کسب و کار الکترونیکی در بخش سرگرمی : در مورد اگمونت

The new millennium has seen the rise and the fall of ‘dotcom’ firms, coupled with hype and disappointment over what the Internet will bring to business. While investors may have taken a dislike to web-based firms, problems of embracing or responding to the Internet challenge remain for managers of established firms. For instance, Gartner (2001, quoted after The Economist 2002) predicts that 70% of firms will have an incoherent e-business strategy within a year. For existing players it may be simple to set up a web-presence, but it is difficult to create a sustainable business model. This is especially true for industries in which many large, established firms face tremendous changes in both product design and business processes; for instance, those that deliver digital, or digitisable, goods. The media sector, and more specifically the entertainment sector, are prime examples. This paper investigates challenges and issues for entertainment firms active in different stages of the entertainment value chain. While they operate in a growing market, the digital character of their products places them at the centre of industrial changes triggered by the Internet and other new media. The paper provides an analysis of the changing business environment for media firms, investigates the specific approach chosen by one major player, Egmont, and concludes by assessing the important factors for media firms doing successful and profitable business in the new era. While the focus of this case is retrospective—considering the market at the time of Egmont's deliberations—the paper has the benefit of hindsight in terms of e-business developments and outcomes.

Egmont's objective was to realise distribution advantages and other synergies by viewing new technical possibilities and e-business opportunities in terms of enhancing its corporate value by building consumer relations and loyalty. ONL provided Egmont with growth potential by translating each company's market position into interactive media while allowing them to retain control of existing assets. Shared marketing and technology investments are expected to become the primary drivers of intra-organizational co-operation that will offer the partners competitive advantage in their traditional businesses. By closely connecting diverse products and services as well as all Egmont-to-consumer publishing, marketing, and sales activities across interactive media, ONL aimed to enable the Group to control a larger total share of each customer's purchasing. Analysis of Egmont's existing business, Internet investments and market suggests that Egmont has advantages compared to new entrants based on their existing, well-developed supply and delivery systems, their supplier relationships, their warehouse and their invoicing experience. It will most likely be the traditionally strong brands and products, powerful marketing muscles and in-depth competence in value chain activities such as entertainment transformation and distribution, that will lead to a good and profitable bargaining positions in the changing world of entertainment on the Web (see also Financial Times Management Report, 1996; Tomsen, 2000). Involvement in e-business activities has become ‘compulsory’ in most industry sectors (see also Jed et al., 1998). The question is not ‘whether’ to participate, but ‘when’ and with ‘what products, services or activities’. In the future, there will be no way to survive without getting into e-business. It may take a few years (and certainly longer than predicted a couple of years ago), but every firm and almost every citizen will ‘do e-business’ (e.g. Negroponte, 1995). Like the telephone, e-business will become so common that nobody will discuss it anymore. However, while the destination is known the path to get there is a stony one, though. Today, it is clear that it is risky to invest in e-business. In the near and medium future, however, it will be even more risky not to invest. As Egmont concedes ‘The new electronic media continues to shape industry logic and to attract market attention. New technology creates numerous new opportunities for content providers to have their content distributed and presented directly to consumers. However, new technology-driven solutions are currently developed much faster than the demand for them.’ (Egmont Annul Report, 2000). Research (e.g. Adam & Yesha, 1996; O’Connor & O’Keefe, 1997) and practical experiences (e.g. Turban et al., 2000; Kare-Silver, 1999) such as the Egmont case illustrate that the crux is whether a firm is doing well in its traditional business. Beyond that, mainly in businesses with an increasing share of digital goods delivered over the Internet such as the entertainment sector, the battle will increasingly evolve into one over audience attention and positive ‘return on attention’ (Kelly, 1998; Shapiro & Varian, 1999). Hence, the key to success in the rapidly evolving media and entertainment sector will be to develop new business models based on a deep understanding of markets, customers, and hence adapting entertainment consumption patterns. Only such an understanding will allow the various players to gain critical mass for their developing business models. It remains to be seen if the more recent prognoses on the future of the Internet will come to pass, ‘As it becomes clear that the Internet will not be the main vehicle for electronic entertainment, the industry giants will, slowly, cut back their new media investments. The losses in the end will not seem that enormous; after all, some of them were offset by the huge surge in advertising from the dot.coms. The period will be written out of corporate histories. And the big cheeses of the entertainment industry will, quietly and collectively, brief a sigh of relief, because they never liked or understood the Internet anyway.’ (Economist, October 2000, p. 32). Even if this is to be the case, understanding the processes such firms went through is vital as those who do not understand may be doomed to repeat the mistakes. As a postscript it is important to note that Egmont has continued to grow and has maintained its market position in print media, but lost ground in electronic media in Denmark. The Danish Internet portal www.eon.dk offers Danes a quick update on the entertainment world through its niche portals www.gamereactor.dk and www.filmreactor.dk. Current Egmont management sees their challenge in the emerging digital entertainment world as to ensure that all their companies have access to this knowledge and these projects. With this in mind Egmont took the first step in 2000 towards internal convergence and digitalisation. They are building an electronic ‘warehouse’ where Egmont companies can store all the content and the thousands of products they produce. This would allow targeted use of skills, copyrights and products in completely new combinations—with Egmont as originator or partner (Egmont Annul Report, 2000).