Producer-Intermediary Relationships in the Long Tail

摘要

The role of intermediaries in long tail markets is different from those in traditional markets, due mainly to the heterogeneous nature of the buyers, the sellers and the products that comprise these markets. We propose a theory-based framework that identifies different kinds of long tail intermediaries who provide services to producers of digital goods. We also identify a set of unique descriptors for these process intermediaries that make them vital to long tail producers, and the factors that bring them together.