8th
Kindle is a Short Tail product
In re The Kindle Lets amazon Make a Lot From the Few (via Daring Fireball), I feel the need to point out two things, which should be of interest to any company or organization pushing intellectual property in our brave new digital world.
First, a $400 book reader is only going to appeal to people who read a lot of books. You don’t spend that kind of money if you only read books on vacation. So of course Kindle purchasers are going to be some of Amazon’s best customers.
Second, the Kindle provides instant gratification for book lovers. I can buy a book from anywhere with Sprint coverage and be reading it in under 5 minutes. No trip to the bookstore, no sales clerks, no waiting for UPS to redeliver. It’s right there, in my hands, whenever I want it.
I read a lot of books. 99% of the books I buy are now purchased, electronically, from Amazon, at what I can only assume is an enormous markup for them despite whatever wireless fees they pay to Sprint.
So what’s the lesson for other sellers-of-media? If you have a lot of content, find your most important customers and give them the shortest possible path to that content. Put it in their hands instantly, anywhere, and give them a capable way to play or read it.
