I've been challeged by some of my peers to try to explain this idea of personalized URLS and landing pages and whatnot. Many of the people with whom I am associated are near retirement, and the new concepts that the internet delivers can be somewhat abstract to many of these folks.

From a printing perspective, the argument has been that this technology is a distraction. Moreover, it's not something that generates revenue for the space that a print company occupies. Certainly, it isn't going to consume resources and enable someone to add value and charge for the new tangible product that results. For a printing company, PURLS do not mean more ink on paper so you can sell more print items...

Or does it?

In this new Attention Economy, companies are willing to spend considerable amounts in getting a user to stay just a little bit longer. Let's face it: if a visit to a website is eight seconds or less, every advantage a company has to keep the individual engaged is worth it.

This is why we created PURL Manager: because if I visit a website, and I see my name in lights, I might give you an extra three or four or ten seconds needed to learn more about you. You've obviously taken time to learn about me, right?

Anyways, in addressing this notion of selling more print, I realized that the Attention Economy is LESS about putting ink on paper, and MORE about putting MESSAGE TO MEDIUM.

Print companies, communications companies, designers, advertisers, brand managers, product managers... everyone that is trying to be heard - take note: The Attention Economy is about flexibility of medium, and it's purpose is ME... and YOU.

Capturing the audience of one is the goal. Google is doing it now: they are changing all their systems from "Search and send away" to "Engage", evidenced by the Google Toolbars, and GMail and Google PC and apps...

In a way, Google proved to us our inherent individual value: when an advertiser is willing to pay $75.00 or more for a single click, it undoubtedly means that our attention is worth significantly more.

Retrospectively, it means that EVERYONE is willing to pay... to print, to produce a commercial, to do product placements in movies... but only if the supplier can accept responsibility for conversions.

Again, it all comes back to message-to-medium: I'm sure if a print company could figure out a way to feed a banana through a printer, a rum company would pay to have their logo printed on the banana skin advertising Pina Coladas... And then think about the grocery store, getting all those free bananas...

Okay, that's my idea if anyone tries to use it!!!

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