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Milia 96: International Publishing and New Media Market Conference9 - 12 February 1996: Cannes, France (Sponsored by Reed Midem Organisation) Keynote Address: Dr. Thomas Middelhoff |
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Michael Bush
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Copyright (c) 1996 - Future Systems Inc.
PO Box 26 - Falls Church VA 22046 USA Phone 703/241-1799 - Telex 4996279 - Fax 703/532-0529 |
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Thomas Middelhoff (member of the Executive Board, Bertelsman A.G.) provided some interesting insights into the future of economic models in the Digital Age, based on the experience of online services.
Middelhoff said that the increase in online subscriptions in the early 1990s was stymied as users began to explore the Internet and World Wide Web Sites. As a result, said Middelhoff, subscription revenues will fall "in the near future, and advertising and transaction revenue will be the prime economic growth engines."
He also said that "things that consumers don't need to touch" have been the first areas to benefit from commerce on the "Net;" in particular, tourism and entertainment have been "prime selling territory." Other merchandising opportunities that will "take" to multimedia are items that are strongly branded and low-priced such as software, airline tickets, hotel reservations, gifts priced below $50, CDs, and books.
On the evolution of Milia, Middelhoff noted, "Last year, we were talking about visions. This year, it is big business." He predicted that by the year 2003, 50 percent of publishers' revenue will come from new media - a shift that will happen as the population of potential consumers moves from "computer freaks, to people with experience in computer-related areas, to those who are technology aware, to people who consider themselves to be modern, to people who are interested in communication, and, finally, to families who consider themselves to be modern."
