No, I am not talking about the environment -- I am talking about content. Forgive the diatribe that I am about to embark on -- but I feel that these words lend themselves well not only to the what is
happening to our environment but serve as a calling card to how we should be approaching the development of content for a multiplatform world.
Think long-term. One of the keys to any
business in not the short-term gains, but the long-term wins. When thinking about developing various genres of content for a multiplatform world, you have to think not only about quantity (traffic,
downloads, views), but also about quality.Apply the long tail. You all know my feelings about the manifestation of the principles of the long tail -- but in this case, the concept lends
itself to my argument.Get off the couch. Understanding that an entire generation of television viewers is watching programming while walking, sitting, commuting, and congregating simply
means that we all need to be thinking about how to blow up story arcs to include subplots, prologues, and epilogues that can fill the various outlets being used to consume the main program.
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Now, you may be scratching your head and wondering, what prompted this? Let's just say that at the end of the day, no matter what anyone says, no matter how many "friends" you may
have on your MySpace page or views there have been on YouTube - in order to go the distance, we (meaning content creators, brands, distributors, and producers) all need to be thinking about how to
create compelling content that will stand the test of time. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should, people. Enough said.
