Changes and Challenges: Mass Customised Media and the Internet

Abstract

Personalisation of net services will probably be the main factor for future success of Internet media. The user obtains the content they want, and is not overwhelmed with unnecessary material. The Internet is the first electronic medium with which this interactive personalisation has been possible. This trend will also be developed by online radio and television, as they move away from general and special interest programming, towards narrowcasting and supply on demand. At the same time, the user is turning into Toffler’s pro-sumer, creating the product they themselves desire. Involving users in production of content and the creation of communities increases attractiveness and thus profitability (e.g. AOL and AOL’s scouts). Besides supporting user input with web pages, chatrooms and online games also increase involvement. Personalisation is also aided by two technical means: agents and collaborative filters. Agents, e.g. as used by search engines, search the Internet and compile information on the subject required by the user. These are now also being used for e-commerce. Collaborative filters batch users into “affinity groups”, people with similar interests, by use or purchasing patterns, etc. This is a powerful marketing and programme planning tool. Both methods also help increase user loyalty. All these approaches to personalisation are currently being used by several webcasters, to develop their webcasting services. Accordingly, the other major trend on the Internet is away from globalisation towards niche marketing: content is 122 Multimedia Internet Broadcasting focussed more and more by interest or locality, dividing the former masses using a single medium into many different users with their “own” medium. These very small target groups (fewer than 10,000 people) can be provided with their own webcasted programme. Pornography currently heads this market. Former mass media thus become the first meso-media on the Internet and finally the fully personalised “Me-channel”.