Letter: Web will not destroy worth of its content
Marketing
27/02/2008
Andrew Walmsley (Marketing, 20 February) suggested that people will not be prepared to pay for content in the future because it will be so freely available online, but it would be unprecedented for technology to destroy the value of the original content it distributes.
The Wall Street Journal has got it spot on, sharing out its gold to engage an audience that might also pay to see the crown jewels.
Factors that dictate the success of content are its quality, value and convenience. Useful content will always be valuable, and most people are happy to pay for these three qualities.
We have also seen several examples of consumers policing payment of content themselves; the 40,000 journalists working for Ohmynews who are paid by ‘tip boxes’ associated with the content they write, or the shareware community, funded through altruistic giving.
Everyone loves a freebie, but you get what you pay for.
Mark Iremonger, head of digital, Proximity London
Read Andrew's Walmsley's original article: Everyone loves a freebie
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