Social Media Portal interview with Barbara Eber-Schmid from New Media Institute Inc

 

Profiled - Barbara Eber-Schmid, Executive Vice President and Co-Founder from the New Media Institute Inc.

Social Media Portal (SMP): What is role at the New Media Awards?

Barbara Eber-Schmid (BES): I am the Executive Vice President and Co-Founder of the New Media Institute Inc. (NMI) in New York City. I am the Chief Operating Officer and I share the responsibilities of the Chief Executive Officer.

What that means is that I?m involved in all facets of NMI?s programming, administrative, marketing and creative projects. The New Media Awards is a major annual program of NMI. I am involved with promotion of the Awards through press releases, networking and other aspects of online promotion and visibility campaigns. I answer questions and encourage entries. I also work on the Awards once the winners are selected, overseeing the visibility campaign for the winners and the presentations of the Awards.

Finally, I am an integral part of the planning team for next year?s Awards.

SMP: Why was New Media Awards started, and how long has it been going?

BES: The New Media Awards was started by founder John Spagnuolo as an idea to promote the use of the internet by everyone, and bearing in mind the need to have websites, etc., at the highest levels of best standards and practices. The first Awards were held in 2007, and after an intensive review and re-design in 2008, we were pleased to see that the number of entries soared. This is our 6th year holding the Awards and it does appear that the number of entries will expand further now that we have increased entry categories.

SMP: Briefly, tell us about New Media Awards, what is it and when / where are the Awards scheduled?

BES: The Awards was designed to seek the ?best of the best? whether corporate, government, small business, NGOs, causes, etc., emphasizing the fact that it?s not how much money can be spent, but rather the quality, creativity, user-friendliness, effectiveness and how well it serves the targeted audience. What?s even more significant is to encourage raising the bar for standards and practices in new media communications.

To this end, we have expanded the Awards to include mobile and video categories as well as websites and blogs showing the amazing breadth of new media communications. The Awards opened March 15th for early submissions,and on April 15th for regular submissions. While NMI is physically located in New York City, our judges are located around the US and Canada. The Awards are clearly international in submissions and winners. As a result we are increasingly on the lookout for English speaking judges beyond North America. We have steadily increased making it harder to select winners. In fact, I would say that there are really no losers, there seems to be just better and best! I am amazed at the breadth of the submissions from all sectors including museum, major products, health-related, lifestyles, government agencies and so on.

SMP: When is the award submission deadline?

BES: The Awards deadline is June 15th at 11:59 PM (DST).

SMP: And, when is your award ceremony and where will it be?

BES: While we are still in the planning stages, we are arranging the Awards Ceremony at the Downtown Association, a club located in New York?s financial district. We do realize that the international nature of the Awards precludes every winner from attending, so NMI intends to hold a ?virtual? presentation ceremony as well. This will all take place in late September.

SMP: Who are your target audience and why (and who should attend)?

BES: Not to be fliplant, but our target is anyone who has a website, blog, mobile site or video that they are proud to submit. In a sense, the audience is the world, or at least the world involved with the digital and new media communications side. The medium is part of the message. We make the process simple and easy, there are no hurdles to surmount. (See Submission Process http://www.newmediaawards.org/guidelines.html#2)

SMP: What is New Media Awards doing that?s different?

BES: What?s different about the New Media Awards is that it is all-inclusive of new media communications. We don?t focus on just one type of communication such as websites. For example, our judges look beyond what merely looks good and pretty. Judges look at the effectiveness of an entry?s message and who?s the intended audience or audiences. We also accept entries in a large number of categories, looking for the best in everything from advocacy to corporate communications to social networking.  We look for the creative, the unique and the effective.  (See Categories http://www.newmediaawards.org/guidelines.html#3)

SMP: What will be the highlights at the Awards (what are the main categories and what are you trying to achieve)?

BES: Well, naturally, the goal is excellence in the standards and practices in new media communications. Specifically, the highlights are the winners in a broad range of categories. The number of categories grows as the number of diverse submissions grows, so there isn?t a fixed number or a fixed list. Sub-categories include all major industries and topics; there is a category for everything or whether it?s an arts or public sector entry, or political or advocacy for instance.

Our winners are spread across the new media universe:
2011 Winners http://www.newmediaawards.org/websiteawards/2011/website_awards_winners.html
2010 Winners http://www.newmediaawards.org/websiteawards/2010/website_awards_winners.html

SMP: How are you attracting attendees to the Awards?

BES: As it?s the New Media Institute?s mission to educate the public and assist business in the public/private sectors in all that is new media communications through news, articles, webinars, and the New Media Awards, we are adept at public relations online. We use a variety of techniques such as online wire services, SEO, keywords, etc. We do a great deal of networking both online and in person, and we target specific audiences with social media.

SMP: What are the low moments of what you have been doing so far?

BES: Our lowest moments were during our first two years of the Awards when we realized that we were not adequately promoting the Awards, and that the number of entries was below expectations. NMI and the Awards are definitely an entrepreneurial endeavour and even though we are no longer considered a start-up, the present economy makes it a little difficult to carry out some of our plans, but perseverance pays off.

SMP: What are the high moments of what you have been doing so far?

BES: The high points are obviously when we find out the results of the judging. The Awards winners grow increasingly more impressive with each passing year. I know it sounds a bit corny, but I am awed by the work of past winners. This year I am astounded by the range and breadth of the entries thus far, I really look forward to seeing who the judges select.

SMP: Have you any early bird discounts (if so when does it end)?

BES: Unfortunately, our early bird discounts were March 15th through April 15th. The discount period is always during the first month after the Awards opens.

SMP: Is there anything else we should know about the Awards?

BES: Yes, our goal each year is to give the creative and exciting users of new media the recognition they deserve. We want to highlight, recognize and propagate through the net the best of the net.

SMP: Best way to contact you?

BES replies with:

Through email at media@newmedia.org,
on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Media-Institute/64403877913,
on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/newmediainstitute
or on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/newmediatweet.

SMP: Is there anything else we should know about the Awards and the organization behind it?

BES: The Awards is an important component of the New Media Institute. We also have a consulting group that specializes in mew media strategies for business and information marketing. These services are available to both private and public sectors. We are also entering the world of virtual galleries through the BarJon Gallery, specializing in the promotion of American crafts from the best artists in the US and Canada. This site will be launched in the late summer of 2012.




SMP: What did you have for breakfast and lunch?

BES: Breakfast was half a poppy bagel twist with cream cheese and vanilla almond coffee. Lunch was a takeout Shrimp Summer Roll and a bottle of peach Propel.

SMP: What?s the last good thing that you did for someone?

BES: I just listened to a fascinating woman?s story of her journey in new media who has taken up the cause of protecting women and children in Africa and Asia from the ?dark side? as she expresses it. I have offered to help her journey through new media?s ?wild west? atmosphere. She would like to arm them with knowledge, legislation and whatever else it takes.

SMP: If you weren?t running New Media Awards (or doing what you do) what would you be doing?

BES: Travel the World. Be a good-doer. Perhaps I?d go into cause related marketing using new media communications. I guess that I really don?t know so it?s a good thing that I am with NMI.

SMP: When and where did you go on your last holiday?

BES: I took a 12 day Caribbean cruise this past January.

SMP: What?s the first thing you do when you get into the office of a morning?

BES: Have a cup of coffee while going over my email.

SMP: If you had a superpower what would it be and why?

BES: Teleportation because then I could get to wherever I wanted to go whenever I wanted or needed to go. That would save a bundle.

SMP: One of your favourite brands using social media?

BES: If you mean corporate usage, I like Saks Fifth Avenues use of social media so that it can get past its rich bitch persona.

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