Description and Purpose

- DiCoDE presents 1 model with 5 key concepts, at the crossroad of

Digital Content, Advertising and Social Networks throughout Media,
Telecom and User Experience universes
- It aims to understand, analyse and decode actors, actions and stakes
within the Digital Content
Distribution Ecosystem
- DiCoDE explains how users
access, get engaged,
consume and interact with
any type of digital content
- It also defines strategies
and tactics accordingly
 History of the model
During an Advanced Digital Media Strategies Program which I
attended at the Institute for Media and Entertainment in New York City,
Professors Joseph Valor, Sandra Seiber and Jose Luis Nueno analysed
case studies using the "Digital Media Value Chain Model" which I found
interesting. However, it lacked
some key concepts like
advertising, user interaction &
social networks, user currencies...
After almost 1 year of interactions
with experts, additional
information gathering and
foresight on actuality, here’s
DiCoDE, my interpretation of
this model.
 Overview of the model
- Media : connected to advertising ecosystem, content production
ecosystem and, since Web 2.0 has risen, user interactions through
User Generated Content and Social Networks
- Telecom : providing infrastructure to data storage and distribution
- User Experience : through the device (and its software-based
components) that allows the user to access this digital content
 >Media
- Portals, search engine(s?) and social networks drive traffic to digital
content
- Advertising, separated or not from digital content, allows (relative)
profitability to digital content providers
- Media is at the crossroad of content production, advertising,
social networks and users
 >Telecom
- Hosting and distribution of data, from content aggregator to user
- Several roles among limited amount of players
- Commoditization of these roles leads to a “dumb pipe” position for
most of these players, not being able providing value to the user
 >User Experience
- Turning digital content into an experience for the user
- Combination of hardware, operating system, software (desktop- or
browser-based) and user credentials
- If this experience is satisfactory, user will be ready to pay through one
(or more) of his/her currencies: attention, engagement, data and
money
 5 Key concepts
- Each step of the model, for each possible ecosystem can be
understood and optimized through 5 key concepts
- Standard in an open world
- Substitution in fragmented markets
- Winner-take-all for the lucky one
- Platform logic connecting complementors and users
- Platform utility to create a virtuous circle
 >Standard
Even though technologies increasingly allow interconnected and open
possibilities, standards are key for positioning, adoption and loyalty of
its digital content and services for any player
Standards can be agreed on a market, forced by regulation or by a
market player

Consider Blu-Ray vs HD-DVD : what made the difference ?

 >Substitution
Entry and exit barriers level are key for user acquisition and retention.
If you can substitute a product/service easily by another, it is called
commoditized

Consider Ebay : Why wouldn’t you leave this platform for a competitor ?
 >Winner-take-all
By smart use of standard, entry and exit barriers and often slow or
weak regulation, some players can reach a winner-take-all position

Consider Microsoft Office : What made it the most used Office Suite ?
 >Platform logic
A platform is the meeting point of user audience (small arrows at the
bottom) with complementors (large arrows at the top). First ones use it
to satisfy a desire or a need, the other ones use it to reach this
available customer base.

Consider Facebook : Why did they allow companies creating apps ?

 >Platform utility
Build and grow a system where complementors find users and users
find value. Pamper your complementors by providing them with tools
to innovate within the system and be profitable, which will in turn
pamper your users.
The more users you have, the more interested complementors you will
gain which again attracts more interested users.
This creates a virtuous circle!

Consider Apple App Store : For what isn’t there an app ?

 Copyright & Regulation
The entire Digital Content Distribution Ecosystem is governed by
Copyright and Regulation Systems
- There are inadequate regulations to control fast-paced
technology capabilities
- But regulation has a increasingly key role in organizing or
reorganizing ecosystems, especially once the technology
evolution ceases to be as critical as it is now. Ask Microsoft and
Google;o)
Thanks for your attention !
Do you want to engage in this discussion? Just send me your thoughts
about this model on Slideshare, share it or even enrich it !

Fabian Tilmant
Consultant in New Media
Mobile Expert
Passionate by Tele-Media Convergence and Media Transformation
Creator of DiCoDE model
www.fabnet.be - fabian@fabnet.be - twitter: @fabnet_be

Download a 1-pager on http://bit.ly/DiCoDE_pdf

This model is under BY-NC-SA Creative Commons licence terms