Race fans buy tickets to go to a race and be entertained. Michael Wolf's book provides much evidence that entertainment and media have moved beyond culture to become the driving wheel of the global economy. For example, children no longer go to McDonalds for food, but rather for entertainment value defined by its toys and play structures. Similarly, shopping malls have become theme parks, retail stores entertainment venues as much as shopping outlets. One of the key themes that emerges from The Entertainment Economy is the increasing difficulty of standing out in a media and product saturated world.
Brands crowd the commercial scenery placing customer time and attention in high demand.
In addition to a media clutter best exemplified by the proliferation of cable television channels, there has also been a concurrent product proliferation. In other words, companies need to provide entertainment experiences that engage consumers. This has caused an influx of entertainment executives into traditionally non-entertainment companies. The lesson learned by McDonald's is instructive here. Businesses need to be aware of new business cycles created in an entertainment environment.