Texas U Publishes First Internet-Based Video Magazine
Unique Format Used for Longhorns Football Season Coverage
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- A fan-targeted magazine for the University of
Texas football team is being held up as a groundbreaking way to market
to a niche audience on the Web.
The university, with the help of Host Communications, Lexington,
Ky., has produced what is believed to be the first Internet-based video
magazine. The Texas V-Mag will chronicle the 2005 Longhorns season.
“It’s reality TV via the Internet,” said Kathleen Hessert, CEO of Charlotte, N.C.-based NewGame Communications, which is producing the magazine.
The technology itself is not unusual, but no one is using video in a magazine format in this particular way, said Don Nicholas, editor and managing director of Mequoda Group, which provides consulting to Internet publishers. “Of the 300 case studies we have [of publishers] using video, not one is doing what the University of Texas is doing,” he said.
Link to complete article at AdAge (free registration)
VMag Promo <= click there.
Narrowcasting is another important trend. I don't believe TV, Radio and other broadcasting is going away. At least not completely. But, the ability to narrowcast through podcasting, VOD, internet radio and video... all of these will gradually but surely eat into the dominance of broadcasting. The people at UT are aiming at a very narrow audience, supporters of UT athletics, particularly football. But, because video production costs have dropped greatly with technology advances and since the internet allows the athletic department to talk to its supporters (those who have given permission, many enthusiastically), I think this may have a chance of being very successful. The cost is $24.95 for four issues delivered over the course of the football season.
How could narrowcasting change your business or ministry model?
