What happened to disintermediation? With the rise of the web in the 1990s came predictions of disintermediation. In a world where the upstream players (the makers of products and services) could reach end customers directly through the internet, there was no longer a raison d’être for intermediaries. This was particularly true for information industries – banking no longer needed branches, music artists no longer needed CD stores or even record labels, writers no longer needed publishers or bookstores. We were looking out at a world of empowered small producers who could finally reach the end customer as easily and inexpensively as the massive marketing and distribution machines of the large intermediaries. Neither model has caught on. What has caught on are iTunes and Amazon. But there was another structural reason: scale still matters. Finally, brand still matters. Like it or not, we’re in the era of intermediation. >> This post appeared originally in Just Marketing; the author retains all rights.
The Downside of Disintermediation Skeptics of copyright are generally not too fond of “gatekeepers.” Prior to the widescale adoption of the internet, these “gatekeepers”, the typical narrative goes, controlled what the masses read, watched, and listened to, reinforcing a dominant culture and creating the concept of media “consumers.” But the networked, one-to-one nature of the internet challenged this one-to-many model. To many proponents of this view, current copyright law facilitates the former, broadcast model. In his forthcoming article, Deconstructing Disintermediation — A Skeptical Copyright Perspective, Pessach examines the effects that disintermediation has had in the copyright realm and comes to the conclusion that it has decreased cultural diversity, decentralization, and artist welfare. Deconstructing Disintermediation Pessach is skeptical of this argument, and his article advances this skepticism on three grounds. Once this aspect is acknowledged, a novel and hidden role of copyright law is unveiled.
The Disintermediation of Media: What's Your Value Proposition? I work from home, which, in many ways, is "living the dream." I roll out of bed, I put the kettle on, I boot up the computer, and I get to work. Sometime around midday, I put on some jeans, I grab a leash, and I take the dog for a nice long walk to break up the day. But working at home has some drawbacks. You don't get up and walk over to the water cooler or coffeepot and chat with your co-workers. Lately, I've been listening to a lot of Marc Maron's WTF. It makes for fascinating conversations, but it's also interesting from an econtent perspective. Louis CK and Aziz Ansari (aka Tom Haverford) have both released stand-up specials via the web. Who needs HBO or Comedy Central when your fans have high-speed internet? Don't be fooled, though, because it's not just the traditional media that's being cut out of the entertainment equation. In many ways, what these guys are doing isn't all that different from what self-published authors have been doing over the past few years.
Apple TV Is The Latest Step In The Disintermediation Of Media The trend toward direct connections between video content creators and their audiences is well underway, but the new Apple TV could finally push that trend into the living room. Although direct-to-viewer relationships are the norm on the web, most premium TV content in the living room still passes through a cable television gatekeeper. Does Apple finally have enough momentum to break the grip of the content middlemen for good? The Great TV Unbundling Two months ago, Apple executives got on stage and proclaimed that “The Future of TV is Apps.” This should be a surprise to no one. Millennial viewers barely distinguish between YouTube, TV, social networks and video messaging. Achieving Content Parity App-based TV is no longer a technology problem; it’s a business problem. Apple wants tvOS, and its app-based marketplace, to become the default user interface for the living room. A year ago, brands like MLB, which offers a compelling streaming service, were the exceptions.
How the Times-Picayune Got the Internet Right and Still Lost the Battle of New Orleans August 30, 2005 edition (Photo credit: Wikipedia) There is no absence of tragedy in the demise of a fine daily newspaper in a great American city like New Orleans. But the diminishment of the Times-Picayune is also flavored with deep irony in an this era of digital disintermediation and newspaper defeat: the New Orleans daily heroically and effectively moved to the Internet to tell the story of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, providing an early model for online excellence. The publisher of the Times-Picayune, Ashton Phelps Jr., announced in a memo today that the newspaper will cease daily publication and go to three days a week this fall, a move that will accompanied by cutbacks to the staff. Here’s a newspaper that went online early and in time of crisis performed brilliantly in using the new medium to tell the story – sharing a well-deserved 2006 Pulitzer Prize for public service. What now, asks fellow Forbes contributor John McQuaid, a former Times-Picayune journalist:
The Battle Is For The Customer Interface Editor’s note: Tom Goodwin is senior vice president of strategy and innovation at Havas Media. Uber, the world’s largest taxi company, owns no vehicles. Facebook, the world’s most popular media owner, creates no content. Alibaba, the most valuable retailer, has no inventory. And Airbnb, the world’s largest accommodation provider, owns no real estate. Since the Industrial Revolution, the world has developed complex supply chains, from designers to manufacturers, from distributors to importers, wholesalers and retailers, it’s what allowed billions of products to be made, shipped, bought and enjoyed in all corners of the world. The Internet is the most powerful mechanism we can imagine to match perfectly individuals that need something, and people with something to offer. By 2015 things changed. Full Stack Companies Full stack companies like Tesla, Warby Parker, BuzzFeed, Nest or Harry’s seek to ensure control by owning all layers. The Interface Owners The Interface Is Where the Profit Is
Yes, There Is a War on Advertising. Now What? Apple has been scaring up apocalyptic predictions for the future of advertising ever since it said its forthcoming mobile operating system would make it easier for apps to block ads in Safari browsers on the iPhone. Encouraged by the company, the scenario goes, consumers will shut marketers out to surf a perceived faster, cleaner, less-invasive web -- until the free internet collapses for lack of ad revenue. But the truth is the horsemen were in the saddle well before the new operating system, which arrives on Wednesday. Consider: IPhone owners could already easily erase marketers' messages from mobile web pages and apps. Ever since the advent of the DVR, it's clear that given the choice, many, if not most, consumers would rather skip ads pretty much anywhere they encounter them. Is it too much to call it a war on advertising? The threat might be overstated. The directional signals, however, are anything but encouraging. "We don't want to anger consumers," Mr. Advertisement
Digital pitchforks: Turning social media complaints into brand wins Your brand is on trial in the court of public opinion. There are 2.1 million negative social mentions about brands in the U.S. alone ... every single day. We polled over 11,000 U.S. consumers and surveyed 1,003 that recently complained to brands over social media, so that you'll have the tools and techniques you need to keep your brand sentiment clean. What you'll get from this report: How to select the right customer service strategiesWho complains, what age are they, what do they really complain about, and how they lodge issuesThe seven best-performing brand (and what they do right)The seven worst-performing brands (and what they do wrong)38 technologies that can assist, and processes to avoidDeadly social: processes to avoid5 key business lessons to learn10 take-away action items This report includes survey results, insights, examples, case studies and expert advice from customer service leaders; Tim Hughes (Oracle), Al Hopper (#CustServ) and Greg Ortbach (webAssist.ca).
Social media: We complain 879 million times/year (and Facebook is our top target) | VentureBeat | Social | by John Koetsier We complain about brands an astonishing 879 million times a year on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media networks. A full 10 percent of us find something to be angry about publicly every single day. The most-targeted brand? Facebook. That’s just one of the results of a new study by VB Insight on social media, complaints, and how brands can turn social vinegar into the sweet wine of a cash register’s ring. Quick hint: it’s not easy. “It shocked me how many brands don’t respond to social media complaints,” report author Stewart Rogers told me. While traditional brands such as Walmart, Verizon, Target, and Comcast rank high on the list of companies consumers complain about, one name stands out above all: Facebook. Interestingly, however, it’s not always the brand being targeted that is causing the anger. From VentureBeat Customers don’t just get irritated when you screw up cross-channel personalization. Most of those venting about games on Facebook? Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
More than 50% of Instagram's biggest fans hate ad increase | VentureBeat | Marketing | by Stewart Rogers There is no doubt that Instagram is a phenomenon. The social network has grown from nothing in 2010 to a user base that now boasts 400 million people worldwide, 77 million of whom are in the U.S. 80 million photos are shared daily on the image-centric social network, providing constant joy to those of us who love a good plane wing, hot dogs/legs paradox, or a cat wearing glasses. But something changed on September 27th, 2015 that has left a bitter taste in the mouth of many a budding Trey Ratcliff. That something was no doubt driven by Facebook’s need to monetize the network it acquired for $1 billion in 2012. The frequency of advertisements — or “sponsored images” if you prefer — seen in the average stream appeared to dramatically increase. I first noticed it in my own Instagram stream. But a sample size of one Instagram user is not statistically significant. 974 Instagram users, however, would be a significant sample. Partly, that’s because I know the experience is fairly authentic.
Instagram Just Stepped Up Its Advertising Game Instagram officially debuted its advertising API this week as part of a major push to turn the app into a major mobile advertising platform. Using the API, advertisers will be able to automate Instagram marketing campaigns and buy ads in a similar manner to what they currently do for Twitter and corporate parent Facebook; until now, marketers had to manually purchase ads. This considerably simplifies the process for major brands of operating an Instagram presence. Earlier this summer, Fast Company reported on Instagram’s efforts to attract advertisers to the platform. "The Instagram Ads API will help us make ads more relevant to the community, serve more diverse business objectives, and make buying on the platform easier for advertisers," an Instagram spokesperson told Fast Company. [via Business Insider] Sign up to learn more about Fast Company's Innovation Festival in November