Today I happened to glance at an article that is tacked to the wall of my cubicle. Honestly, I rarely cut out articles, but this one seemed to be so futuristic (it was the end of 2008), yet intriguingly possible, that I had to keep it. The article in question – “Five Years From Now, Media Will Be Totally Intangible” by Steve Rubel in Ad Age. (Now you too can tack a copy to your wall…and you’re welcome.) The articles begins:
I want to make a bet with you. I wager that by January 2014 almost all forms of tangible media will be either in sharp decline or completely extinct in the U.S. I am talking about not just print but all tangible forms of media — newspapers, magazines, books, DVDs, boxed software and video games.
At the time, I am not going to say that I was unaware of the technological advances that were gaining speed, but I really didn’t think that it would happen so quickly.
Since the start of 2009 (a very brief look) –
- Hulu gained popularity.
- Blockbuster closed over 900 stores, to date. If you go to Blockbuster.com you can download movies (ala Netflix).
- In 2009, Circuit City closed and Virgin Megastore ceased to exist in the US.
- As of Q2-2011: Apple’s iPhone has 19.1% of the market share, and leads all other vendors.
- Borders is closing in 2011.
Additionally, online banking and invoices have become so popular, that the US Postal Service is considering to shorten their work week. Do you even know how much a stamp costs nowadays? Right…didn’t think so.
Just like the individuals who left comments to Steve Rubel’s article, I too was a bit skeptical. Funny thing is…now it seems like 2014 is too far into the future.
Filed under: Business, Green, Marketing, Tech, Ad Age, bankruptcy, blockbuster.com, Hulu, iPhone, online banking, online media, Print media, Steve Rubel, US Postal Service, youtube
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