Your Long Tail is Showing

80% of Blockbuster's movie rentals are big-budget, big star vehicles (I think they like to call 'em blockbusters). On the other hand, 80% of Netflix's business comes from the art house, specialty, independent or small movie (you know, flix). Our long tail is showing.

Chris Anderson coined the phrase "The Long Tail" in a Wired Magazine article, later turning the concept into a book (shown at right). The cover announces that "the future of business is selling less of more."

When you think about the Arizona economy, you could say that we have a long tail business base. While we can appreciate having large employers that focus on a more traditional "blockbuster" business approach, we can also appreciate having a large share of businesses that collectively "sell more of less."

Let's not get so caught up in comparing ourselves to the blockbuster cities of the past and focus on what will likely be a diversified and bright economic future.

Addendum, fresh from the markets: Blockbuster posted a wider-than-expected loss this past quarter as it spent an inordinate amount of capital to chase Netflix's business model.