RE: UKNM: Fast Summit

[Steve Andrews]

I take your point but I believe France Telecom gave away over a million

Minutel terminals and that the whole thing is still hugely subsidised by

them.


Steve Andrews


-----Original Message-----

From:	Bradley Crooks [SMTP:

bradleyforesight [dot] co [dot] uk

]

Sent:	Wednesday, September 16, 1998 6:51 PM

To:

uk-netmarketingchinwag [dot] com

Subject:	RE: UKNM: Fast Summit


>>I guess we can look at Channel 4 and the Sky channels for clues (wet finger

>>in air) as to when an audience figure and the associated demographic is

>>acceptable enough for the advertisers to "pile in" wholesale.  In the UK and

>>Europe at the moment, there just isn't sufficient internet usage penetration

>>of the traditional FMCG audience.


Although of course unlike Channel 4 and Sky where there was no previous

experience of these 'new models' the net has the advantage of the proven

success of satellite and independent TV, radio etc to prove it's potential

worth. Anyone that has followed the business press over the last few years

will be well aware that it is no longer enough for companies to follow tried

and tested models. The modern message is "change constantly or die" (a

little dramatic but you get the point).  Basically large companies cannot

afford NOT to get involved in potential new business models and channels to

market. Hence P&G doing what they're doing. Hence, Hewlett-Packard scared

out of their wits by what Dell are doing, hence a vast investment by the

stock exchanges in vapour-stock.


>>free, one-click, preferably seamless with something safe like TV, instant and

>>interactive.  When we have that, then the masses jump in and then the FMCG

>>boys will really motor.


I'd agree with you that is has to be easy, but free? I doubt it. Instant?

Probably not. I think it's more a matter of gaining consumer acceptance and


proving that the medium is a worthwhile use of someone's time(i.e. that

much-used phrase 'value-added'). Minutel is neither free nor instant but is

a house-hold 'appliance' as far as the French are concerned and is

so-commonly used it has actually been a barrier to entry for the use of the

Internet in France.


Bradley Crooks

Business Development Director

Foresight New Media



http://www.foresight.co.uk

bradleyforesight [dot] co [dot] uk