The Long Tail

After reading the article on the Long Tail concept from the Magazine Wired, (http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.10/tail.html?pg=2&topic=tail&topic_set=) we can learn a lot about it.

The question was "Does the Long Tail Concept fit in the "customer in charge" environment?

I would say yes, it does and for several reasons.

First of all, the recommandations on websites like Amazon.com from internet users. People can buy items but they can also make comments about their feeling about items they already bought and used. (line 9)

Then, thanks to the Long Tail concept, it allows people to discover more and more cultural "products". At the end, people will be happy of what they saw on these websites, they will buy and give their opinion it. (line 20-21).

The Long Tail concept has also an advantage on the physical space wich surrounds us. There is much more room on these websites so people to present cultural "products". It is a new market for customer and they want to discover more and more and try new items even if it is not a mainstream music or a bestseller for a book. On these website, everything has a chance even a small one. (line 84)

In the same idea, the choice is so important that there is no mass market effect.
We are guided by our feelings and by we can read about items. (line 273-274).
Nevertheless, even if we are guided or influenced by others or by recommandations, we still have the choice to follow or not.

Another important part, it allows people to rediscover old songs that some people were looking for ages and thanks to the Long Tail concept, they finally found them. The customer in charge is playing his rule! (line 110)

Tthe Long Tail concept is well organised. As we said in E-Business Class, there are not market segment on line like off line. On line, we are characterised by what we like and the Long tail concept fits in with this theory, it allows people to be "customer in charge". (line 151).

Finally, the price.
Perhaps, 99 cents is a bit expensive to download songs, above all when we know that we can download for free.
On the other hand, we are not in the illegality and maybe it is the price for songs that we can't find anywhere else. So, if people really want this songs, he will find that 99 cents is not expensive because otherwise, he will not have it.

To conclude, the Long Tail concept is an amazing market where everybody can find something and where the people can buy and recommend.