The New Flatness

This article from Business 2.0 got me thinking a bit about the future of advertising within consumer generated content. This is such a new way for advertisers to reach the most passionate people. The article brings up a good point that the audiences of blogs are the the “cream of the crop”. The reason being is that the audiences of blogs are there because they want to be there and usually are passionate about the blogs’ subject.
There are 50 million blogs out there now. How many of those are able to generate any revenue for advertisers and the bloggers? You gotta have a niche in the bogosphere; otherwise you don’t matter.

Although read what John Battelle said here.

The entire ad market is changing so much right now. Its an exciting time for the industry. There is so much room for different types of experimentation.

MTV Flux for the user gen.

Music publishers putting the hammer down on exchanging guitar tab. Once again, the industry only sees things in black and white.

Online video distribution competition is moving into high gear.

Some of Michael Wolf’s predictions are encouraging.

UMG usually seems more ahead than any of the other majors labels when it comes to pressing forward into using using new technology…not to mention they’re ahead of the pack in revenue.

Universal stands out when compared to the other major labels.  They are the only major that is making steps like this and its such a good thing.

AnySong is a new mobile music search and discovery service being introduced in Holland.  Universal partnered with Targetize to provide the technology solution.  And, it seems like part of the revenue stream is going to come from advertising sales on the service.  This is the right direction for mobile content providers.
This is the beginning of what will be common place in a few years.  What needs to happen in the states is a mobile search service for MySpace, TagWorld and the other big social networks that use music as part of their service.  Helio is trying to do this…but Helio is closed system.  You have to use their devices.

The search and discovery service for something like MySpace needs to be an open service that can be accessed by any device.

There has been a lot of talk about LisaNova…sure you’ve seen her around.

This is the state of things now. Its possible to have your material see and heard by everyone…everyone knows this. …although Mark thinks its boring.
I can’t help but think what it would have been like if these tools were available when Speilberg was making his war movies as a kid in his backyard.

What would that have been like? Were the internet availble then would it have made Speilberg, or someone that good, into something that he isn’t today?

Doubt it.

Even though there is the potential with the internet to break down walls of distribution and access, people still have to make the right decisions. The internet doesn’t help you make the right decisions.

When I say “right decisions” I’m talking about the question that Lisa must be asking of herself “now I have 75,000 views of my movie, now what do I do?” The best answer is to probably just keep on making the best content in the same manner. But the goal is to move forward and become a bit more than someone who posts funny movies on YouTube right!?
Here is the problem: How do you grow and continue to reach more and more people with progressively better quality content but do all of that without the help of old media concepts.

Brains always trumps technology.

I have yet to see a super star come from the likes of YouTube, MySpace etc. It’s possible and its going to happen. BUT, you gotta be smart, you gotta know how to do it, you gotta have a plan, you gotta know what you’re trying to do, you gotta know how to envision the end result, you gotta keep it goin’.

I was talking to my brother the graphic designer many months ago about advertising and how powerful it would be if a “new” way of advertising was developed. One that didn’t work in the classic manner of shoving a pitch to as many random eyeballs as possible.

PayPerPost is here. This is what I’m talking about. A lot of people seem to be shunning the concept. One of the things that stands out on the surface to me is that it enables more people with more products and services to reach more people. How can anyone think that when there is so much positive stuff to had from it…like lots of money. I know why. Because no one likes the feeling that they are being duped which is what can happen when reading a blog post that may have been written just for money and not for the just out of belief of what they are writting. A lot of the time the best ideas feel strange at first.

This concept goes for all sorts of content as well…video and music. Fred Wilson has a good post on the issue of content providers making it difficult for the consumer to consume.

Creators of the products and content aren’t going to have a free-for-all though. They will still need the dough to pay the bloggers, and the more ya got the more people are going to read about your product/service. The important thing is that this is just a better, more effecient and more effective way of advertising.

Does this mean we’re going to see the rise of the rich blogger?

Is it possible to run out of acts that draw big numbers to concerts?

What will happen in 10-15 years when the top grossing acts like U2, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Elton John aren’t touring anymore? Who is going to fill that hole? Are young acts today being sculpted into lifetime performers and entertainers? Some are, but most people don’t want to live in the margins.

This is not the end, its just the beginning of a change in how it works. Times change and this is the beginning of a time where people won’t pay insane amounts of money to see a rock show.

“The same show will be on the internet sooner or later, why not just watch it then?” Regardless if this attitude is good or bad, right or wrong, this is how younger generations think.

Know the customer.

Think like the customer.