Jason Kilar was on Charlie Rose the other night. He’s an interesting guy. He spoke with enthusiasm about hulu’s mission, hulu’s team of owner-employees, hulu’s positioning in the media business. He presents himself as a serious, smart leader. So why does he make me nervous?
During his conversation with Rose, Kilar mentions that hulu has three customers – their audience, their advertisers and their content creators. That breakdown bothers me for some reason. The “audience” is part of hulu’s business model – a silent partner of sorts. Isn’t the audience a separate entity? Kilar is suggesting that viewers are members and participants. He trumpets hulu’s ethos – success is achieved only when each customer group loves their product. They have to love it or they have failed. Love is the word.
crusty spectacles 