Blown to Bits: How the New Economics of Information Transforms Strategy

Richness or reach? For business leaders, it used to be a fundamental strategic tradeoff: focus on "rich" information-customized products and services tailored to a niche market-or reach out to a broad, general market, with watered-down information. The new economics of information is blowing apart this traditional dichotomy. Increasingly, customers will have rich access to a universe of alternatives, suppliers will exploit direct access to your customers, and competitors will pick off the most profitable parts of your value chain. So where's your competitive advantage? *Blown to Bits* demonstrates how companies can re-strategize to take advantage of the new economics of information. Using examples from a spectrum of industries-from financial services to health care, from consumer to industrial goods, from media to retail-*Blown to Bits* shows how to make the most of the new forces shaping competitive advantage.