Is the Concept of a Release Date Still the Right Answer?
By Mark Vincent
Share
Is the concept of a release date still relevant in the digital world?
This came to mind as a result of my DJ hobby and hearing a new tune on Radio 1, which I thought would work perfectly in my next set.
…except it’s not released yet and no release date mentioned either.
So it’s on Radio 1, therefore people are hearing it and some will want it. And yet there is no possibility to stream or download until the release date, which is unknown right now.
I understand the psychology of wanting something more when we can’t have it but isn’t there a secondary consideration in our modern world? We are fickle and flooded with information, so my observation is that most of us will do one of two things:
- Either forget all about it because our attention and cash will go elsewhere
- Or find a way to get it illegally. Heard of Streamripping?
On the second one, Spotify proved that making a legal option available, in a form that consumers want, reduces piracy.
Movies appear to follow a similar pattern, whereby the concept of cinema and then DVD release restricts streaming services having new films right away. So consumers who prefer the streaming format have to wait or find other alternatives.
When the world changes we can hold onto traditions and industry norms longer than we should, forgetting what they were designed to address in the first place. A good test is whether you would set things up that way if you were designing it from scratch today.
The release date made sense in the world of CDs and Vinyl, where it was made available in the shops at a pre-determined moment in time; a function of the processes of making and shipping physical products to the shops.
I wonder if in the modern world of streaming the concept of a release date, or holding back availability to some pre-determined point in the future, still makes sense?
Get in touch
If you’re starting a change, or already on the journey and need some support, we can help.
Whether it’s coaching or mentoring your leadership team, diagnosing low engagement or leading a change on your behalf, we have a range of options to suit different situations and budgets. Contact us by clicking the button to find out more.
Related content
What is Change Readiness? Start by asking these 5 questions
Have you ever tried making changes that never really got past the good intentions. We’ve found that 5 simple questions can help to orientate us to a far more useful place.
Why would anyone bother?
In business change and transformation it’s easy to focus on the wrong things when in fact the answers are often hiding in plain sight
A new paradigm requires new thinking
The Forth Industrial Revolution we are living in now requires a completely different way of thinking about how we live, work and deal with change if we want to thrive.
Seventy Years of Change – Celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
Twenty-five years ago, as part of her Golden Jubilee celebrations, Queen Elizabeth addressed Parliament and said “Change is a constant, managing it has become an expanding discipline. The way we embrace it defines our future.”…
If we Want Change to Happen, Incentivise it
When incentives and subsidies are aligned to the behaviours we want it’s far more likely that change will happen.
Our latest thoughts…
The body of human knowledge is expanding all the time. Learning, sharing and building on that knowledge is the energy that drives the human race forward as we reach for greater things. Alongside helping our…