Comments on: May the best giants adapt http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/05/03/may-the-best-giants-adapt/ Same old blog, brand new place Thu, 26 Nov 2009 17:09:22 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: » The Death of Advertising Push Versus Pull http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/05/03/may-the-best-giants-adapt/comment-page-1/#comment-150684 » The Death of Advertising Push Versus Pull Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:45:59 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/05/03/may-the-best-giants-adapt/#comment-150684 [...] goes on to say in May the Best Giants Adapt that advertising is pushed to consumers. But advertising itself is a bubble in the long run, [...] [...] goes on to say in May the Best Giants Adapt that advertising is pushed to consumers. But advertising itself is a bubble in the long run, [...]

]]> By: Guy Parkinson http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/05/03/may-the-best-giants-adapt/comment-page-1/#comment-66515 Guy Parkinson Wed, 02 Jul 2008 06:19:09 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/05/03/may-the-best-giants-adapt/#comment-66515 Yes, I recall you mentioned the idea of the inefficiency of advertising a couple of times to general guffaws and jeers -- and I recall the 'outrage' remark, so: yes. Anyway, I have been ruminating on this idea since then and it stands up well to new input, indeed, it frequently makes more sense of it. Observing the endless debate over the survival (and/or) revenue model for Facebook/Twitter/etc when it is clear that these 'utilities' have attracted enormous and dedicated communities (with populations comparing to cities and countries, and representing demographics to make advertisers drool), it seems obvious, hence surprisingly subversive, that the users of these utilities have no apparent need for advertising, and that this simple fact is the enduring problem with the business-model assumptions of most commentors on the subject. So, yes and hallelujah, in the emerging inversion of communication, 'advertising' should see mortality writ large, as supply and demand no longer need mediators; indeed, demand (that is, the 'community') no longer needs mediators or arbitrators from the 'supply' side at all... Well, sorry, carried away there, but thanks for getting me started. Incidentally, I work in advertising, and I'm the guy who keeps saying "We should really be thinking about this...". (I apologize for the long delay in this response (I had to actually google this post to find it again... )). Yes, I recall you mentioned the idea of the inefficiency of advertising a couple of times to general guffaws and jeers — and I recall the ‘outrage’ remark, so: yes. Anyway, I have been ruminating on this idea since then and it stands up well to new input, indeed, it frequently makes more sense of it.

Observing the endless debate over the survival (and/or) revenue model for Facebook/Twitter/etc when it is clear that these ‘utilities’ have attracted enormous and dedicated communities (with populations comparing to cities and countries, and representing demographics to make advertisers drool), it seems obvious, hence surprisingly subversive, that the users of these utilities have no apparent need for advertising, and that this simple fact is the enduring problem with the business-model assumptions of most commentors on the subject.

So, yes and hallelujah, in the emerging inversion of communication, ‘advertising’ should see mortality writ large, as supply and demand no longer need mediators; indeed, demand (that is, the ‘community’) no longer needs mediators or arbitrators from the ’supply’ side at all…

Well, sorry, carried away there, but thanks for getting me started. Incidentally, I work in advertising, and I’m the guy who keeps saying “We should really be thinking about this…”.
(I apologize for the long delay in this response (I had to actually google this post to find it again… )).

]]> By: Doc Searls http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/05/03/may-the-best-giants-adapt/comment-page-1/#comment-57874 Doc Searls Sun, 08 Jun 2008 03:53:03 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/05/03/may-the-best-giants-adapt/#comment-57874 Guy, was that the one where Mike Arrington said he was "outraged" by my assertion that advertising was a bubble and in some ways a dead end? I any case, I do agree that "there is something just tragic in the assumption that advertising is the only plausible income strategy" for *anything*, including social software. Great line. Guy, was that the one where Mike Arrington said he was “outraged” by my assertion that advertising was a bubble and in some ways a dead end?

I any case, I do agree that “there is something just tragic in the assumption that advertising is the only plausible income strategy” for *anything*, including social software. Great line.

]]> By: Guy Parkinson http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/05/03/may-the-best-giants-adapt/comment-page-1/#comment-57370 Guy Parkinson Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:45:12 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/05/03/may-the-best-giants-adapt/#comment-57370 I recall listening to the first chunk of that Gang podcast and realizing that when you, Doc, raised the idea of the impending irrelevance of advertising that you were articulating an idea I had been trying to form for some time. The basics of the argument just seem obvious to me, so I was surprised at the degree of outrage the other participants expressed when you raised the point. As a developer, I dig clever technology and, above all, platforms that satisfy some desire for users; there is something just tragic in the assumption that advertising is the only plausible income strategy for social software. So, thanks... I recall listening to the first chunk of that Gang podcast and realizing that when you, Doc, raised the idea of the impending irrelevance of advertising that you were articulating an idea I had been trying to form for some time. The basics of the argument just seem obvious to me, so I was surprised at the degree of outrage the other participants expressed when you raised the point. As a developer, I dig clever technology and, above all, platforms that satisfy some desire for users; there is something just tragic in the assumption that advertising is the only plausible income strategy for social software. So, thanks…

]]> By: nordsieck http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/05/03/may-the-best-giants-adapt/comment-page-1/#comment-50949 nordsieck Wed, 14 May 2008 05:05:42 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/05/03/may-the-best-giants-adapt/#comment-50949 Is this a typo? "They’re far from perfect, but not as far as Microsoft and Google." Google --> Yahoo Is this a typo?

“They’re far from perfect, but not as far as Microsoft and Google.” Google –> Yahoo

]]> By: » Why We Don’t Trust Ads, The Ongoing Saga Sidecut Reports http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/05/03/may-the-best-giants-adapt/comment-page-1/#comment-48949 » Why We Don’t Trust Ads, The Ongoing Saga Sidecut Reports Wed, 07 May 2008 16:43:19 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/05/03/may-the-best-giants-adapt/#comment-48949 [...] Sidecut Reports was launched to save tech journalism, I was only partly kidding. Reading this post from Doc Searls makes me think I have allies in the argument that says the hunt for revenue via online ads and more [...] [...] Sidecut Reports was launched to save tech journalism, I was only partly kidding. Reading this post from Doc Searls makes me think I have allies in the argument that says the hunt for revenue via online ads and more [...]

]]> By: Marketing, Bill Hicks And A System That’s Bound To Implode » the dotmatrix project http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/05/03/may-the-best-giants-adapt/comment-page-1/#comment-48928 Marketing, Bill Hicks And A System That’s Bound To Implode » the dotmatrix project Wed, 07 May 2008 15:28:50 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/05/03/may-the-best-giants-adapt/#comment-48928 [...] Doc Searls is a demand-side advocate, and I completely agree with his position on the false construct of our system that attempts to connect markets to product via the boisterous shouting of offers into the wind. Maybe his VRM work will begin to flip the script on that paradigm, maybe not. [...] [...] Doc Searls is a demand-side advocate, and I completely agree with his position on the false construct of our system that attempts to connect markets to product via the boisterous shouting of offers into the wind. Maybe his VRM work will begin to flip the script on that paradigm, maybe not. [...]

]]> By: ouija repair http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/05/03/may-the-best-giants-adapt/comment-page-1/#comment-47048 ouija repair Mon, 05 May 2008 12:56:03 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/05/03/may-the-best-giants-adapt/#comment-47048 BusinessWeek has a story today on "reputation Management" outfits, re the battle for what goes in our heads. It's a little depressing to me. BusinessWeek has a story today on “reputation Management” outfits, re the battle for what goes in our heads. It’s a little depressing to me.

]]> By: Marc’s Voice » Blog Archive » Time to blog some more - beginning of May '08 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/05/03/may-the-best-giants-adapt/comment-page-1/#comment-46662 Marc’s Voice » Blog Archive » Time to blog some more - beginning of May '08 Mon, 05 May 2008 04:20:06 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/05/03/may-the-best-giants-adapt/#comment-46662 [...] Doc Searls has another way of looking at these behemoths colliding, merging and gossiping. [...] [...] Doc Searls has another way of looking at these behemoths colliding, merging and gossiping. [...]

]]> By: Mike Warot http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/05/03/may-the-best-giants-adapt/comment-page-1/#comment-46649 Mike Warot Mon, 05 May 2008 03:32:30 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/05/03/may-the-best-giants-adapt/#comment-46649 There is a basic demand for things that have a positive return on investment. These will be sold regardless of the presence of "advertising" because the demand is 100% real, assuming the producers and consumers can find out about each other. Good marketing reduces that friction and makes it easier to find things you actually could use to make money, save time, etc. --Mike-- There is a basic demand for things that have a positive return on investment. These will be sold regardless of the presence of “advertising” because the demand is 100% real, assuming the producers and consumers can find out about each other. Good marketing reduces that friction and makes it easier to find things you actually could use to make money, save time, etc.
–Mike–

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