Sponable, M., Week 2

Week two was quite the experience!

The documentary “Side by Side” was about the changing movie industry from film to digital. The film described how technology is changing the industry from recording the actors, budgeting productions, processing process and time, distribution, and display of the final product. The interviewees described how it is necessary to not forget where the industry came from and the skill sets it produced as its technology advanced. Additionally, they discussed how as the industry evolves, so do the consumers in terms of where movies are viewed and their expectations. It is important and crucial that as we enter into business, we remember that new technology brings new challenges and new opportunity alike, it is how one use opportunity to overcome challenges that is the takeaway from Side by Side. Some in the field took the route of digital opportunity and some stuck with film to develop a niche market.

Additionally, the PRxNE Conference was an incredible experience. During this event, I listened to several keynote speakers on topics such as the I Love NY campaign, the power of data analysis, and PRSA. In between these speakers I attended sessions on triple bottle line ethics on social media, where I participated in a case analysis, and a virtual reality experience. In the virtual reality session, I experienced VR and discussed with other its future and the advances of technology. We made many positive connections and had the opportunity to discuss where PR and entertainment was headed in the United States. 

The film and PRxNE conference kicked off this week's discussion on how to market entertainment, media, and sports. We focused primarily on market segmentation and understanding that mass marketing is not as effective as it once was. It is key to understand consumers and why they find something interesting and valuable. 

To support our discussion, we had visits from Matt Hufnaegel, Philip Hurdel and Keith Cummings to talk about their experience and success stories. We also traveled to Community Broadcasters and their press conference at Dunn Field, the Clemens Center, and the Wine and Culinary Center. A major take away from each of these discussions and trips is the value in relationships, the acceptance that not everything will go as planned, and the importance of perseverance in an ever changing world.