Yesterday I came across an interesting  piece on GigaOM about the "Fat Belly" (original piece linked here), that added on to Chris Anderson's Long Tail theory (read about it here). In a nutshell: Anderson's theory divides the power law distribution curve into two segments, a big head, a tall peak that represents things like top search queries, main current news issues, a blockbuster film, mass products etc... and rapidly drops and extends into a long tail, all the niche searches, stories, products, indie-music, B-movies etc... to put it simply, people search/buy/consume/are intereseted in "less of more". The GigaOM piece adds to the equation a middle bit, the fat belly, that gathers social networks, online communities, aggregators (like digg) etc...

Media needs to think of its habitat with similar logic and position itself in this fat belly and dialogue and interact with both a big head and a long tail. At its core opining on the big head, broadely meaning current affairs - beyond geographical connotations lets call this the "global" - and the unique selling value and social purpose that is defined by a specific media's identity, meaning for example theme, language, national news etc... - also beyond geography, lets call this the "local". Integrating at the edge, other relevant opining, sources and content, including that of readers, around the big head. Integration intended as interactive, thus rapidly reactive, given the changing nature of the big head.

In parallel the big belly needs to capture and intersect with the pulse of its long tail: at its core adopt information and content that is produced along the tail - the "global" intended as a multitude of clusters (niches) that are transversal -, at the edge adapting, mashing up and integrating its own opining and knowledge - the "local" intended as influence on and contribution of added value to a niche and as distribution of new value -.

In summary: a strategic objective of position (in the fat belly) enabled by a core that acts "globally" at a big head level by producing value (also intended as social purpose of the media, influence and positive impact) around current affairs relevantly to a media's niche and that adds/creates (cultural and social) value and along the long tail by contributing/linking to other clusters generated by users thus leveraging on network economies, and an edge that leverages the "local" at a big head level thus enables adaptation, flexibility and expansion (of social, political and cultural value, relevance and influence), and that adds value to the long tail by sharing, contributing and distributing knowledge to and through it.

All this needs to be thought in a dynamic way as part of a comprehensive strategy: a) within the framework of a media's own "search/read/resource queries", the specifics of its unique powerlaw distribution curve: the pinning down of which is traditional media's key challenge (monetization and profit are almost a natural, organic, consequence); and b) in interactive ways, where the big head and long tail dialogue and communicate, and rapidly change and adapt, through the fat belly: a strategy to achieve the objective and by consequence more effectively enables media's social and cultural purpose.

Editiorial notes: (A) This post is the third on media 2.0: the first post and the second one. (B) I am wanting to expand all this and write a more in-depth paper on a strategic framework for media 2.0 which I am in the proccess of reflecting more profoundly upon and to which customize solutions in addition to analysis. In terms of publishing/distribution model I am thinking of the following: 1) as soon as I receive a sufficient amount of expressions of interest for such a paper (if you are interested email me: anardelli [at] gmail dot com) I will confirm it's happening 2) I will contact all those that send an expression of interest asking for a minimum commitment (at a very special rate) 3) I will finish the paper and send it to all those that "committed" (at no additional cost), who will also be free to use and share it (no strings attached) 4) Will charge a special (but less very) to all those who expressed interest but did not commit in advance, while a standard rate to all others 5) All those that purchase the paper will also receive free advisory support (one email/question/issue), relevant additions made to the paper and discounted access to requested adaptations/customization of the report 6) In time the paper will be made available for free 7) Of course in parallel I will continue to post (hopefully interesting stuff) on this blog.

Email me with any questions or for further information.