Kim's Blog

Rounding out the year

Posted on December 3, 2009 at 11:50 AM

With one holiday down and two more to go, I am reflecting on my year and the accomplishments of the company.

First, I would like to thank my staff here at Shakespeare Squared. It has been a challenging economy, market and model to keep running. This past year hasn’t been easy, but each and every staff member has put forth heroic efforts to push through, allowing us to keep our eyes on the ball and to keep moving forward.

I would also like to thank our clients.  We are grateful you have given us opportunities to create wonderfully creative products.  We are very proud of the work we have created for you!

As I am writing this, I am continually grateful for my family and friends. It is amazing how supportive and encouraging they have been.

I am the first one to admit, I am looking forward to ringing out 2009 and embracing 2010. Even though I know we will not return to “normal” as we once knew it, I’m very, very ready to move into a new year.  I feel prepared with the skill sets I have developed in this downturn, and believe they have been a blessing in disguise.

I wish everyone a happy holiday season and look forward to creating my predictions for 2010. Before those predictions are given, I will look back on my 2009 predictions to see how close (or far) from reality I really was!

The Quality of Our Content: What does this all mean?

Posted on November 24, 2009 at 09:53 AM

In my attempt to finish my comments regarding an Entertainment Weekly article by Stephen King’s, I found myself thinking about my conclusion. What do I want to say? How do I get across my thoughts in a clear concise manner—in other words, with quality content. And then….. my life got busy! Kids’ illness, significant business activity (yay!), and the holidays approaching. Of course, these are all the usual work/life balance issues I deal with, but for some reason the last two weeks have been filled with more than my plate can handle.

Do you feel like this too? Is your content falling behind because you are too busy? My internal editorial team here wanted to write something for me, but they had no idea what my conclusion would be. They are fabulous at taking words and modeling tone, style and any possible topic under the sun. But reading my mind, they cannot do. So first let me publicly apologize to Laura Wasilewski, my Digital Media Manager, who has had to hound me for my thoughts. She does it in a friendly way, but I felt like a kid who hadn’t handed in my homework—I avoided her eyes and made sure we didn’t eat lunch at the same time (only kidding!).

I think the final thought regarding this article (which unfortunately never was posted on ew.com) revolves around the fact that good content, in any format, on any platform, will find its way. But King makes a valid point; we mustkeep storytelling and good quality content at the forefront of our expectations—or else we will find ourselves craving deep characters, complex storylines, and wonderful visuals with nowhere to turn. Embrace the new technologies, but prioritize premium content in any form. Many of the models in television, radio and newspaper (print) are broken and will be changing. But change is not a bad thing—we just need to keep our eye on the prize!

The Quality of Our Content: What Happened to Network TV?

Posted on November 5, 2009 at 04:00 PM

[This is part five of a continuing series in response to an article by Stephen King.]

Is network television still a relevant medium? If network television goes away, what would happen?

Although I do watch some network television, I am not a daytime show addict (except Oprah!). I don’t watch the news except to find out the weather, and late night talk shows on network cannot compete with the likes of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.

I am a cable junky! Between my TV boyfriend, Jon Stewart (sorry honey) and my favorite shows, which change with the seasons, I utilize my DVR as a multitasking tool and rarely watch a show while it is “on.” Most of the shows I watch are full half hour, uninterrupted segments, so when I watch a half hour show on network television, my patience for advertising has become minimal. 

I love the writing that is going on all over the dial, but I will admit that I’m drawn to the Showtime/HBO edgier shows. They are different, intriguing, and don’t have canned laughter. They have strong female characters (like many of the books I read) and touch on the now, and not the then like movies do. I read an article that talked about how it takes so long to make a movie that you get stale topics. TV doesn’t have to worry about that—they can address social, economical, and emotional occurrences within the context of our lives. I can relate to characters and themes in television—Entourage makes me feel hip, Sex and the City makes me feel strong, and Weeds is just plain hilarious. Although I am going to miss The Sopranos, Nurse Jackie is well written and Bored to Death is fabulous! 

So, what do I watch on network TV? Big Bang, The Office, and How I Met Your Mother. They are great comedies with tight storylines. BUT, and here is the but, I DVR them.  That’s right—I am part of the demise of advertising as we once knew it. The people spoke and innovation brought us DVR. Thank you DVR.

I don’t want to spend my time watching commercials. If network TV changes and uses more advertising and more product placement and other tactics, I get it. I understand why, but I feel that we, the public, shouldn’t be punished by bad, repeated commercials or another plug for a show I am not going to watch. Have you ever watched more than one episode of a show in a row? You’re likely to see the same commercial 10 times in that hour or two hours. It’s overkill and it drives me crazy!

If network TV can produce a Mad Men, or a Rescue Me, I think we would all be happier—but they have to keep a wider audience happy, sponsors at bay, and make money. I guess they feel all the commercials are the necessary evil but it certainly isn’t making sense.

Until network TV figures out a new, better model, I am sticking to my DVR! It makes me feel in control and I can ignore the umpteenth car, beer, or male enhancement commercial (can you tell I watch sports too?) There may be good content on network TV but the model, once again, needs to be updated.

Can these big networks alter their revenue stream before it’s too late?

The Quality of Our Content: What Happened to Serious American Movies?

Posted on October 29, 2009 at 08:53 AM

[This is part four of a continuing series in response to an article by Stephen King.]
Stephen King wants to know where all the serious movies are—and why aren’t studios releasing them wider? I agree and disagree with the decisions studios are making.

You see, I like all different types of movies. I like the dramas, I like the chick flicks, I like the popcorn blockbusters like Iron Man or Lord of the Rings, but I also like the quirky movies (in fact that’s where I find great music very often—500 Days of Summer, anyone?). But I know what I like, and when I hear, see, taste or touch it and its quality, I am happy.

Here’s where Stephen King and I might diverge in thought—I like going to the movies right now for the thrillers, the blockbusters and the comedies. All of these types of movies are an “experience.” A late showing of a Judd Apatow movie has an energy you wouldn’t believe. Seeing Lord of the Rings with a huge fanbase is exciting!  But the serious films I like to watch in the comfort of my own home. I like to cry, sniffle, and yell at the movie in my own cave. I would like the option to watch my chick flicks, the tragedies and the character studies at home for even the same price as a movie theater. 

I think if I could watch many more newly-released movies on my television at home and eat my popcorn, I would be content and I wouldn’t have to pay for a babysitter—paying a sitter means I get cranky if it’s a bad movie. In some ways, this economy and the savings people are looking for may transform the way we view deeper movies.

I haven’t watched The Reader, for instance, because I am waiting to watch it on my own and have my own experience. I read the book and loved it. It has become a personal experience for me and frankly, I don’t want to watch the person in the first row text messaging or listening to the people behind me try to explain everything to their companion.

The rude audience argument outweighs some people’s need to see movies. I can totally understand how casual a movie experience has become for some and that leads to dissatisfied customers.  It still does not solve the intimate setting I reserve for serious movies.  At the end of the day, we might see the deeper movies move into our homes—a niche audience who seeks a certain comfort level. Content is still important but the space changes.

So I get why these movies aren’t gaining traction, at least in my book. I save my “night out” ticket for the experience, not the content!

Check back next week when I’ll dive into television.

Influential Women in Business for 2009

Posted on October 21, 2009 at 03:41 PM

I’m taking a quick break from my “Quality Content / Response to Stephen King” to say that, well, as a complete surprise to me, I have been named one of the 2009 Influential Women in Business by The Business Ledger and the National Association of Women Business Owners. I am honored to be among other women who take business to the highest level and are making a difference. This year has been an interesting time for me. I can’t wait to answer my predictions from my Crystal Ball series—but one thing I know for sure, I did not predict this prestigious award!

Being a leader in today’s economy is more than business acumen, experience or degrees in higher education. It means really prioritizing your values and pushing them forward even when it is difficult.

Thank you to my family, my friends, my business associates and especially my business community for recognizing me and taking the time to nominate me. I hope I can continue to influence business and be a change agent for years to come.

[For more information about the award, please click here.]

The Quality of Content: What’s Going to Happen to Rock and Roll?

Posted on October 16, 2009 at 01:09 PM

[This is part three of a continuing series in response to an article by Stephen King.]

Stephen King laments the loss of the radio personality in his column in Entertainment Weekly. There was a time when trust was a key component of the DJ and the listener. The listeners trusted they were going to hear exclusive, first run music and that it was chosen for “their” taste and not a mainstream audience.

Except, I am not sure I was exposed to that in my lifetime.  When I was younger, I taped music from the radio. When CDs came out, it was an exciting time that allowed for easier sharing of music and creating of mixes (my favorite thing to do). I’m still actually often requested to make mixes for holidays, road trips, birthday presents and more. I just compile the music—the content—differently.

So what’s wrong with radio?  Why will this go the way of network television?

Radio stations are run by bottom lines and numbers. It’s a business. And with the loss in revenues comes cost saving and bean counter decision making. This leads us to less music, more ads, firing of expensive personalities and marketing efforts that feel too polished, too sales oriented. In turn, people are learning to tune out—literally. I can say I am one of them. If I have to listen to the radio, I turn to talk.  I have to say, as depressing as this sounds, I will choose a sports program over all the talking heads any day. Sometimes though I have to listen to talk radio to keep me awake (yes, 3 children and running a business leave me tired some days!). If I do listen, I leave the car feeling emotional—angry, confused, manipulated, and cynical. It’s tough to know what the “truth” is and who is behind the “spin.”

I miss great DJs too. But there are still some personalities out there that give me hope.  Eric and Kathy are pretty good in the AM here in Chicago, Roe Conn is diverse and funny too. I miss one awesome host—Steve Dahl. For Steve’s content, I go to his private page since he’s not on the traditional radio currently.  He has podcasts and a blog—what seems to be the “new” radio!

The thing is that I have no problem with advertising.  I get the model and I appreciate the ROI, but I cannot stand switching the dial to find the same commercial playing on 2 or 3 stations simultaneously.  Argghhh! It completely turns me off.  In my opinion, if you want listeners to stay, find creative ways for advertisers to participate. I think some of this is going on but not enough to make the pain go away.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized how much this is all causing me not to listen to radio. Instead I’m using iPod downloads and applications like Pandora, NPR’s playlist of podcasts and Sirius satellite radio. I’m rarely a consumer of traditional radio advertising. Similarly to network TV (another post to come on that topic), if the radio streamed quality content on it without the annoyance of advertising, I would listen more.

It seems like this business model might be on its way out, but quality content will always be in demand. We just have to demand it. Our voices are being heard as radio stations numbers can attest. Lamenting a lost art is one thing, lamenting a lost business model is another. Changing our habits based on the technologies presented to us is not necessarily a bad thing. It is the future and embracing these technologies gives us a chance to share, listen and interact in new ways.

Speaking of good content, let’s talk movies next week…..

The Quality of Content: What’s Going to Happen To Books?

Posted on September 30, 2009 at 01:55 PM

Last week I talked about an article I read by Stephen King that discussed how the quality of our content was eroding storytelling. Today I’m going to its effect on books.

Books and the printed page elicit a variety of emotional responses. Many people lament the loss of a tangible object. Some worry they won’t be able to “feel” the page or that the art of book covers will be lost. King worries about the demise of plotlines and savvy editing because if ebooks become the norm, the price is lower, and therefore the quality of the stories we read will be one dimensional and fluff.

The truth is that ebooks require the same type of content as traditional books. My editors have been editing electronically in the educational publishing industry for years. New tools are really moving editing to a new level, allowing for a paperless and 24/7 environment. It saves money on shipping, paper, printing, and—you guessed it—people. But stories still are written electronically. Content comes from someone’s brain, whether it is written or whether it is typed. So what’s happening? Does that low price means less margins? Does that mean demand slows as people lose the love of holding that tangible book?  Will people miss annotating in the margins?

I love technology, but technology is just an improvement on the delivery system—the content still comes from us. Some people have even talked about how the “book” was technology in itself at the time it was invented.

So will there be a loss of storytelling? Maybe, but there are storytellers all over the world. Why do lower prices mean lower quality?
Not if I can help it. I love a rich book—if you haven’t read Sarah’s Key, People of the Book, or The Help—turn off your TV for a couple hours and re-introduce yourself to these great modern novels.

Where I see the demise of the printed book is through the relational, emotional attachment books bring. I love buying another copy and selecting the people I pass a book on to—chick lit for my sister, murder mysteries to my mom, great audio books for my dad, and anything interesting for my informal book club of ladies in my life. This art of sharing messages and feelings keep me from going totally electronic.
I look forward to a hybrid model for the coming years, and maybe we will solve some of the other issues with better technology.