MediaFuturist: Monetizing Content

Future of Broadband: TeleMedia Ecosystems (from the Auckland NZ conference)

I just finished my presentation at the Future of Broadband conference here in Auckland, New Zealand, and sure enough, someone from TechToday(NZ) has already reviewed and summarized some of it, see below. I will make the video available as soon as I have it, on my Youtube channel. The slides I used (most of them, at least) are below, as well. Enjoy and share:)

The Future of Broadband: Telemedia, Futurist Gerd Leonhard

View more presentations from Gerd Leonhard

"New business models based on ‘ecosystems’ rather than ‘egosystems’ are required in order to make large-scale investments in broadband technology successful, an international expert told the Commerce Commission’s Future with High Speed Broadband conference in Auckland this morning. Speaking to a crowd of around 250, Gerd Leonhard, who describes himself as a media ‘futurist’, introduced the term ‘telemedia’ to describe the combined product of telecommunications companies and media content providers. "In three years, all the major economies around the world will see telcos moving into content,” Leonhard says. "It’s a new kind of capitalist system. The future is in interconnected business models – we have to think beyond the idea of who’s directly responsible for one thing.” For example, some overseas telcos have bundled subscriptions to music streaming services such as Spotify into their pricing plans. The challenge is to configure the models to make it easy for people to pay for content delivery; here, Leonhard sees a trend away from copyright and towards ‘usage-right’. This means creating value for consumers & up-selling them to premium content, for example via the ‘freemium’ model used increasingly in the gaming industry. "People will be willing to pay if you find enough value and groom the up-sell.” In contrast, attempting to block people from sharing is a futile venture, with closed systems doomed to failure. Of course, the world's most successful technology company, Apple, is founded on a closed business model, but Leonhard says this is an exception built on the genius of Steve Jobs. "Obsession with control inevitably leads to decline.” Open systems have their challenges too, such as risk of addiction due to overwhelming volume, a tendency for consumers to skim the surface of content due to lower investment, and the issue of standards and transparency in data gathering. "Personal data is the oil of the internet, and the new currency of the digital world,” Leonhard says. "But it can’t all be about commercial gains. We have to agree on a public transparency – but who decides?” The Future with High Speed Broadband conference has been organised by the Commerce Commission to identify factors that may influence the uptake of Ultra Fast Broadband in New Zealand. The event runs for two days, and can be viewed via live stream here.

Posted by Gerd Leonhard at 3:15 AM in 21st Century Content Ecology, Broadband Culture, Broadcasting, Conferences, Consumer Insights, Content 2.0, EgoSystem EcoSystem, Future of Broadcasting, Future of Business, Future of Cable TV, Inequality, Monetizing Content, MY PRESENTATIONS, Networked Society, Open Network Economy, Slideshows, Social Networks, Telecom2.0, TeleMedia | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Video with some key messages from me: a penny for your thoughts (Freedom Labs): from Ego to Eco

From 2009 but still one of my favorite videos about my work (and nice audio / video collage)

Posted by Gerd Leonhard at 10:52 AM in 21st Century Content Ecology, About Me, Advertising Trends, Best of Gerd, Branding, Broadband Culture, Consumer Insights, Content 2.0, Future of Reading, Future of Selling, Innovation, Inspiring, Marketing2.0, Monetizing Content, Must-watch, My videos, VIDEO BLOG, Videos I Like, Wisdoms, Youtube | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

New audio / video interview on the future of branding, business and the Internet (incl. some comments on SOPA), via TribeRadio

A few days ago, I did a fairly lengthy and deep skype interview with Toronto-based Marie Germain from Branding 2.0 (see her Twitter channel here), touching on many issues including the future of commerce, selling, marketing and branding, so-called social media (I much prefer the term Social OS), current issues in technology and the Internet (such as SOPA - the deeply disturbing but nevertheless impending U.S. Stop Online Piracy Act), and media / content trends.

There are some quite juicy snippets in this interview, such as:

"In an truly digital society we probably don't need marketing as we know it"

"We are moving from a society, and an economy, based on EGOsystems to a society that is based on ECOsystems (i.e. INTERDEPENDENCE)"

"The old days of commerce were based on handcuffing consumers, now it's all about attraction, engagement and conversations (being a magnet rather than using handcuffs)"

This video uses an interesting format in that it is based on an audio track that was recorded on the phone, and superimposes some related images over it. Interesting. If you just want the audio track, here it is:

Gerd Leonhard TribeRadio Interview Jan 2012: Branding, SOPA et al

From the TribeRadio Youtube post: "World-renown futurist, Gerd Leonhard, in this interview speaks of the very serious challenges businesses and brands face; he offers solutions. On a more sombre note he exposes the ploys of controllers on internet freedom, SOPA to be clear. The Wall Street Journal acknowledges Gerd as one of the leading media futurists in the world. Powerful! Incisive! Gerd is simply delicious to the ears. Keynote Speaker, Founder of The Futures Agency, Advisor to top corporations and governments, author of five books, "The Future of Music", "Music 2.0", "The End of Control", "Friction is Fiction" and "The Future of Content". Gerd's background is in music; however, today he is a top game-changer, inspiring entrepreneurship and guiding us into a prodigious digital world. To reach the Host of Tribe Radio, Marie Germain: at her blog, http://Branding20.wordpress.com or her biz site, http://MarieGermain.com..."

Be sure to check out the other audio / video interviews on here channel as well, including Jeffrey Hayzlett ('Running the Gauntlet' book, former CMO of Kodak).

Tags:

Posted by Gerd Leonhard at 5:40 PM in 21st Century Content Ecology, About Me, Advertising Trends, Attention Economy, Best of Gerd, Bottom Lines, Branding, Broadband Culture, CHANGE, Concerns, Consumer Insights, Content 2.0, Convergence, Creative Rights, Crossmedia, Crucial Stuff, Cultural Industries, Current Affairs, Data is the new Oil, Economic Egoism, EgoSystem EcoSystem, Fragmentation, Friction is Fiction, Future of Advertising, Future of Agencies, Future of Business, Future of Content, Future of Marketing, Future of Media, Future Watch, Innovation, Interviews, Leadership, Likemindedness, Link Economy, Must-watch, My Podcasts, Networked Society, Open Network Economy, Openness Issues, Podcasting, Podcasts, Politics of Content, Realizations, Resources, Social Media, The Futures Agency, Trends, Trust, Videos I Like | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

New video: Social Local Mobile Video: the future of Apps (my BDigital Keynote)

Here is a new video with my keynote at the BDigital Apps Conference, November 16, 2011, in Barcelona (my part starts at 02:04). You can download the PDF with my slides here.

The topic: "SoLoMoVi": apps and the future of content, business and communication" Wireless broadband, mobile applications, smart mobile devices, social networks and over-the-top video are exploding and will dramatically change how we communicate, how we buy and sell, how we create and consume content, and how we do business or run our governments. Pre-mobile & social, the Internet was just in its infancy, now it's a rebellious teenager testing the limits and pushing relentlessly. Where will the mobile Internet - and apps in particular - take us, in the next 3-5 years, what opportunities will emerge, what will happen in sectors such as education, media, politics and culture, and what can we learn from how this is already unfolding in the developing countries?

http://eng.bdigitalapps.com/

Posted by Gerd Leonhard at 4:47 PM in 21st Century Content Ecology, Apps, Attention Economy, Mobile, Monetizing Content, MY PRESENTATIONS, My speaking engagements, My videos, Networked Society, Social Media, TeleMedia, VIDEO BLOG, Videos I Like, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

How to Capitalise On 21st Century Content Economics…

Here is my short letter via the Terrapinn blog announcing my opening keynote speech at the World eReading Summit in London, May 15/16, 2012.

"I am a longtime commentator on how the digital, mobile and social-media revolution has left Publishers reeling and in a state of total change or even disruption. This is a call to action to transform your business to embrace and conquer the digital age. Failure to do so will mean inevitable friction, market confusion and possibly a dysfunctional content ecosystem, when on the other hand you could stand to profit from long term revenue generating opportunities.

It is often said that where attention flows money follows (*Kevin Kelly kk.org), but the question is how, where and when to convert them. Today, digital natives are viewers, users, followers, friends, co-creators, co-producers or crowd-sourced collaborators, all-in-one. Going forward, data is becoming the new oil, and understanding, analysing, predicting and staying ahead of your ‘connected consumers’ is quickly becoming a MUST for your business in 2012 and beyond!

So far, technological content protection measures have not been successful. Instead, future ‘protection’ will need to come from the business models and from social cohesion. Delivering tangible value and inventing new free, freemium, feels-like-free models will be crucially important. Just look at Skype, Spotify, Amazon and the undisputed master of ‘free’ – Google. You need to asses the role ‘free’ will play in your business. How will you monetize your content and which new and innovative revenue generating concepts will transform the commercial prospects of your business? Yes, methods of monetizing content are fragmented, but also much more powerful, immediate and liquid than ever. This industry, this transitional period and the World e-Reading Congress 2012 are all key opportunities to harness your digital footprint and develop strategies that will pay dividends in solid revenue. I look forward to meeting you all at the World e-Reading Congress next May.”  Gerd Leonhard, CEO, The Futures Agency – Opening Keynote Speaker 2012.

Posted by Gerd Leonhard at 4:59 AM in 21st Century Content Ecology, Announcements, Bottom Lines, Broadband Culture, Conferences, Content 2.0, Copyright, Creative Rights, Cultural Industries, Data is the new Oil, Disruption, eBooks, EgoSystem EcoSystem, Free!, Future of Books, Future of Content, Future of Media, Meet me @, Monetizing Content, My speaking engagements, Networked Society, News, Open Network Economy, Politics of Content | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

New video: TeleMedia Futures presentation at Total Telecom 2011 (London)

This is a self-recorded video of my keynote speech on 'TeleMedia Futures: Making the most of the Content Opportunity' at the recent Total Telecom conference in London, Nov 7 / 8, 2011. Apologies for the somewhat less than perfect recording quality (note that the crackling sound that starts at about 2 mins into the video will seize a minute later:). You can download the PDF of my presentation here: Download TeleMedia and Content Gerd Leonhard Total Telecom Public

More presentations (100+) can be viewed and downloaded via Slideshare

Posted by Gerd Leonhard at 8:34 AM in 21st Century Content Ecology, Broadband Culture, Conferences, Consumer Insights, Content 2.0, Convergence, Data is the new Oil, Digital Music, EgoSystem EcoSystem, EoC: Telecom, Future of Broadcasting, Monetizing Content, Must-watch, MY PRESENTATIONS, My speaking engagements, My videos, Networked Society, Open Network Economy, Telecom2.0, TeleMedia, Television, The Cloud, Trends | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

The impact of the iPod (Mashable), me: "genius of fake-control model"

Amy-Mae Elliott interviewed my for this nice Mashable piece the other day. Here are some good snippets from me and from others that were interviewed:

Leander Kahney, editor of Cult of Mac and author of The Cult of iPod, sees the iPod’s primary impact in terms of the “connected device. “Gadgets are no longer stand-alone products,” Kahney says, “they connect to a range of software and online services. Think Internet TVs, stereos like Sonos, handheld gaming devices, GPS bike computers, in-car stereos, high-end watches, Internet radios, even printers — the list goes on and on — and the iPod was the first to do that...."

...Wikström says one could argue that iTunes has been more a hindrance to the industry than a help. Despite the billions of sales using the platform, the music industry has still suffered over the past decade. Did the dominant iTunes business model blind the industry to alternatives? “iTunes prolonged the industry’s dependence on the old model, and made them believe that it actually might be possible just to shift from CD to MP3, just as they had done in the past when they moved from vinyl to tape to CD,” says Wikström. “This is just speculation, but perhaps the most important impact on the music industry is that iTunes delayed the shift from a retail model based on control to what we now start to see emerge as various kinds of cloud-based retail models, such as Spotify and its peers.”

Futurist Gerd Leonhard, author of The Future of Content and co-author of The Future of Music: Manifesto for the Digital Music Revolution also sees iTunes playing a part in the decline of the music industry. “The genius of the iPod was (and still is, with the iPhone) that, while the music industry actually believed that it had found a good (i.e., closed and controlled) way to extract money from otherwise freeloading consumers, the iTunes/iPod/iPhone ecosystem became the dominant hardware solution for the consumption of free music.” |itunes / control image added by Gerd, source unknown |

Posted by Gerd Leonhard at 3:59 PM in 21st Century Content Ecology, Apple, Bottom Lines, Consumer Insights, Content 2.0, Digital Music, Future of Music, Gadgets, iPad, iPhone, Monetizing Content | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

5* video: Kevin Kelly on the future of the Internet: screening, interacting, sharing, flowing, generating

Kevin Kelly is a major influence on my work, and this video from Wired's Network conference is one of his best. Dive in and you'll see why. All of his books are worth reading, as well.

Posted by Gerd Leonhard at 6:57 PM in 21st Century Content Ecology, amazing, Attention Economy, Bottom Lines, Broadband Culture, CHANGE, Conferences, Consumer Insights, Creative Rights, Crucial Stuff, Cultural Industries, Data is the new Oil, EgoSystem EcoSystem, Free!, Friction is Fiction, Future of Broadcasting, Future of Business, great ideas, Innovation, Inspiring, Internet of Things, Lifestreaming, Made me think, Monetizing Content, Must-watch, Networked Society, Open Network Economy, Privacy, Realizations, Resources, Sharism, Smart People, Social Networks, Stuff I Love, TeleMedia, The Cloud, Trends, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

New video: the Future of Content, my Keynote at Colombia 3.0 (SPANISH)

Here are both parts (90 minutes plus 35 minutes) of my keynote speech on The Future of Content at Colombia 3.0 October 7 2011 see http://www.colombiatrespuntocero.com

The panel discussion afterwards can be viewed here, as well (all in Spanish). Note: even though I am actually presenting in English the overdup is Spanish and very much in the foreground. I will try and get an English version, as well - stay tuned.

files.me.com/gleonhard/gi5dw0 has the PDF with the slides using during the talk (i.e. most of them) Thanks to MINTIC for making this video available. For more context read http://www.mintic.gov.co/index.php/mn-news/469-20111008gerd

Related: check out my new Kindle book "The Future of Content"

El suizo GerlLeonhard, líder futurólogo experto en modelos de comercio electrónico, medios de comunicación e innovación fue el encargado del cierre de la Primera Cumbre Nacional de Contenidos Digitales, Colombia 3.0, realizada por el Ministerio TIC entre el 5 y el 8 de octubre. Después de cuatro días de análisis en los que se reunieron emprendedores, inversionistas, animadores, desarrolladores de aplicación y representantes de la industria de los contenidos digitales del mundo terminó Colombia 3.0. En la cumbre participaron 30 conferencistas nacionales y 50 internacionales, quienes se reunieron en 14 eventos simultáneos.Las distintas actividades y conferencias fueron seguidas en línea en 23 ciudades del país y 15 países. De igual manera se tuvo la participación de Siggraph, una asociación mundial de animación gráfica y técnicas interactivas, espacio en que 19 expertos en animación compartieron sus experiencias exitosas en las firmas más importantes del mundo de esta industria. Bogotá 7 de octubre de 2011.En su intervención GerlLeonhard, realizó un detallado análisis de los cambios que han sufrido los medios tradicionales al migrar a los medios sociales como Facebook, Twitter y otras redes sociales. Además,Leonhard anotó que en la actualidad se vive una cultura de la banda ancha y son los “prosumidores”, consumidores activos, los que producen contenidos digitales.

Mencionó el experto suizo que el mundo digital está regido por la relevancia y no solamente por la distribución, según Leonhard, los contenidos digitales deben ser depurados antes de ser distribuidos a los distintos públicos y subrayó que la nueva economía digital que se está viviendo en la actualidad debe iniciarse desde Internet y especialmente desde los dispositivos móviles. Anotó también Leonhard, que el usuario es quien genera los contenidos digitales en la actualidad através de distintos dispositivos móviles. En su intervención, señaló además que la tendencia actual se desarrolla a través de lo móvil, lo social y lo local. Ademásindicó, en este sentido,que para el 2015se esperaque 7.1 trillones de dispositivos móviles sean usados en el mundo.

Posted by Gerd Leonhard at 12:01 PM in 21st Century Content Ecology, Apps, Attention Economy, BRIC, Broadband Culture, Conferences, Consumer Insights, Content 2.0, Convergence, Copyright, Creative Commons, Creative Rights, Cultural Industries, Digital Music, Economic Egoism, EgoSystem EcoSystem, Eoc: Music Industry, Facebook, Future of Advertising, Future of Broadcasting, Future of Content, Future of Media, Future of Music, Future of Reading, Future of Selling, Future of TV, Inspiring, Mobility, Monetizing Content, Music Flat Rate, Music Like Water, MY PRESENTATIONS, My speaking engagements, Networked Society, Open Network Economy, Openness Issues, Politics of Content, Print & Newspapers, Social Media, Social Networks, TeleMedia, Trends, TV 2.0, Videos I Like, Youtube | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

MUST WATCH: PressPausePlay Movie, related 9-minute excerpt of interview with me (future of music ++)!

I am delighted to be involved with PressPausePlay, a movie about digital creativity, funded and promoted by Ericsson, featuring people such as Hank Shocklee, Seth Godin, ZeFrank, Sean Parker, Larry Lessig and Mike Mesnick. And it's finally out and available! Here is what it's all about:

"The digital revolution of the last decade has unleashed creativity and talent in an unprecedented way, with unlimited opportunities. But does democratized culture mean better art or is true talent instead drowned out? This is the question addressed by PressPausePlay, a documentary film containing interviews with some of the world's most influential creators of the digital era"

You can dow nload it via bit-torrent (free but painful) or iTunes US (paid but much swifter:)

From the blog: "we have had so many people ask "Where can we see your film?" and this week we are very happy to say our digital distribution has begun! PressPausePlay is now available online in many countries around the world, with more coming soon. You can now find PressPausePlay on iTunes US, iTunes Canada and iTunes UK. You can also purchase PressPausePlay on Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Vudu.com, CinemaNow.com, Xbox, and Playstation. Or put us on your Netflix cue where we will be coming soon..."

Please RT and spread the word!!

Posted by Gerd Leonhard at 11:26 PM in 21st Century Content Ecology, amazing, Blogging, Bottom Lines, Broadband Culture, CHANGE, Content 2.0, Convergence, Cool people, Creative Commons, Creative Rights, Cultural Industries, Digital Music, Disruption, End of Control, Eoc: Music Industry, EoC: The Studios, For Musicians, Fragmentation, Friction is Fiction, Future of Broadcasting, Future of Business, Future of Content, Future of Music, Innovation, Inspiring, Interviews, IPR, Link Economy, Made me think, Monetizing Content, Music, Music 2.0, Music Flat Rate, Music Like Water, Musician 2.0, Must-watch, Networked Society, Open Is King, Politics of Content, Realizations, Sharism, Smart People, Social Media, TeleMedia, Trends, Trust, Videos I Like, Wisdoms | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Good read: Rolling Stone Australia: albums - the next generation (quotes Gerd)

Jason Treuen from Rolling Stone Australia interviewed me for this piece. Best quote from me, imho:

According to leading music futurist Gerd Leonhard, such diverse approaches are just the start of the “complete fragmentation of the music format”. With the convergence of audio, video, graphics and gaming via the net, he predicts the album will soon be eclipsed by the music ‘experience’, embodied in any combination of apps, interactive videos, augmented reality apps or a 3D television concert using interactive controllers like Microsoft’s Kinect. “We’re going back to the understanding that playing music is about an experience, not about a download for the cheapest possible price,” he explains. ”With apps and websites and 3D, I’m given an interface which makes it easier to immerse myself in the experience… You can’t copy that. If you can get immersion from your fans, you have their wallet.”

Posted by Gerd Leonhard at 10:07 AM in 21st Century Content Ecology, Broadband Culture, Consumer Insights, Convergence, Creative Rights, Digital Music, Eoc: Music Industry, For Musicians, Future of Content, Future of Media, Future of Music, Future of Selling, Gerd in the media, Good reads, Link Economy, Marketing2.0, Monetizing Content, Music 2.0, Music Flat Rate, Music Like Water, Musician 2.0, Realizations | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Monetizing Digital Content: the complete video of my presentation at DES 2011 (Wiggins)

This is one of my main topics, and most of the crucial stuff is covered in this 30-minute video. I hope you like it - if you do, please share it widely. Many related slideshows can be found here. Here is a low-res version of the actual slideshow: Download DES wiggin Gerd Leonhard Public low res

Posted by Gerd Leonhard at 11:48 AM in 21st Century Content Ecology, Attention Economy, Best of Gerd, Broadband Culture, Conferences, Consumer Insights, Content 2.0, Copyright, Cultural Industries, Future of Content, Future of Media, Future of TV, Monetizing Content, Must-watch, MY PRESENTATIONS, My speaking engagements, My videos, Politics of Content | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Short video: I program my media - it does not program me (switching from Push to Pull)

Broadcasting (TV, Radio) is switching from Push to Pull. And so is advertising! Let me know what you think:)

Posted by Gerd Leonhard at 12:30 PM in 21st Century Content Ecology, Advertising Trends, Attention Economy, Bottom Lines, Branding, Broadband Culture, Broadcasting, Consumer Insights, Content 2.0, Future of Agencies, Future of Broadcasting, Future of Cable TV, Future of Content, Future of Marketing, Future of Selling, Link Economy, Monetizing Content, My Books, MY PRESENTATIONS, My speaking engagements, My videos, Networked Society, Social Advertising, Social Commerce, TV 2.0, VIDEO BLOG, Videos I Like | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

New video: "Friction is Fiction" explained

This video summarizes the key messages of my 2009 book "Friction is fiction" (free PDF). The bottom line is that in a networked and digital society we can no longer merely rely on FRICTION i.e. planned hurdles and carefully placed obstactles to enforce payments or otherwise get paid for something. Most traditional friction points - whether in media / content, communications / marketing or business and commerce - can now be easily bypassed (see free music streaming vs itunes, Youtube / Netflix vs cable-tv, whatsapp vs sms etc), and this trend will only accelerate. IMHO I think it will suit us better to get used to it now, i.e. we may want to lessen our dependence on friction and increase our efforts to monetize based on radical user empowerment. Think Zappos not Barnes & Noble. Be sure to watch this related video recorded at TedXWarwick on the same topic.

Posted by Gerd Leonhard at 7:34 PM in Free!, Friction is Fiction, Future of Broadcasting, Future of Business, Future of Content, Future of Journalism, Future of Marketing, Future of PR & Communications, Future of TV, Monetizing Content, Music 2.0, Must-watch, My videos, Networked Society, Open Is King, Open Network Economy, Politics of Content, Realizations, Social Networks, Spotify, The Cloud, The Futures Agency, Trends, Video, VIDEO BLOG, Wisdoms | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

The video of my presentation at the Google Think-Travel event in Sydney: the consumer of tomorrow

This is a brand-new and very nicely produced video - a big thank-you to Google Australia for making it available so quickly. If you are in the travel business, do make sure to watch this video, and check out the other speakers and their presentations, as well. Enjoy, RT, Google + this :)))