Press "Enter" to skip to content

Category: Bright Ideas

American Idol Demonstrates Power of the On-Demand Consumer

I am addicted to American Idol. There, I said it.

Now that I have confessed, let me explain why I am hooked on this show. It is a great example of what I call the new "On-Demand Consumer" in action.

Every year (every season), millions of consumers vote for their favourite product (the singer), the one they want to be manufactured (their album produced and released by a major music label).

And how do these On-Demand Consumers vote? By calling a toll-free number or sending a text message from their mobile phone. It’s a simple – yet utterly brilliant – model. And it is being replicated all around the world with Canadian Idol, Australian Idol, Latin American Idol, etc.

Last week I was giving a talk on the On-Demand Consumer and I was asked what percentage of American Idol voting was done via SMS (text messaging). I didn’t have an answer at the time, but I did get one later.

Comments closed

Eight Tips I Picked Up at PodCamp Toronto 2007

I am still coming down from PodCamp Toronto 2007. It was just that good.

Nearly 300 podcasters, podcast listeners (podfans?) and students of all ages descended on Ryerson University for this free, two-day event.

The one thing everyone had in common seemed to be their passion for this new medium. The excitement and enthusiasm of the whole affair fondly reminded me of my first Internet World Conference, which I attended in – oh my God – 1996 in San Jose, California.

Here are a few choice excerpts from the notes I took during the many informative educational sessions at PodCamp Toronto 2007:

2 Comments