As more entertainment and news have moved online, it seems like more and more things can be had for free.  I can watch a clip from a cable television show on Hulu even though I don’t subscribe to cable.  I can read a New York Times article even though I dropped my print subscription.  As Tangyslice write in a post last month, there are lots of things you can get for free — software and international phone calls included.

So you can imagine my surprise when I read that Disney is starting a web portal that will require a $75 annual fee.  Subscribers will get access to Disney news, entertainment and merchandise.  In addition, they will receive a quarterly magazine.  While I understand that Disney wants to generate revenue, I wonder if consumers are willing to pay for the features offered.  The online Wall Street Journal has been effective at generating revenue with a subscription model but they offer financial reporting and insight.  Is Disney news and entertainment as desirable?  In addition, will consumers be able to find most of the information provided other places (e.g., youtube, other fan sites, etc)?  If so, the value of the portal will be diminished.

As much as I like to measure and quantify, it is too early to try to assign a dollar value to social media.  Marketers are still trying to figure out how to use social media effectively.  Until they do, they will not be able to measure the impact of social media on their efforts and their brands more generally. 

If you are interested, Limeduck has posted about a tweet up held by a Boston radio station, WBUR, to explore and discuss social media.  Also, Tangyslice has also begun interviewing “real people using Web 2.0 to improve the way they do business”.