Battle at National Geographic: liveblogging OMMA Global

KeyNote: Rob Covey, SVP of Content Development and Design - National Geographic Digital Media

National Geographic is doing a lot to extend their content across platforms. Rob is showing some of the ways they have opened up their site to user generated content in a way that doesn't devalue the National Geo brand. They have been working with this longer than many content companies.

I wonder if the reason why this came more hmmm... shall we say, naturally, to them is because they are concerned with getting out an overall message to the public. This presentation even began with a video of employees explaining that they are passionate about these efforts because it helps with their goal of getting people to see and care about the natural environment. They have a clear goal as to why they are doing these things that is, of course tempered by $$, but is ultimately larger. I can see why that would  keep a team excited and focused on creating these kinds of campaigns.

Nice to hear someone talking about meaningful experiences with content.

He made a point to express that they are making efforts to monitize all of this especialy since they now have a sweet TV/Print/Web package to offer. Also that all of this is not without the many challenges that everyone faces in this area.

We just watched a video about the elusive Snow Leopard ( Note that ngm site I linked to is built on Typepad!). I want to be a Snow Leopard.

Comments

[Marilyn Terrell]

Is this the snow leopard video you're talking about?
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/video/player?titleID=1531274057
Steve Winter describes the 10-month expedition they mounted, hauling all that equipment into the steep mountains of Ladakh, to a harsh place where the temperatures dropped to minus 30 at night, just for the chance of getting some photos of these incredibly elusive creatures that have rarely been photographed in the wild. Sure, Steve was paid to do it, he didn't do it for free, but yeah, he is one of those Geographic staffers who's obsessed with getting people to see and care about the natural environment. (That's why I love working here). He took 30,000 frames, and the best ones ended up in the magazine.
I love the one of the snow leopard looking up to see what the flash was.