When I first started working with media owners, there was a widely held belief that 'content is king'... Now, in an era of UGC and almost ubiquitous distribution, this is clearly nonsense.

Sadly, some 'media monarchists' still cling to the notion that core value lies in 'product'. I would argue that 'capability' is now king. Today, commercial advantage lies with those who are providing functionality, rather than those solely focused on producing or distributing 'stuff'.  Owning distribution channels and having direct access to customers are sub-sets of 'capability' but from a strategic perspective, the content itself is secondary.  What's more, the insights that can be gained from delivering functionality are not just useful for improving marketing... they are intrinsically valuable. 

Hopefully, this screen grab illustrates my point. It shows a buying behaviours of Netflix customers mapped against zipcodes using Google. Although maps like this are certainly useful for improving CRM yields or planning campaigns, they are so much more than just a funky sales planning tools.

Essentially, this map is a piece of content in its own right; being interesting and worthy of debate. The tastes and preferences of other people fascinate most of us and also aid in our decision making and reinforce our choices. Using this kind of  'consumer feedback loop' can help to enhance the user experience of a broad range of products and services from insurance to shampoo.

This Google Maps mash-up can be seen to be even more powerful when you consider that the rights owners of the DVDs being rented by Netflix have no direct relationship with their end users and do not own any primary data about them either. And what's really fabulous is that this kind of data feed is always being refreshed and updated automatically. Moreover, as an increasing number of us are using portable digital devices (often including GPS) in all aspects of our daily lives, such services can be incredibly pertinent and effective.