Wired editor Chris Anderson's book The Long Tail is arguably one of the more influential business texts of the past five years. For those not familiar with his premise, he argues that the Internet plus just-in-time manufacturing (or printing, or publishing) helps foster demand in niche markets. In other words, while there will always be blockbusters, demand for singles, one-offs, and more obscure products will grow -- and as a result present a viable source of revenue. (The long tail is in reference to how this demand is graphically charted.) This idea is a boon for content producers and owners as it posits long-term demand for products, rather than just one-time sales, and. because production is so cheap, makes it cost-effective to produce in batches as small as a single item.
Warner Bros. is about to exploit the long tail in a big way, with its new initiative to make the titles in its vast movie library available on a made-to-order basis. Rather than run the risk of printing thousands of DVDs for sale, Warner is allowing customers to purchase single copies of movies, allowing the company to monetize its back catalog at very low cost. With a library of 6,800 films, Warner Bros. has not come close to releasing all of these on DVD, with only about 1,200 titles out via conventional processes. As Tom Adams of Adams Media Research commented, "I think ultimately the odds are very good that every film ever made will be available on this kind of basis, because why not?"
Initially, 150 titles will be available, with 20 more added per month. In another nod to the times, Warner will offer the option of having the film burned to disc or as a digital download.
This demonstrates some forward thinking, not always evident these days as the movie industry wrestles with how to survive and thrive in the digital age. The long tail presupposes there is a customer, perhaps only a single customer, for any product. By opening its library, Warner Bros. takes a step toward finding buyers for each of its films.
(Image: Gareth Simpson, Flickr)
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