Kindle Fire Gets Attention
1/5/2012
By Lisa M Larranaga
The success of the Kindle Fire has caught the attention of the media industry, and since its launch in November, several prominent media outlets have offered applications exclusively for the device.
USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and The Weather Channel are a few of the publishers offering apps for the Fire, showing that the media industry is watching – and quickly reacting – to the newest technologies.
“We believe there is great potential for adoption of Kindle Fire due to its price point and quality of the product,” said Melissa Medori, public relations associate manager at The Weather Channel.
Most publishers launched Fire apps to ensure readers can enjoy videos, diagrams and more. Some offer optimized interactive apps, while others, like Condé Nast, feature both optimized editions and .PDF replicas.
“The Weather Channel app for Kindle Fire offers consumers the same great weather content expected from The Weather Channel,” Medori said. “The app is different due to its new look and feel and user-friendly format that offers an enhanced interactive experience and weather-triggered images that change to match local weather conditions.”
TWC will share this new design and format on all its platforms, including the iPad, Windows and the mobile site. As previously reported by the CisionNavigator, The Weather Channel aims to stay on the cusp of social media and technology and demonstrates this through sharing content on cable, online and mobile application platforms. Medori seconds that, mentioning the importance of the consumer to TWC.
“As a mobile and tablet leader, The Weather Channel works to be available on the newest devices in order to offer the best weather information when customers need it, no matter the platform or screen,” she said.
The Wall Street Journal’s Kindle Fire app is free and offers access to WSJ.com. Users also can purchase a digital subscription for $17.99 per month. USA Today’s Kindle Fire app features a custom look and design for the tablet, including photos and interactive elements along with news.
“Part of USA Today’s mobile strategy is to be the first news source on emerging technologies,” said president and publisher David Hunke in a press release. “We develop and design our apps for each specific device to provide the optimum experience to our customers.”
For TWC, the job of keeping up with technology is never-ending. After they launch a new app, continued research and feedback is used for ideas and improvements.
“We know weather information must be visual, accurate and available when you need it,” Medori said. “No matter the publisher, any product should ultimately be all about the consumer, and they need to be able to interact with and share content.”
Making the Pitch
There are a growing number of platforms to consider when submitting releases, especially those with images or interactive items. According to Medori, pitching editorial remains the same no matter what the channel.
“Know the outlet and its audience, and be sure to keep up with timely topics and tie your information to current events or trends.”
Content is incorporated across all platforms at TWC through its new initiative, Content Creation Center. This aligns all editors and producers across all platforms – TV, online, mobile and tablet – to work together to produce content.
“We focus on true collaboration and strive to create content that works across all platforms,” Medori said.
She also reminds PR professionals about the type of content TWC accepts, mentioning there has to be a weather angle to all pitches.
“At our core, we are about weather,” she said. “For our active audience, we’re interested in hearing about things that would appeal to folks with an active lifestyle, and we also have a national audience so pitches need broad appeal to get our attention.”
Contact Information
The Weather Channel
300 Interstate North Pkwy SE
Atlanta, GA 30339
770-226-0000
@weatherchannel
The Wall Street Journal
1211 Avenue Of The Americas
New York, NY 10036
212-416-2000
@WSJ
USA Today
7950 Jones Branch Dr.
McLean, VA 22102
703-854-3400
@USAToday