Is small yesterday's big?

One of the downsides of "living" in the blogosphere is that by the time a concept like this"long tail" goes mainstream, we're tired of hearing about it. In reality, the "real world" moves at book spead (or slower).

Stephen, I disagree with this sentence "I think we all know that the Superbowl represents the effective antithesis of The Long Tail." Honestly, I was shocked to read this. I think your statment is completely false and clearly demonstrates to me that you don't fully grasp the concept. What do you think the Long Tail is?

Small is the new Big is a mini-maxim: it sounds heavyweight but has little meaning beyond buzzyness. Syntagma Media's motto for 2006 is, "Do less, and do it better", which is on the same page, but translates into a useful instruction. Therein lies the difference.

Brad, for advertisers, the superbowl is the chance to reach a mass audience. it's the one time of the year when much of america is congregated, focusing on the same thing. My understanding of the Long Tail is that when we're not watching the Superbowl, we all have many interests that we share with smaller groups of people, many of them in different towns and countries. In the past, it was hard to sell to these markets, because they were dispersed. Now, with modern networks it's much easier. The result: Few bollywood movie theaters in America, but a large Bollywood business for Netflix. Do I have this wrong?

I think any of these phrases gives you what you want to put into thinking about them. They're devized to be provocative, so they only work to the extent you're provoked.

For me, the Long Tail and Small Is The New Big (LT & SITNB) can both provoke new ideas. .. and I see many big companies who don't get the message inherent in them. OK you can see the Super Bowl as a prime example of the old Big Big. However LT & SITNB apply particularly well where the product in whatever format the customer wants can be delivered increadibly cheaply So it's particularly good for Information-type products delivered electronically. So what micro-niches are appropriate when you look more closely at that Super-Bowl audience. I'll leave you to work out the rest of the story. :)

"Less is more"

Stephen, I think your response makes sense. I'd say you got it right, but once again the Superbowl is not the antithesis of the long tail. It's the head. Very few of the advertisers in this years super bowl have taken advantage of the tail. How many of them for instance put their web site address in their commercial?

Good point, Brad. It's not the antithesis, but instead the head of the long tail. Thanks