Back in 2006 WIRED editor Chris Anderson released a book called The Long Tail. Since then there have been a number of variants on the market from other authors including an update (The Longer Long Tail) from Chris last year. However the basic premise of identifying a broader market defined by the power of the consumer has not changed.

What was previously seen as high productivity time slices where products of any type had to perform at their highest level in a do or die fashion is now shown to be dancing to a new tune. The long tail infers both a broader product market selection and greater length of life for products driven by consumer demand and access. This new business model or rather market observation has been primarily driven by the Internet’s ability to connect and deliver.

To keep more in the loop on the power of the Long Tail visit Chris’ blog and explore theory and practice. This video below is from Michael Markman and helps helps set the tone for a great read if you pick up Chris’ book. You won’t get the remote control off the guy on the couch so lets find out what he will do with it if left to his own devices.

I encourage you to search YouTube for more presentations by “Chris Anderson” and “Long Tail” to pick up on the conversation.