Radiohead To Give Away New Album; Major Labels Freak Out
Labels: Being digital, Connection, Content, Control, Convenience, Corporate, Digital media, downloads, mainstream media, New Media, New music, Radiohead
The digital age causes headaches for all traditional media companies trying to hold onto their business models. They like the control of their content which they distribute through their owned connections to their consumers at the prices they decide, all at the media company's convenience.
Control, Content, Connection, Convenience -- the consumer battle over the four C's which the Jointblog and Joint Communications has referred to for years.
The digital age reverses these rules.
In the digital age, it is the consumer making the decisions.
The consumer decides the content they want -- how, when, were and even if it is consumed.
The consumer decides the price they want -- if they don't like the price, they find it for less (or for free) somewhere online.
The consumer decides -- at their own convenience -- what matters and what doesn't.
It is the consumer that is in control.
Now, there's news a major recording act -- considered by many fans and music critics to be among the best bands in the world over the last decade -- is offering their brand new album for free download. And the consumer can choose how much they want to pay for it, if they want to even pay anything at all.
The band: Radiohead.
It's an unusual -- but brilliant -- step to tell fans that they can pay as much or as little as they like for the band's new album "In Rainbows". In essence, they are telling their fans "it's up to you" what they pay to digitally download the album.
And they make it easy, without ripping anyone off or wasting anyone's time forcing them to watch an embedded commercial the consumer doesn't want to see.
As The Telegraph reports:Radiohead is free to sell its album directly from its official website because it is no longer tied to a record label. So far the album is only available to pre-order from the website, where it can be downloaded on release on October 10.
What exactly does this get Radiohead, since it doesn't guarantee revenue or profits?
While loyal fans are likely to want to pay the band something, customers could opt to pay as little (as) the credit card handling fee.
Credibility.
And it strikes a blow against corporate dominance.
It makes Radiohead fans love the band more.
And, my bet is plenty of fans will pay comparable fair value for a new CD anyway...because they know what is fair and what isn't.
Mainstream Media, are you listening?
Do you hear the rules changing?
posted by Unknown @ Monday, October 01, 2007,
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Transitions in Media Trend Watching
Labels: Being digital, Business, Chris Kennedy, Digital, Digital life, Joint Communications, Jointblog, Media Trend Watching, Parikhal, Radio, Transitions, trends
Recently, the Jointblog passed 500,000 total page views to our site – and we are less than 3 years old. It’s hard to believe that our site is older than YouTube.
This blog was started and developed by Chris Kennedy as a way to focus on Media Trend Watching – a core competency at Joint Communications.
It surfs the wave between pop culture and business insight, a world of instant fame or shame where old media power is challenged by new media behaviors. There’s never a dull moment.
After working with me for over 15 years, Chris decided to return to his first love -- radio -- joining Corus Entertainment, a multi-media leader in old and new media, as Program Director of Montreal's Q92.
Chris has kindly agreed to continue the Jointblog so that we can keep an eye on media trends – big or small - from NBC’s rearguard action against Apple (refusing them content) to YouTube’s unpredictable effect on the upcoming Presidential elections.
And, the most significant trend we’re watching right now is the digital divide – the gap between those who are online (especially with high speed connections) and those who aren’t. America's lagging behind many developed countries in broadband per capita, including South Korea and Iceland.
The beauty of today's digital world means Chris and I will maintain our high-speed association with one another -- efficiently transitioning us from the Joint connection to a new digital connection.
posted by John Parikhal @ Wednesday, September 05, 2007,
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Web Analytics: The Actives and Less Actives
Labels: Being digital, Digital life, Internet, Jointblog, PEW, trends
Sure, for many...but not all. First of all, the technology needs to work. When it works, being digital can mean greater productivity...or it can be overwhelming just trying to keep up with the upgrades. Or frustrating to fix when there's a glitch or interface problem, even among those who know what they are doing. And shopping!
Just consider all the different number of gadgets and digital options. To many, it remains very intimidating.
If you consider yourself a "wired" person, it is easy to forget the rest of the population. Not everyone is as happy with this digital life as you might be.
According to the latest update in the PEW Internet & American Life Project, 59% of us are less than thrilled with new digital connections and options, as illustrated in the graphic table above ("The Digital Less-Actives").
Based on their on-going national panel study:
- 10% of us are "connected but hassled"
- 8% are "inexperienced experimenters"
- 15% are "light but satisfed" digital users
- 11% are digital "indifferents"
Meanwhile, 15% are completely "off the network". They have neither a cell phone nor internet connectivity.
Add all those user segment groups together, that's 59% of the total population describing themselves as either non- or light-users. 59% that currently are not active digital users.
Does that surprise you in 2007? Being a digital person (after all, you are reading this Jointblog post), wouldn't you expect to see more people being digital?
What it means is we still haven't reached the peak for a full digital life in society. There continues to be opportunity to reach new consumers.
The key?
Make it simple.
Make it easy.
Take away fear and frustration.
How well are you connecting with your potential digital audience? Are you making it too hard for them to use your site? Too difficult to be interactive with your digital audience? Are you giving your audience too much choice, too many options?
What can you do to make their digital life more simple?
posted by Unknown @ Sunday, August 05, 2007,
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