Bob Iger - 'People Will Pay for Quality Content' - Yes, but......

My Response to THE WRAP article - READ HERE!

Hi Sharon,

It always amazes me how big media who, on the face of it, should have the luxury of objectivity still sees things so subjectively!

Years ago now, I remember having a conversation with a rather well known head of one of the big record labels who was very excited that their new corporate website project would offer people the chance to buy records online. I said at the time the idea was flawed because it would be impossible to attract audiences to all the labels individually and sure enough Napster ensued not so long afterwards and subsequently iTunes!

This period in terms of video, news and even social content is no different and all of the big media brands are currently kidding themselves that they can create chargeable ecosystems within their own portfolios. It is true that people will pay for quality content and also that big advertisers are also yearning for an elegant online home, but it won't be found within any individual platform owned by one media company, rather with the most successful aggregators of that content! (No prizes for guessing who I'm hoping one of them is!)

I think Bob Iger is a pretty smart guy, but he's trapped by corporate responsibility and duty to Disney, as are the innovators at TW, Newscorp et al to their own brands. The principals are sound, but even in the clouds, it's all about execution. Regretably I anticipate more AOL type disappointments before these guys learn how to be portably profitable rather than waste so much time and money competing with each other building fortresses.

In the meantime of course it leaves the floor wide open for us humble entrepreneurs who are unencumbered by the confines above. Perhaps they should all rally round and invest more in us and save themselves further expensive mistakes!

Jan [at] famebook [dot] com

PS. Nice offices btw