The Future of News, Publishing, and Media: How to Monetize Content in the next 3 Years

Gerd Leonhard, Media Futurist, CEO: The Futures Agencywww.mediafuturist.com Twitter: @gleonhard

Foresight is absolutely crucial

Image via Slideshare.net/unknown

Global connectivity will increase faster than you may think

From Wikipedia: By allowing direct connection to core networks and 3G Cellular/WiMAX towers, the O3b Networks system will completely change the economics of telecommunications infrastructure in the

world's fastest-growing markets for communications services

Fragmentation is one of the chief results of cheap, fast and mobile Connectivity

...and increasing Disembodiment of Content

The other 3 Billion (O3B) are coming

And they will not use Computers to connect

Computer = WorkiPhone | Smart Phones = Kind of Work

iPad | Tablets = not Work (mostly)

The Future will be a lot less linear

Governments

Authors & Creators

Advertisers

Device Makers Consumers

Publishers

Search Engines

Telecoms

Content 2.0 Collaboration Examples

Right now: Transition Trauma *hat tip to Alan Moore

The old business logic is failing but new models are still very sketchy

A painful but very promising transition

And so the weapons are coming out...

Image via flickr.com/dunechaser

But Monetization will only be found at the Intersections

Content

Telecom AdvertisingCE / Devices

New kinds of Advertising will fund a lot of ‘free’ content

Video Source: ‘Built by the Factory’ / Youtube

Data is the new Oil

$1 Trillion

Moving to the Cloud: Content as a Service

Content in the Cloud •• $ in the Cloud

•Content Bundles with Mobile Operators, Telcos and ISPs (flat-rated, revenue-shared, ad-supported etc)

•Flat-rate Access bundled into Cloud-Connected Devices

Connected Audiences: $ from Trust not Control

The reality is that consumers have changed

Build new Ecosystems or risk Failure

Walled Gardens can be nice - but most will fail

Image via drm.info

The connected user pays because of Trust, Value, Peer Recommendation

- not because they are forced to.

Getting paid for Digital Content

Irresistible Price-Points

i.e fair & transparent

metering

Ease of Payment, Packaging & Interface

Strong Values & Compelling Reasons

Few will pay for the words, the flow, the pure information, the copies of 0s and 1s

Many will pay for packaging, curation, filtering, sense-making...

Curation & FilteringAggregation & Selection

Sense-Making & RelevanceQuality Control (Trust Guarantee)Customization & PersonalizationCloud-to-Device Management

Interfaces and PackagesLocation-based services

A better way to share experiences

Curation is a real $ Value

Personalization is a real $ Value

I pay, you pay, they pay *Inspired by Shelly Palmer

Advertisers

Bundles

Subscriptions

Flat Rates

Applications

Telcos & ISPs

Device Makers

Governments

Social Payments

Micro-Payments

Patronage

Who will pay, for what, when, how?

Mobile

Immersive Cross-Media

ParticipatoryExperiences

Defining Content 2.0

Immersive

Cross-Media

Participatory

Sharing will drive real $$

Source: HBR.org

Experiences

Reasons for Optimism

It’s not the ‘End of the Old’It’s the complete convergence

of Old and New.

Print & DigitalWeb & TV

The Cloud & Smart DevicesSelling Copies & Selling Access

Control & TrustExperts & Users aka Consumers

Things will get better. New $ will flow.

Summary• Think mobile, web-native, social, location• Solid monetization will only be achieved

via a new, collaborative content ecosystem• New kinds of ads and ‘data-oil’ will indeed

fund lots of content, going forward• Getting paid is the result of a careful

balance of value and price• Bank on trust not control• Embrace what is not

what should be

email me at gerd@mediafuturist.comtwitter.com/gleonhardFacebook: gleonhard

Thanks for your attention!