If I were to say anything about 2010, it would be this: it has been the best year on record. From flying on a moment’s notice to various parts of the world to jumping out of airplanes, it’s been a blast. In all honesty, 2011 will have to work extra hard to exceed 2010. But, it’s worth it.

2011 also represents a significant career change for me. A month ago, I changed jobs and with that, industries. Today, I work on Madison Avenue with Wunderman to execute some of the most creative digital strategies. As someone who analyzes each point-of-contact — traditional and digital — this is an exciting move.

Also in 2011, I’ll start writing about digital content and travel. As someone who travels primarily for leisure, I’m very disappointed with the offerings in the travel industry. So, we’ll change the market. A lofty goal? Yes. An achievable goal? Yes.

Thank you all for reading and being a part of this digital media sphere. It’s a small industry filled with extremely passionate people.

A very happy holidays to you and yours.

Disclaimer: This post has little to with digital content. It is also not a PC vs. Mac debate. It is an issue of customer service and user experience.

On October 28th, myself and thousands of other people ordered laptops from Lenovo as part of their Windows 7 special. The price was fantastic and so was the product.

20 days later, customers started receiving their orders. However, nearly everyone, realized that there was one big mistake — Lenovo shipped the computer with Windows Vista, rather than Windows 7. Their response (after a 30 minute hold)? “Sorry, here are three options.” The three options being offered by Lenovo were:

1. Send the computer back to Lenovo and they’ll upgrade the hard-drive. This process would take 2 weeks.
2. Pay to receive a Windows 7 disc, a process which would take 4 weeks.
3. Return the computer for a full refund.

For someone who doesn’t really need the computer immediately, options # 1 and # 3 may be acceptable. However, for someone who requires the computer and has already waited 3 weeks, this is no way an acceptable solution.

Lenovo has yet to issue an official apology for this fiasco.

Unfortunately, while this mistake is fairly larger than most mistakes, it is not unique to Lenovo. 

Last evening, Dell announced its financial results, and they were fairly disappointing.

On the other hand, Apple announced its results a few weeks ago and they were astounding.

One factor worth mentioning is that PC manufactures sell computers that are priced much lower than Apple computers. Similarly, most PC manufacturers do not have any retail outlets for instant support.

With the launch of Windows Vista, many customers were frustrated, and rightfully so.

However, the launch of Windows 7 has been extremely positive. Unfortunately, screw ups such as these also negatively impact Microsoft.

And, given the poor products that most PC manufacturers create, it’s time for some of these companies to fail — for terrible products and horrendous customer service. 

Update (11/20/2009; 9:00pm EST): In an email from Lenovo:

Dear Valued Customer

Recently we identified a number of Y550 systems, type 4186CTO which were ordered with Windows 7, but actually shipped with Windows Vista through manufacturing error. We have corrected the situation in manufacturing and are now building with the correct Windows 7 image. Our records indicate that you have received one of these affected systems with the Vista preload. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

We have two solutions available to provide you with the intended Windows 7 image:

1) We are developing a special recovery DVD that will install the full Windows 7 enhanced experience along with the One Key Recovery (OKR) functionality that allows the system to be recovered to the factory state. This media will be shipped to all affected customers within four weeks.

In addition, we have a supplemental solution for customers seeking immediate resolution.

2) We have established a special re-imaging process and are sending prepaid shipping boxes to our affected customers beginning November 21st. We expect all boxes to be shipped by Nov 25th. The packages include all appropriate labels and instructions. Customers will use this package to send their system to our re-imaging facility where it will be reloaded with the appropriate Windows 7 version originally ordered and any pre-installed Lenovo software. Full instructions for this process and contact information is enclosed in the packaging. Turn around time is targeted for 5 working days from the time the system is sent in. Note: Any user installed software will be lost in this process and will need to be backed up prior to sending in the system.

Again, we apologize for this Lenovo error, and appreciate your concern and frustrations. Our customers are important to us, and as a measure of goodwill and confidence in the quality of these systems, we are extending the warranty by an additional year beyond the warranty term originally purchased up to a total of three (3) years. We also understand that some customers may elect to return their systems and we will expedite these requests and waive all restocking fees.

For inquiries, please contact us at 1-877-453-6686

This is an interesting response, but still an unacceptable one. Does it really take 4 weeks to send out a disc? 4 weeks from today will put us in the midst of the holiday season. For customers willing to wait, this isn’t a terrible solution. In the digital world, it’s still surprising that the company isn’t offering to host the content of the disc for free.

I’ve been receiving MacMall’s email newsletters for quite a while. They recently sent out a notice indicating that Apple’s latest operating system, Snow Leopard would be released on August 28th. For a minimal fee, the they would ensure that the package is delivered on the day of the launch.

After seeing that notice, I immediately placed my order. One day before the shipment, I received a notice indicating that the product was back-ordered. Not knowing how long it would take, I canceled my order on August 27th.

However, the next day, I discovered that MacMall had shipped my order and that it was left at my doorstep. This was slightly concerning for 2 reasons

1. I had specifically cancelled my order at least 24 hours earlier and
2. I had already purchased the product through another retailer.

So, I contacted MacMall via Twitter. Within hours of my tweet, I had received numerous messages through their Twitter account and a phone call with pre-paid shipping information.This level of customer service is absolutely amazing and I applaud MacMall for their rapid response.

Here is the Twitter conversation in it’s entirety. The numbers indicate the sequence of the conversation. (01 = initial message; 08 = last message)

Bing has been gaining ground ever since it was released a few weeks ago. I was curious to see what the product was about and how it differs from Google, the dominating search engine. So, I used Bing for 2 entire days and switched back to Google. Here are a few pros and cons:

Pros:

• Details: Often times, users go to a website just to get the most basic information. For example, if someone is searching for an average movie rating, they enter in the movie name in a search engine. Then, they click on the IMDB page to determine the rating. However, Bing presents that information on it’s initial search page.
• Consistency: I often need to refer to stock quotes and use the shortcut ‘quote SYMBOL’ to determine the current stock price. Thus far, Bing has always delivered the stock quote, including a chart. However, Google doesn’t always show a chart. Sometimes the first result will be the company website or another site that relates to the corporation. The following image represnts a search listing for Citigroup, Inc.

Cons:

• Cluttered interface: With Google, users are familiar with the clean interface. On the other hand, Bing tries to impress users by using fancy imagery and graphics. For a search engine, this isn’t necessary.
• It’s not Google: I’ll admit it — I couldn’t stand Bing after using it for 2 days. Why? Because I’ve been using for a long time. And, consumer loyalty is going to be Bing’s single biggest challenge in growing it’s user base. As a search engine — it does a fine job

Over the past few weeks, we’ve discussed the business impact of digital content. However, at the end of the day, consumers are the ones watching and interacting with content.

In this post, we’ll go over how certain sites and behaviors are relevant to the consumer.

• Communication: A lot of people use social-networking sites, such as Facebook for communication with their friends and family.
• YouTube: Whether you want to watch TV shows or independently produced clips, YouTube has it all. Major publishers, including CBS have an active presence on the site.
• Hulu: Backed by 3 of the major media corporations (News Corp., NBC Universal, and Disney), Hulu offers a wide selection of television and film programming.
• Podcasts: I listen to the podcasts while commuting. With thousands of podcasts, there’s one for almost every niche.
• News: News sites provide a wealth of frequently updated content. Delivered via website, email, or SMS message, they are extremely popular.

As business models continue to evolve, it’s essential to keep the consumer in mind. A large number of consumers are using these sites and services frequently. If these digital platforms are valuable for them, a sustainable business model will come to fruition.

Digital Media is a medium that almost everyone can part-take in — regardless of the budget. If you have limited resources, you can shoot great video on cost effective cameras and host a free blog. And, if you have a large budget, you can create an advanced environment for your content.

This post features an interview with Thomas Allen Harris, a documentary producer, whose content has appeared on outlets like PBS. See how Thomas is using digital media for his content:

As the world of digital media continues to evolve, one of the lingering questions about this industry is ‘Why should consumers watch online shows?’ For the purposes of this post, online shows are not those produced by TV studios. They are independent shows, created by companies like Visual Avenue, Revision3, etc.

But, as content producers, have we ever wondered why consumers should watch online shows? The answer for this growing industry is shocking — consumers do not actively seek online shows. Given a person’s daily routine — they get up, go to work or school, come back and watch TV, eat, and sleep. Where’s the time to watch online video? And, more importantly — why watch online video, when most of the content on TV is more appealing and the interaction is higher?

Furthermore, most of the online shows are non-fiction. As in, they’re information and fact driven. Historically, non-fiction content, unless dramatized, performs poorly even on television. Keeping this fact in mind, take a look at the shows that have succeeded on the web — LonelyGirl15, The Guild. Both these shows have a fictional component to them — and captures an online audience.

On the contrary, there are more computers than there are televisions. Yet, text based information sites have been very successful on the web. So — why are consumers not seeking online video programming? Millions of websites are making money. However, a handful of video producers are profitable.

For the past couple of posts, I’ve mentioned about why digital media isn’t a viable business model. It may come off as accusatory to many producers, but keep a few things in mind:

1. I have a full-time job, where I produce online content.
2. I co-own a production company where we create online programming.
3. I own a production and consulting company that has worked with 3 of the largest production studios and networks in the United States.

So, even though I might be critical of the current situation of the digital media industry, there is one factor that keeps us going — the potential upside and the future.

Once things calm down a little bit, digital media has a long way to maturity and the upside is tremendous. The following ideas are not too far away:

• Complete brand integration: TV, digital, radio, publishing.
• Enhanced online advertisements: CPMs are going down and banner ads are starting to get ineffective.
• Technology integration: Consumer content in every location possible — on demand.

I just returned from Digital Hollywood 2009, and it was quite an experience. The posts in the next few days will detail some of the learnings, and some hard facts about the online industry in general.

Online video has been the news for the past few years, with companies launching just to produce and distribute online content. But, who is making money with online video? The answer may surprise you. Let’s take a look at the value-chain of online video.

1. Content creator.

With the web, there are millions of online content creators. Starting from those that upload videos of their pets to those that produce professional content. However, as almost every video content creator knows, selling advertising for online video is nearly impossible. I think this article from PaidContent summarizes the situation adequately.

2. Content publisher.

On the web, content publishers are often times content creators. With the lack of video advertising on the web, content publishers are not making any money at all. Need proof? Check out some of the video shows on the web and see how much advertising they’re selling. Often times, the video CPMs are equivalent to text-based CPMs.

3. Content host.

Content host is a broad and sweeping term for companies that hosts content. This includes CDNs and web hosting companies. CDNs are making a lot of money, because companies like YouTube and publishers like Visual Avenue have to pay for hosting services.

4. Content distributor.

A content distributor includes companies like YouTube, Blip, Viddler, etc. These companies allow publishers to host and distribute content at low or no cost. However, each of these companies have to pay a significant amount of hosting fees, and there isn’t enough revenue to cover these costs.

Taking a look at the above chain, it’s surprising to know that only content hosts are making money. Content producers have severely injured themselves by providing and giving away content for free. With very few expectations, only a handful of content producers are turning a profit. And, the above scenario not only applies to under-the-radar producers, but also applies to content creators that deliver millions of views. 

Mainstream media content is available across numerous sites. The following list provides an overview of where some of the most popular shows can be viewed and/or downloaded. ABC: ABC posts most of their prime time content online via ABC.com, including HD-quality shows. Shows are available almost immediately they’re broadcast on the East and West Coasts. Featuring full-screen episodes and interactive advertisements, the ABC player offers one of the most impressive and compelling interfaces. However, in order to deliver the interface and the experience, the site requires that users download a plugin. Furthermore, the Flash interface also is memory and bandwidth intensive, which may limit views for users on slower internet connections. 

NBC: Similar to ABC, NBC.com also features full length episodes of their prime time series. However, NBC’s interface isn’t as interactive or attractive as ABC’s video player. Fortunately, almost all of NBC’s content is also available on Hulu.com, and is a joint venture between NBC Universal and News Corp. NBC also allows PC users to download select content onto their computer. This feature is currently not available for the Mac platform. 

FOX: Similar to NBC, FOX also provides their video content on FOX.com. The player does offer more functionality than the NBC player, but still lacks in comparison to ABC’s player. As above, FOX also does post their video content to Hulu.com.

CBS: CBS.com offers a wide selection of short videos, and a few full-episode videos. However, locating full-length videos is more difficult as compared to some of the other sites we’ve mentioned above. The CBS Interactive owned property, TV.com also syndicates and embeds a large variety of content from other networks.