Let’s see, I think in 1995 I started AOL Studios to build new brands to ride on top of the AOL network as well as the web at large. At the time, AOL was becoming the biggest virtual MSO in the sky but you just knew that there would be a billion people online and that new brands that rode on top of all distribution would garner the most value. In a sense this is what Google achieved. That distributed concept forshadowed the distributed web and Web 2.0 business models by a dozen years. We also were building a watermark that looked like today’s widget architecture to cross promote back and forth across the network.
AOL also created a Liberty Media-like holding company called Greenhouse in 1994, 14 years ago. 
It was all in the name of building out NEW brands and businesses without the AOL brand aside it. We believed in the power of the web to create a new medium and that new brands would emerge as favorites of a new consuming generation. I also believed that the value would accrue to the super setting brands that had distribution across all connections on a global basis. Content and utility brands always become more valuable than distribution brands in the long run. MTV is more important than Viacom cable. Did you even know that Viacom was once a big cable MSO company?
Let me count some of the non-AOL specific brands we owned and launched at the time via AOL Studios: Digital Cities (local); Worldplay Games (social gaming); Electra (women’s site); Entertainment Asylum (entertainment and celebrity); Thrive (health and wellness); The Hub (teens’ site); and Real Fans (the first sports blogging platform.) We also acquired and managed Moviefone and Mapquest. We launched Ozzie the Elf as the first cross platform character from Santa’s Home Page. He left the online world and became an ABC holiday special on network TV produced by Brandon Tartikoff. I could go on and on. How I wish we had continued to support the build out of these vertical sites and cross platform programming rather than continuing to invest in our dial-up marketing efforts.
Greenhouse also helped launch some great brands and first-of-their-kind programming efforts. We provided carriage and money in exchange for equity: Motley Fool; iVillage; Excite; Preview Travel/Travelocity; The Knot; WebMD; NetNoir(first African American site), PlanetOut; iGolf; Genieasy (horoscopes); and literally dozens and dozens of other new brands were launched and partially owned by AOL at the time. We also launched a precursor to the Flickr photo service.
As an old timer, it is wonderful to see strategies and concepts articulated more than a dozen or so years ago being reinvigorated and supported now. This is exactly the right strategy only now with broadband pipes and ad dollars available and internet advertising spending passing TV and cable spending. It won’t be seen as being ahead of its time. It will be seen as rationale and wise.
For someone who sold one of the first (if not the first) interactive ad campaigns, this is big news. As an early evangelist of this new medium, to see advertisers and businesses embracing the medium and the ad dollars following consumer usage is a great sight to behold. To my fellow Redgate employees: If you remember in 1986 I said, ”In less than 25 years, 1 billion people would have an interactive connection; a new media company would become the biggest and most important media company; and interactive advertising would be the most important way marketers reach consumers.” Who knew how right we would be?
If you remember 1986 was the year we launched Interactive News Networks and soon thereafter published our white paper called “New Rules - New Media”. To see online advertising now pass cable advertising in market size is remarkable.
…For caring about the WNBA and women’s basketball. Here is some excellent and in-depth coverage of the Mystics and our prospects for the coming season. See you at our home opener.
Huh? Why? Are you kidding me?
Bring back Gary Busey!
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Films Posted on May 16th, 2008
I just saw my first $4.00 per gallon gas price! Gas prices are out of control. Here is a good resource to find the best value on gas prices in your area.
Food prices are up. The cost of milk is up.
Consumers can’t get loans and their homes aren’t worth what they paid for them.
Whoever wins the Presidency will have to deal with the economy first and foremost. They must deliver us the basics: safety, a good economy and belief in the American dream that the world will be better for our children than it was for us.
It is almost summertime. Gas prices are up so vacations will be curtailed. There is no reason for gas to be $4 per gallon. Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here is a nice story on Brooks Laich. Brooks had a very good year. He is developing nicely as a very versatile player. He is also emerging as a fan favorite. He is big, fast, strong and young with upside in his game. He plays center; wing; kills penalties; and can play on the power play.
Peter Bondra was one of my favorite players of all time. He is now retired. We traded Peter to Ottawa and Brooks Laich came to us in return. I have kept some of the emails I received about the trade. You should read them sometime. They would make your hair stand on end.
It is a great story that Brooks has developed into a nice piece of our overall rebuild plan.
No media and technology has had the social adoption on a global scale as the Internet.
The web is only 15 years old. Here is an interesting BBC story about the Internet and some predictions from some futurists.
I feel old as I was there from day one. I was online when there were less than 1 million people around the world connected and I remain a zealot and optimist as today there are more than 1 billion people connected to one another.
Widgets will be the big story in social media over the next 18 months. Clearspring has made the most progress of any company in terms of publishers served; unique visitors; monthly views; and advertisers. Look to this space for some big news about Clearspring soon.
Go GridPoint! This is great news for this local company that I support. It does well while it does good! I am proud to be associated with them.
We had a record day yesterday in sign-ups for Revolution Money. The blogosphere loves this service. It is safe; it is secure; and it is fun to use. Check it out.
