Re/Frame
Going Native
KEYWORDS
Remington Vernoy
Ivy Cheng
Benson Thach
SUMMARY
Frame Media (“Frame”) is working to innovate news formats and distribution strategies to help Gen Z and Millenials consume more high-quality news. We researched concurrent news consumption behaviors through relevant platforms and used quantitative & qualitative research methods to analyze the present news/media environment. This led to the development of practical tactics to strengthen Frame's consumer engagement and brand strategy, as well as prototyping and iterations. Our prototypes were built on the basis that native content on pre-existing platforms will substantially increase user interaction and engagement, resulting in long-term influence over Gen Z and millennial media consumption.
challenge
Throughout our research process, we encountered a lack of information on our client's internal strategies. As a result, we had to perform extensive external research in an industry that we were unfamiliar with. We were able to gather insights and understand how social media has impacted digital news formats and user interaction by reaching out to specialists in the field. Furthermore, examining Frame's social media distribution channels revealed gaps in their strategies where we found opportunities to provide advice and guidance.
Outcome
Our composite strategy for Frame was to strengthen its presence on preexisting social media platforms, as opposed to using them as a springboard to bring users back to Frame’s website. Essentially, our recommendation is to optimize its stories and content for platforms most popular with its target demographics. To aid with this transition, we created our social media style guide, which guides the company on the generation and maintenance of its social media presence. Firstly, the company’s Instagram would provide the most visual and shareable content; the company’s Twitter would instead prioritize speed, brevity, and information. Frame does not maintain an active presence on TikTok; our guide includes provisions for content creation that will humanize its brand and put a face to its name. Going native will be the means by which Frame pursues its goals in reinventing storytelling, innovating journalism practices, and engaging its target audience with the most success.
