Looking at the summary of the results of the research Group for media and ICT, it can be said that the SWOT analysis at the beginning of the project is basically an obligatory action. The iLiad was compared to the existing printed newspaper on the one hand and had a remarkable screen and wireless facilities. On the other hand it was compared to online ePapers and found equalling in offering new possibilities. I am not as convinced on this point as newspapers delivered through broadband have the possibility of playing out video; a facility not existing on the reading machine presently and most likely not in the immediate future, given the page- and the consequent power orientation.
I personally think that the iLiad is comparable to the printed edition. Yet it is smaller (A5 format), has wireless facilities for delivering and updating (which is not scoring high) and has interactive facilities to be used for navigating. It can also be compared to PDA edition of newspaper.
It is depressing to read that the advertising industry was invited to participate in the project, but did not show up. Only 14 per cent of the 392 invited persons responded and partook. Of course this says something about the Belgian advertising industry. On the other hand it says also something about advertising on the iLiad. Making an iLiad advertisement interactive is not really interesting as the interactivity is only used for navigation; it will for example not be possible to produce an interactive advertgame for the iLiad, given the page and power orientation. Responding to an advertisement would mean that the wireless should be used as a return channel; this could be an opportunity, which would have to be organised by the newspaper.
To me, it is clear that the page and power orientation are a limitation to full interactivity of the iLiad in a such a way that it will not be able to compared with the interactivity of a non-PDF newspaper site. It can be compared with a PDF edition of newspapers, but instead of being delivered online it is delivered offline by wi-fi.
IBBT
IBBT ePaper Project – Media and ICT (MICT)
The Research Group for Media and ICT (MICT) was responsible for two research tasks.
At the beginning of the project, MICT-IBBT conducted a SWOT analysis of the ePaper concept on the basis of a literature review. Concerning the potential of the digital ‘e-paper’ to substitute printed newspapers, the study pointed at the critical condition that the new medium should offer the same qualities and the same ‘look and feel’ as print media, so that it can compete with the old medium in terms of portability, flexibility and usability. The strengths and opportunities of the ePaper concept (‘a newspaper distributed on an e-ink display device’) lay in the combination and integration of the key benefits of print and online newspapers. Like online newspapers, the ePaper has the potential to offer new possibilities for interactivity, customization of content and audience targeting, while equalling the reading comfort of print newspapers (wireless and portable, high readability, flexibility, etc.). An additional major benefit for newspaper publishers would be, of course, the enormous reduction of costs for paper and distribution.
Secondly, MICT-IBBT focused on the expectations and needs of Belgian advertisers regarding interactive advertising in general, and the potential of the ePaper as a new advertising channel in particular. In September 2005, an online survey on interactive advertising was sent out to 392 representatives of the 152 companies, which are member of the Belgian Union of Advertisers (UBA). The respondents were asked about their experiences with interactive advertising, the benefits and constraints, and their expectations about future developments in the advertising market.
Although the response rate of 16% was too low to generalize the results to the whole
advertising sector, the survey confirmed that advertisers tend to remain slow adopters of
interactive media. Only 14% of the respondents believed that iDTV will become a major channel for advertising, and more than 80% did not find mobile applications an important channel for advertising. When focussing on interactive advertising, advertisers seem to prefer well-known channels, such as portal websites and e-mail. It is interesting to note that 60% of the respondents agreed to the statement that advertisers have a rather conservative attitude towards interactive advertising. Reach, return on investment (ROI) and cost-efficiency are still the most important parameters to evaluate the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. Lack of information about interactive advertising and about the return on investment (ROI) was seen as major barriers to invest in interactive advertising. About 40% of the respondents said that interactive advertising is still ‘too new’; a similar group believes that the formats for interactive advertising are still insufficient, whereas a quarter of the respondents find that interactive advertising campaigns are often not creative enough.
On the other hand, the members of the UBA also identified some major opportunities. The
opportunities in targeting and personalization of advertisements, the direct relation that can be built with the consumers and the fact that the effect of campaigns is measurable are the three most important advantages of interactive advertising media. The respondents are less convinced that interactive media will provide more possibilities in multimedia and creativity. In general, the questions about the future of interactive advertising show that new media are a major challenge for all advertisers. 9 out of 10 respondents agreed that it will become more important in the interactive media environment to know where, when and how the target group can be reached in the best possible way.
Tags: iliad, irex, e-book, e-ink, e-reader, newspaper
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