There’s a telling difference between the web and mobile that leaves us in the dark about how content on the mobile web will be paid for.
That difference is that the web had free content as its foundation. That legacy has been incredibly hard to break for even the most determined and premium content brands.
However, on mobile, a culture of paying for content already exists. Here we have ringtones and screensavers – what the mobile industry calls ‘personalisation’ – to thank, if not for much else.
So the question is which of these mindsets will prevail when people seek content from the web on their mobiles.
Naturally, the answer must be both. As long as mobile operators help the industry use their billing systems to enable easy payment, we can expect people to be happy to pay where content is unique and valuable enough and prepared to accept advertising where it’s not.
That will lead to three types of model: one, where top-class content is entirely paid-for; two, where middle-ranking content is part paid and part ad-supported; and, three, fully ad-funded bargain basement stuff.
The current platform of mobile content revenues shouldn’t be deserted now that the web proper is arriving in our pockets. Instead, content owners should see it as a new opportunity to reap the rewards they deserve.
http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/news/866719/T-Mobile-offers-ad-funded-gaming/
