Jason Rosado

Update: Could Microsoft be reading my blog? Doubt it, but check out this short article on this very topic. Microsoft is first out of the gate! How often do you get to say that?

In the news today, is the announcement that the storied New York Times will be introducing a for-pay model for their web information. Information on their new “metered model” is here and in the video below:

In my humble opinion, the metered model shouldn’t be necessary. What the New York Times should do is to finally acquiesce to the changing times. It’s 2010 and their delivery methods are still somewhat the same. Sure, they have a great looking newspaper and a great-looking web site, but how do the two platforms meet and support one another? The answer: They don’t.

Here’s my suggestion: The New York Times should implement QR or bar codes for all advertisements in their paper version such that simple micropayment transactions can be executed with mobile devices. See a good blog post here and another video below for how they’re widely used in Asia.

They can use the QR codes to integrate their online media (ex: David Pogue videos) with their paper version so that a scan of the codes in the paper version would bring up the video in iTunes (on either the iPhone or the iTablet) for purchase at a reasonable price somewhere between $0.10 – $0.25. They can do the same for other digital media like music, video, e-books, etc.

They can then take a cut on the transaction (and or just increase advertising rates, since they can argue that advertising within the Times is more conducive to revenue-enablement to the advertisers).

They should also change the dimensions of the printed version to tabloid size to reduce paper costs and or work to develop some sort of for-pay printable (and delivered) version for people who still want to read on the train/have tangible version in their hands. The for-pay printable version should also enable customer-specific advertising (based on associative recommendations, like Amazon) that also allows for quick and easy transaction execution.

In this way, they keep a cost-effective paper version of their news that will satisfy the traditionalists yet can actually be read easier, but also offer a hybrid style of media that is more executable and brings greater value to both readers and advertisers.

Perhaps they’ve explored these options, my assumption is that they haven’t. Happy to hear anyone’s comments on these ideas.