Jeff Jarvis has this fantastic post on his take of the future of media.
I believe this has profund implications for brands and marketers. They have to get ready for era which is moving from 'media monoliths' to 'media microliths' - small network of people who will play a critical role in shaping brand perceptions.
Take a look at what he has to say:
In the future of media, which is now, everybody is a network. In the past, networks were defined by control of content or distribution. But now, you can’t own all distribution and content is controlled where it’s created.
What is a network now? Your friend pointing you to something to read or watch is a network. The collection of people putting a YouTube video on their blogs makes a network.
Networks are about sharing now; they used to be about control. Networks are two-way; they used to be one-way. Networks are about aggregation more than distribution; they are about finding and being found. Networks are now open while, by their very definition, they used to be closed.
For us, the people formerly known as consumers, this is a better world. We can find the content we want from anywhere by relying on networks we trust because we know them more intimately and they even know us; we are no longer a one-size-fits all mass.