We all think that whatever job we have in the media world is the most important. Nothing would run without the programmers, nothing would get done without the project managers, nothing would look good without the designers etc etc. Whenever we learn about a new project or venture the flaw we are most apt to point out is why it needs more of whatever happens to be what we do. We can’t help it, we just think whatever we do is the most important.

But how does this translate to a new media/transmedia environment?

I had an experience like this today. I learned about a transmedia venture that brings together a mini-series with an online platform and an engaged audience. The project was run by a traditional television producer, and a film guy. They knew quite a bit about funding and creating content with a shoestring budget and actually managed to bring in partnerships (Toronto Blue Jays, YouTube, Pizza Pizza – to name a few).

The only problem I had was (of course) their social media engagement/community building. During the questions segment the question was asked, “who is running this campaign, how are you guys going to make sure this is seen by enough people to make a successful partnership with your investors?” and they basically mumbled about having a marketing team and some “social media people.”

THOSE PEOPLE SHOULD BE IN THE ROOM! First of all saying that you have “social media guys” tells me that you are not on board at all with what they are doing – and everyone knows that a successful campaign requires continuity and understanding from all levels of management. For the partners on the project to not understand the basic community building and fostering goals is a serious misstep. I will be checking up on them in the next few months to see what happens with their mini series.

Which brings me to my final point -the days of having “departments” are over. Advertisers have to be content managers, designers have to understand content goals and the business model. Scratch that – everyone needs to understand the business model. The days of leaving the “business” to the business team and the “marketing” to the marketers are over. New media demands small, diverse, talented teams. These are the types of teams that can evolve quickly. If you spend most of your time pushing messages over to different departments, technology will have changed by the time everyone agrees.

NOTE: This is part of a series based on classes I take on Thursday nights for my M.A. program. The class is taught by Charles Falzon, a professor and media television and distribution entrepreneur. He is also the Chair of the Ryerson School of Radio and Television Arts (to be changed to Digital Media soon). The class is lecture-based and usually involves a notable media industry expert coming in and talking for an hour, taking questions, followed by a couple hours of discussion and lecture from Charles. He has asked to reflect upon the opinions and news we hear, so I figured I might as well post them on my blog. Hopefully the insight of some of these leaders also causes you to think or reflect on the state and direction of digital media.