Duh... of course it is. Blink, there it is. Blink again, yet more. You know that's not what I mean, although it's a funny way to look at it.
I mean yet more change is coming. More change to our lifestyles, to our culture, to everything we do and the ways we do it.
Here's today's example...
I subscribe to two magazines.
Both I receive in hard copy, but not by choice.
I receive the first one in hard copy because it was the only way to get it digitally on my iPad. Last year when I subscribed, there was no option to just receive the digital version. I thought that would certainly change by the time I had to renew. Not the case. In order to get it digitally, I have to receive the paper version. Now how dumb is that? How much more profitable would they be if they let me buy what I want to, and only what I want to?
I should receive a discounted rate for not requiring them to print it, haul it to the post office, have someone fly/drive it all over the country, the post office deliver it to my PO box and my wasted time and $'s to go pick it up once a month. I should charge them back for requiring all that wasted time and energy when all I do is give away the printed version because I've already downloaded and read the digital copy 2 weeks earlier.
The second one I also receive in hard copy by mistake. I bought a Living Social deal and thought it said I could get the print or digital version. Unfortunately, the print version is what the offer was for. It's also time to renew and I wasn't going to until today when they sent me a link to convert the remainder of my existing subscription over to digital and extend it for another year for a good price. Ahhh... someone who is starting to get it. I don't need both, I barely need the digital version cause I really only want to read what I want to read and skip the rest.
Then it hit me... that's the answer.
Let me buy what I want to, when I want to.
With the economic correction and Wall Street sucking out as much capital (cash) as it possibly could from what remains, everyone is looking to return to profitability. There are two ways to get there - save more (efficiency and optimization) and make more (sell people what they want).
What's more profitable than digital delivery of knowledge based information? But why do I have to buy the whole thing? Why can't I just by the articles that I want to read and save for later? A different take on the subscription model. If it's good enough to keep, it has value enough to be paid for. If I read it and find it lacking, I shouldn't have to pay for it and it disappears forever.
Let me buy what I want to, when I want to.
Articles, books, songs, etc. Why aren't magazines and newspapers chopping themselves into smaller pieces like iTunes has done with music? Why would they be viewed separately anymore? They are just information service providers of different types. They can serve up their segments in an iTunes type format either as compilation like full albums and TV seasons or in parts and pieces like single songs and single episodes. Only the popular versions survives and are profitable. The marketplace gives signals and people will adapt to compete in these spaces where others are finding success. Makes perfect sense.
Let me buy what I want to, when I want to.
Once the information service providers are on board, we apply it to text books, non-fiction books, etc. I hate buying a gigantic text or "how-to" book on a new subject only to use 10 - 20% of it. Makes me crazy. Text books are super heavy, super large and super expensive. I know services have started to make renting them easier or buying them used and more affordable. Those services have been around forever in different formats but really aren't very efficient or effective.
Now imagine that I only bought the chapter, section or passages that I needed to keep for the test or reference? Imagine that I only bought the "for Dummies" section of the book that pertained to my specific job, issue or challenge? Cheaper yes but more importantly, I'm only buying what I want to, when I want to.
The future is coming and it is going to include more segmentation, more customization, more end user focus and it will be eliminating a huge chunk of unnecessary middle men.
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