In a post that ties together Google’s battle with publishers and Apple’s battle with record companies over variable pricing, Michael Parekh notes that “there’s no online site that gives you a sense of what a piece of content is worth from a consumer point of view.” But he predicts this will change, since “[a]fter all, Content ultimately seeks Attention, and Attention ultimately prices Content.”
So Attention is chugging down the road towards more friction-free marketplaces. And that again leaves us with Content, which for the moment is being held back at the dam by the herculean “little Dutch Boy” efforts of the media industry, legal machinations and all. Remember, contrary to the pronouncements of the media industry, this is NOT about “Free” and/or “Pirated” Content. This is about who gets to set the price for Content in the future.
Parekh quotes and then paraphrases a statement by Umair at Bubblegeneration. Umair’s version goes like this:
“Because attention becomes scarce at the margin. Attention used to be like water for the media industry - cheap, plentiful, and available pretty much ubiquitously. Now, it’s like oil - expensive, scarce, and subject to more and more severe shocks.”
Parkekh turns this around into a vision of a “‘Dream’ scenario from a consumer perspective.”
Because Content becomes ubiquitous at the margin. Content used to be like Oil for the media industry - expensive, scarce and subject to more and more shocks, available pretty much only at the places of their choice. Now, it’s like water - cheap, plentiful, and available pretty much ubiquitously, wherever, whenever and whatever the consumer desires.
How long do you think before we get to this reality, when Content, like Attention before it, finds it’s own water level? A King, finally serving at the pleasure of it’s subjects.
Mitch Shapiro at 3:08 PM|Comments(0)
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