This past weekend, I was in Atlanta meeting with a group of integrated communications and media production executives from all across the country called e-CAMP. While these companies share much in common, we also have evolved differently based on our clients, markets and the passions of the leaders.
Recently, I spoke to a group of training professionals who are members of the local chapter of ASTD (American Society of Training and Development ) about current use of learning technologies. As part of the program, we used an interactive response system to engage the attendees and gauge their experiences and attitudes on the subject.
While 85% of the participants said they were currently using learning technologies, only 10% said they were using them consistently to reach more learners and make the content more memorable.
So, what’s getting in their way? The attendees sighted the following as barriers to the adoption of learning technologies: “vision of leaders in the training/learning area, technology infrastructure, lack of success and too many other priorities.” Here, I was surprised to see that no one selected organization management. At least with this group, they felt that their management understood the potential value of e-learning in their organization and were more supportive than in the past. (more…)
U Talkin’ T Me? - View Article PDF
This Business2Business article offers advice on improving internal communications and features an interview with JPL President Luke Kempski.
Text messages. Emails. Voice mails. TV. Radio. The Internet. And even old fashioned letters. We get bombarded with messages more today than ever before in history. So, how can you get your message heard above the noise? Listen to this podcast featuring JPL President Luke Kempski to learn how you can communicate change better with a multi-channel communication campaign.
It seems that the common definitions and delineations of the types of companies that help businesses with their marketing, communications and advertising have all but disintegrated. Driven by client needs, industry trends and new media technologies, firms have expanded beyond their traditional space into new areas. As they have expanded and changed, it has become increasingly difficult to name and classify them. For the client, this means a greater variety of partners and approaches to choose from. (more…)
Webcasting – Finally, The Arrival of Video on the Web
In 1998, JPL produced one of the first ever live video webcasts. The webcast featured the 100 year anniversary celebration of the Pa Medical Society held at the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. We had less than 200 viewers.
JPL also developed and launched the GreenWorks Channel video website in 1999 featuring environmental, educational video clips designed to teach the public how to adapt their lifestyles to be more environmentally friendly.
In subsequent months and years, JPL was at the center of live webcasts for governor inaugurations, budget addresses, awards events and the PA Department of Environmental Protection’s popular Falcon cam. Looking back on those early experiences, I certainly wouldn’t call them the good old days. Users and clients were frustrated by the quality and lack of reliability of dial up web connections. Even our creative teams were frustrated by what happened to their video creations when they were compressed and shrunk to fit into a tiny video window. 
Well times are finally changing. Even the most vocal critics of video on the web are impressed by some of our latest creations like Chocolate TV. The screen size, the Flash interface and the almost universal compatibility have changed everything.
And, it’s only just begun. Last year, YouTube changed everyone’s view of web based video. Its popularity exploded as the trends of widely available broadband connections, Flash video compatibility and user generated media converged on an entertaining media platform that revolutionized the web and video.
While deploying video on the web still has its challenges, it is a lot more fun and motivating today because our clients and their customers are asking for it. For us, the world has caught up and now we can show what we can do.
