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Opinion: Multipurposing isn't cut and paste
By Walter Schild
It all started with "repurposing" -- extending existing images and copy to multiple forms of media. It became popular a few years ago, when publishers began creating interactive content. We thought that printers would be the gatekeepers of all content, and it seemed easy enough to create PDF files to copy and paste across media.
Repurposing can be fast and efficient, but it doesn't work well: It doesn't deliver a compelling message, since all forms of media aren't maximized. Clear examples of this shortcoming could be seen in early attempts to put television ads into QuickTime format for the Web; bright exceptions that continue to work well are detailed forms, such as tax forms, that can be downloaded as PDF files.
Massaging the medium
For most applications, however, there remains one giant hurdle: how to optimize content for each medium. Multipurposing isn't a one-step, cut-and-paste operation, but with smart planning, it offers a huge advantage. Multipurposing can save time in the creation and deployment of content, extend a consistent marketing message and allow indexing like never before. Done well, multipurposing delivers content that looks like it was customized for each medium. That helps deliver a clear, compelling message.
Multipurposing should be considered a two-step program. First, define the project's goals: What are you trying to accomplish, and who is your audience? In what format do assets exist, and in what format are they needed? How can you upgrade the content to maximize each medium?
The second step is to actually develop the new assets. Accommodate the highest bandwidth possible. This will help you create digitally rich content with the longest possible life span. And plan to store the content in a database to maximize efficiency for your next project.
Executing the plan
For example, our company, Genex Interactive, is nearing completion on several projects for office-furniture designer Herman Miller. We're creating a Web site, a CD-ROM, a print piece and a video to launch a new line of computer workstations. Because we defined the project and all the components from the start, assets were planned and created to accommodate multipurposing.
The new workstations are not yet in production, so photography wasn't an option. Still images and animations were rendered from CAD/CAM drawings and then used for the Web and CD-ROM. Several QuickTime VR movies were rendered from the drawings; we identified some of the frames for print collateral and rendered them at a higher resolution. The video will be shot against a compression-friendly white background to accommodate the CD-ROM. All media can be archived and added to a database for later use, along with details such as pixel dimensions and copyrights.
Multipurposing can offer huge advantages. For best results, I recommend that you plan ahead and create the biggest, best images possible.
Walter Schild is CEO of Genex Interactive, an interactive agency headquartered in Los Angeles. In a previous life, he developed prepress technology.
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