Re: Definition of syndication

["Pierre-R. Wolff" <pierre.wolff2@gte.net>]

--- In syndication@egroups.com, "mar wil" <mdublu@h...> wrote:
> Has anyone in this group put forth a formal definition of the 
> term "syndication?"  Is defining the term an endeavor that would be 
> of interest to the group?  Does syndication have a different 
meaning 
> in the online world than in the print world?  I am working on a 
> definition and will introduce it to this forum as soon as possible. 
> 
> Thank you.

While it has been a while since anything was posted in response to 
this inquiry, here are some additional thoughts to include in the 
thinking here.

The term syndication offline has primarily been relegated to media, 
primarily TV, radio, and print publishing.  Now, the online world 
also gets to benefit fm this term, but because online *everything* is 
about media, we can extrapolate the term syndication fm online 
activities back to the physical world.

Specifically, online, the concept of syndicating stores has begun to 
get traction.  Companies like iMediation and Bowstreet have been 
touting the concept of a store w/in a site.  This is where a merchant 
can syndicate their store to partner sites in a sort of next 
generation affiliate program.  The affiliate programs like LinkShare 
and BeFree are about syndicating a piece of a merchant or service's 
brand (through the use of a branded button) on partner sites that 
links back to the merchant's site.

If we carry these metaphors back the other way to the physical space, 
then all of a sudden, the Clinique counter at Macy's is an example of 
syndication Clinique syndicating their store or catalog inside of 
Macy's.  The magazine cover sitting on a newsstand on the corner 
of 57th Street & 7th Ave in NYC, is syndication (it's the syndication 
of the magazine's brand, which like an affiliate program could lead 
to the purchase of the magazine itself).  These examples should not 
be confused w/advertising which requires a whole separate set of 
actions to get to be able to purchase the product being highlighted.

Hence, syndication takes on a larger and larger meaning as we bounce 
back between online and offline worlds.

I'll respond under one of the other threads re: the biz models 
aspects to syndication, and how free content can be leveraged to 
generate more revenues when thought about in perspective.