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