The future of the Dutch creative industries

The impact of the credit crunch on the Dutch creative industries has many faces. Next to cost cutting and bad results of (media) companies, Dutch newspapers are asking the government to invest in newspapers to survive. Ruud Hendriks gave his unsalted opinion on this topic during the symposium 'Creativity means business'; don't invest in companies which are in trouble because of mismanagement. Walter Amerika, another speaker of this symposium showed some results of a research on the creative industry. The industry is suffering from not enough financial injections. This situation can become even more problematic because the Dutch government has given a warning to the Dutch creative industries. As long as the industries aren't able to work closely together with other parties within the industries the government will stop facilitating / financing innovation.

I understand that there is a fundamental difference between investments in products, companies and industries. But, it seems like no one is interested to invest in creative products, creative companies and creative industries anymore. Does this mean that the creative industry will disappear? In that situation creative products and services are only generation a cash flow when it is served bundled with other (paid) services from other industries. This means the 'feels like free business model' will survive. This also means that other products and services which are served as part of the bundle, will become more expensive. Nice to have a greater customer experience with the products thanks to the creative products which you are getting for (feels like) free, but how long will the customer pay for this experience? The consumer will look for other ways to get the product for a lower price. Imagine what will happen when the products will be available via social media for free (or a lower price). Other industries of the bundled products and services will start collapsing as well. My advice to business people: look what is happing in the creative industries. Learn from their mistakes because it will be soon happening to your industry as well! Be prepared: It's innovation time!