interests that may not be influenced by e.g. demographics. To answer this issue, the research group proposes additional research among Radio 538?s listeners to gain insight in the mentalities. The end result of this program will be a strategic advice on how to address listeners, based on both traditional and mentality approaches (for an explanation on the research group?s mentality segmentation tool, click here).