56长尾理论_英文版_LongTail (1)

EXCLUSIVEEXTRACTTofindoutmoreaboutTheLongTailandviewtheexclusivevideopromovisit‘TheBigIdeaof2006’GQ‘Abrilliantandimportantbook–asi-intelligentasitise-entertaining’RobeRtthomson,TheTimes‘Withinthenextyear,youwillhearpeopletalkingaboutthe‘longtail’inthesamewaythattwoorthreeyearsagotheywerediscussingMalcolmGladwell’s‘tippingpoint’’WorldBusiness‘BelongsonyourshelfbetweenTheTippingPointandFreakonomics,offeringgreatinsightintothenextgenerationofinternetrevolutionandopportunity’Reedhastings,CeoneTFliX‘TheLongTailhashugeramificationsforourcultureandmedia’GuardianTheLongTaiLisavailablefromallgoodbookretailersnow.visitamazon.co.uktoorderyourcopyfora40%discount.INTRODUCTIONThetrackingoftop-sellerlistsisanationalobsession.Ourcultureisamassivepopularitycontest.Weareconsumedbyhits—makingthem,choosingthem,talkingaboutthem,andfollowingtheirriseandfall.Everyweekendisabox-officehorserace,andeveryThursdaynightisaDarwinianstruggletofindthefittestTVshowandletitlivetoseeanotherweek.Afewhitsongsplayinheavyrotationontheradiodials,whileentertainmentexecutivesinalltheseindustriessweatastheysearchforthenextbigthing.Thisistheworldtheblockbusterbuilt.Themassivemediaanden-tertainmentindustriesgrewupoverthepasthalfcenturyonthebackofbox-officerockets,goldrecords,anddouble-digitTVratings.Nosurprisethathitshavebecomethelensthroughwhichweobserveourownculture.Wedefineouragebyourcelebritiesandmass-marketproducts—theyaretheconnectivetissueofourcommonexperience.Thestar-makingsystemthatHollywoodbeganeightdecadesagohasnowspunoutintoeverycornerofcommerce,fromshoestochefs.Ourmediaisobsessedwithwhat’shotandwhat’snot.Hits,inshort,rule.Yetlookalittlecloserandyou’llseethatthispicture,whichfirstemergedwiththepostwarbroadcasteraofradioandtelevision,isnow|CHRISANDERSONstartingtotatterattheedges.Hitsarestartingto,gasp,ruleless.Num-beroneisstillnumberone,butthesalesthatgowiththatarenotwhattheyoncewere.Mostofthetopfiftybest-sellingalbumsofalltimewererecordedintheseventiesandeighties(theEagles,MichaelJackson),andnoneofthemweremadeinthepastfiveyears.Hollywoodbox-officerev-enuewasdownbymorethan6percentin2005,reflectingtherealitythatthetheatergoingaudienceisfallingevenasthepopulationgrows.EveryyearnetworkTVlosesmoreofitsaudiencetohundredsofnichecablechannels.Malesageeighteentothirty-four,themostde-sirableaudienceforadvertisers,arestartingtoturnofftheTValto-gether,shiftingmoreandmoreoftheirscreentimetotheInternetandvideogames.TheratingsoftopTVshowshavebeenfallingforde-cades,andthenumberoneshowtodaywouldn’thavemadethetoptenin1970.Inshort,althoughwestillobsessoverhits,theyarenotquitetheeconomicforcetheyoncewere.Wherearethosefickleconsumersgo-inginstead?Nosingleplace.Theyarescatteredtothewindsasmar-ketsfragmentintocountlessniches.TheonebiggrowthareaistheWeb,butitisanuncategorizableseaofamilliondestinations,eachdefyinginitsownwaytheconventionallogicofmediaandmarketing.ITUNESKILLEDTHERADIOSTARIcameofageinthepeakofthemass-cultureera—theseventiesandeighties.TheaverageteenagerthenhadaccesstoahalfdozenTVchannels,andvirtuallyeveryonewatchedafewormoreofthesamehandfulofTVshows.Therewerethreeorfourrockradiostationsinanytownthatlargelydictatedwhatmusicpeoplelistenedto;onlyafewluckykidswithmoneybuiltrecordcollectionsthatventuredfar-therafield.Weallsawthesamesummerblockbustersinthetheaterandgotournewsfromthesamepapersandbroadcasts.Abouttheonlyplacesyoucouldexploreoutsidethemainstreamwerethelibraryandthecomicbookshop.AsbestIcanrecall,theonlycultureIwasexposedTHELONGTAIL|tootherthanmassculturewasbooksandwhatevermyfriendsandImadeup,andthattravelednofartherthanourownbackyards.ContrastmyadolescencewiththatofBen,asixteen-year-oldwhogrewupwiththeInternet.He’sthesinglechildofaffluentparentsinthetonyNorthBerkeleyHills,sohe’sgotaMacinhisbedroom,afullystockediPod(andaweeklyiTunesallowance),andaposseoffriendswiththesame.Liketherestofhisteenagefriends,Benhasneverknownaworldwithoutbroadband,cellphones,MP3s,TiVo,andon-lineshopping.Themaineffectofallthisconnectivityisunlimitedandunfilteredaccesstocultureandcontentofallsorts,fromthemainstreamtothefarthestfringeoftheunderground.BenisgrowingupinadifferentworldfromtheoneIgrewupin,aworldfarlessdominatedbyanyofthetraditionalmediaandentertainmentindustries.Ifyoudon’trecog-nizeyourselfinthepagestocomeinthisbook,imagineBeninstead.Hisrealityistheleadingedgeofallofourfutures.FromBen’sperspective,theculturallandscapeisaseamlesscon-tinuumfromhightolow,withcommercialandamateurcontentcom-petingequallyforhisattention.Hesimplydoesn’tdistinguishbetweenmainstreamhitsandundergroundniches—hepickswhathelikesfromaninfinitemenuwhereHollywoodmoviesandplayer-createdvideo-gamestuntvideosarelistedsidebyside.BenwatchesjusttwohoursorsoaweekofregularTV,mostlyWestWing(timeshifted,ofcourse)andFirefly,acanceledspaceserialhehasstoredonhisTiVo.HealsocountsasTVtheanimehedownloadswithBitTorrent,apeer-to-peerfile-sharingtechnology,becauseitwasoriginallybroadcastonJapanesetelevision(theEnglishsubtitlesareofteneditedinbyfans).Whenitcomestomovies,he’sasci-fifan,sohe’sprettymain-stre