The Long Tail Revisited

The “long tail” strategyargues that the availability of niche offerings closely tailored to customers’ tastes will lure consumers away from “hit” products aimed at a mass market. If this theory is correct, the “tail” of the sales distribution curve will become longer, fatter, and more profitable over time. Since we originally examined this trend, it has generated a great deal of commercial and academic interest. What has experience taught us? What are the future implications of this trend? We’ll provide the answers.