The Long Tail Fail. It’s All Just Social?
In the Wall Street Journal today there is an article on recent consumer research which shows that the world is not changing it’s tail.
“The Long Tail†posits that all products are equal on the Internet. A statement with which I agree: at the beginning all ideas, products are equal.
The research, from Professior Anita Elberse, states that there are still “hits†on the internet that reflect human’s social behaviour. A statement I also heartily agree with as certain products are deemed “hits†whilst others are “misses†and many are ignored as they lie hidden in the wastes of electrons. If one person in our trusted social network states that “product/film/artist is way coolâ€, we will probably follow.
What is different about the internet is that these trends are sometimes surprising, amplified and quickened.
Human behaviour hasn’t evolved to adequately cope with the shortening communication gap.