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 usersaccess, get engaged, consume and interact with any type of digital content

- It also defines strategies and tactics accordingly

History of the modelDuring 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

>StandardEven 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 ?

>SubstitutionEntry 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-allBy 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 logicA 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 utilityBuild 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 & RegulationThe 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 !

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

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

Fabian TilmantConsultant in New Media

Mobile ExpertPassionate by Tele-Media Convergence and Media Transformation

Creator of DiCoDE modelwww.fabnet.be - fabian@fabnet.be - twitter: @fabnet_be