Saturday, August 29, 2009

The Freeconomy And Catching Laptops Where Laptops Were Not Meant To Be Caught

This is funny. I guess I never realized how much thought and work goes into those youtube virals that make their way onto everyone’s screen... See my mind just doesn’t work this way, but somebody actually visualized an audience for The Amazing Acrobuttocks. It was produced by a company and I was somehow given a spot in this little video. I originally laughed off the idea when I read the breakdown, but something compelled me to submit anyways (a serious need to pay rent).
It’s amazing to think that this video has almost TWO MILLION hits (and counting) right now. People read a crazy title like “Guy Catches Laptop With His Butt” and they just have to know.
It takes a very interesting type of mind to come up with something like this and visualize the market where it would actually work... but that’s what the Freeconomy is all about.
Chris Anderson talks at some length about this idea in his book FREE: The Future Of A Radical Price (Check it out on iTunes for free). The idea is that of trading viewership and clout as if it were money... rather this particular market, known as the Freeconomy, is not based solely on monetary values but on credentials like the ability to gain a massive audience through a free video that may get laptops sold.
And this video probably will get laptops sold. The compony will make the money it spent on the production back after less than a hundred sales... and considering the massive viewership, they will probably make a very hefty sum above and beyond. It will probably be close to 90% profit. 
And that just amazes me... this silly video that everyone in the world can watch for free is making this one company a ton of money.
Now I don’t really understand economics. I’m fairly certain economists have little to no clue what it’s all about. But there is something ticking deep in the bowls of that word... and if somebody could actually make it all make sense, well then we’d have a real story on our hands. Yes sir. Yes sir.

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