A Letter I Sent (I think!) to Torstar Officers/Senior Execs.Dear Officers and Senior Executives,
I am writing you to describe a brilliant idea that I've had, that *will* save the day.
(I am a former Toronto Star paperboy, I've had an article published in the The Star, and I presently proudly own about 13000 'B' shares...although my wife does not share said pride.)
The idea: What is needed is a cheap purpose-built electronic device for The Star. Call it Star Reader. I envision a device, with tablet like dimensions, that is very thin and light (must be portable), and whose ONLY purpose is as a platform for The Star. I further envision this device to have a bold blue border as part of its branding and intended connection as a device for The Star and only The Star.
Maybe Star Touch didn't take off because there are too many distractions available on an ipad?
With a specially-built device for The Star, I think we will have finally hit on the elusive solution.
Consider ebook readers (Kindle, kobo, nook). They are simple machines offering black and white text, and they are popular. A specially-made Star newspaper reader can be similarly simple and popular.
A newspaper is a distinct thing with a distinct purpose and distinct origins and a distinct usage profile (at a table, on a train, etc). This distinctiveness is best translated if the newspaper has a distinctive state of existence/hardware: its own.
In all the attempts to translate a newspaper into different formats, what has been missed is that a newspaper is first and foremost its own separate object. The only way translate this 'separate-object-ness' of this newspaper while keeping up with the digital age, is to create a separate device for The Star.
Of course, a welter of questions come to mind. How can such a device be built? Easily I would imagine. Cost? Can't be that much considering that one can buy a fully functional computer tablet for about $50 that does far more than we will want it to do for The Star.
Sales model: give Star Readers away for free with the understanding that the person has to maintain a subscription for a certain amount of time (or hit certain minutes of engagement targets to recover the cost via ad impressions). Failure to hit the engagement/usage targets will result in the device getting taken back or the person has to pay for it. Or people buy a Star Reader for their use. Or, some combination of the preceding ideas.
I ***know*** right now that if a Star Reader is put in my hands for free, I will read the heck out of that thing!
Everyone wants a new gadget of some sort. It is human nature.
This might be a little far-fetched, but if Torstar innovates sufficiently in the creation of their newspaper reader, then Torstar might have a technology/format/platform/brand that they could sell to other newspaper businesses. Sound familiar?
Well, that's the idea. I think you'll agree with me that it is deucedly noteworthy.
(Let me know if you want to know the name of the award-winning Canadian company that makes perfectly okay tablets for less than $50.)
As usual, I offer my ideas with no expectation of, or intent to get, any remuneration of any kind. All that I have said is free for you to use freely, for free.
Of course, if my ideas are used and turns the company around, then it would be neat to be credited in some way (front page sort of thing!).
I hope you will consider what I have said here with some care. My 13,000 shares might be riding on it!
Yours sincerely,
DD