What It's Like Competing With VC-Fueled Media Startups

Elsewhere in this, the Digital Issue of Advertising Age, my colleague Michael Sebastian writes about digital publishing companies -- specifically, a half dozen upstarts in various stages of youth, including BuzzFeed (born 2006) and Vox (2011).It's an eye-opening report that looks beyond the hype surrounding these companies. Some of them are profitable (or at least claim to be), some aren't, but all of them have raised serious cash from starry-eyed investors (e.g., $96.3 million for BuzzFeed, $110 million for Vox). The business press tends to regard such hefty sums as implicit evidence of success and/or promise -- why would venture capitalists risk so much scratch if there was no there there? -- but Michael reminds us that all of these companies rely, somewhat harrowingly, on advertising for revenue.Which means these new-media challengers have, at their core, basically the same business model as the publishing incumbents. They're selling eyeballs to brands (though sometimes they put a different spin on it; e.g., they're actually selling "engagement"). Everyone is competing for the same digital dollars, and thus the same digital-advertising issues that dog legacy media companies (declining CPMs, the rise of programmatic, the challenge of monetizing mobile, etc.) apply to the new kids on the block, too. Continue reading at AdAge.com Continue reading at 'Advertising Age'

[ Advertising Age | 2015-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #business model #digital dollars #monetizing mobile

Other Publishing stories related to: 'What It's Like Competing With VC-Fueled Media Startups'


Media Decoder Blog: Rielle Hunter to Publish a Memoir This Month

Rielle Hunter, who had an affair with John Edwards and later gave birth to their daughter, has written a book titled "What Really Happened: John Edwards, Our Daughter and Me.'' Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2012-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #john edwards #book titled


Total Media lands Random House and Transworld Publishers online accounts

Random House Children's Publishers UK and Transworld Publishers have appointed Total Media to handle their online media planning and buying. Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2012-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #transworld publishers


Media Decoder Blog: Foer Returns to New Republic as Editor

Two months after obtaining a majority stake in the magazine, Chris Hughes, a co-founder of Facebook, is bringing back Franklin Foer as part of an ambitious plan to remake the magazine. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2012-05-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #majority stake #chris hughes #ambitious plan


AIM Media Texas Announces Acquisition of Texas Newspapers from Freedom Communications

DALLAS, TX, May 18, 2012 – AIM Media Texas, LLC (“AIM” or the “Company”) announced today that it has reached agreement to acquire the Texas print and online newspaper publishing assets from Freedom Co ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-05-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #freedom communications #llc ldquo #announced today


Trade must help bookshops compete in e-world

Booksellers must address their "toxic" real estate and band together to compete in an... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #real estate


Media Decoder Blog: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Enters Bankruptcy Process

The educational and trade publisher, financially troubled for several years, has agreed with most of its senior lenders and bondholders to a restructuring that would convert existing long-term debt to equity. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2012-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #trade publisher #financially troubled


Children's Media Foundation seeks £30m funding

Campaigning body the Children's Media Foundation has launched an initiative to attract a... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Media Decoder Blog: Amazon Program Offers "Harry Potter" Series to Kindle Owners

Members of the Amazon Prime subscription program will be able to read "Harry Potter'' ebooks for free through the Kindle Owners' Lending Library, a move intended to encourage consumers to buy Kindle devices. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2012-05-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #harry potter #kindle owners #lending library


PPA Conference: Stylist editor reveals how free title competes in challenging market

It would be a big surprise if one of the major publishers were to follow Stylist magazine and launch a mainstream free women's title, according to Lisa Smosarski, editor of Stylist, who believes such a move would be a "big step". Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2012-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ppa conference #challenging market #big surprise #major publishers #big step


Switched On: Competing by hook or by Nook

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Microsoft has a long history of supporting bitter rivals -- even those that have long publicly disparaged the company, offering funds to Nokia, Corel and, most famously, Apple. It also has a long history of... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-05-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #consumer technology #long history #handheld devices


The Media Equation: Byliner Takes Bissinger’s E-Book Off Amazon

Byliner.com, a digital publishing company, withdrew the ebook “After Friday Night Lights” by Buzz Bissinger from Amazon because of a pricing dispute involving a promotional giveaway. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2012-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #media equation #buzz bissinger


Media Decoder Blog: Pulitzer Fiction Snub Has Book Publishers Fuming

An unconventional collection of novels failed to generate a consensus among the Pulitzer board members. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2012-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Digital media takes home a Pulitzer

The Huffington Post—and digital media—has won its first Pulitzer Prize. The award went to David Wood, in the category of national reporting, it was announced Monday by Columbia University, which administers the prizes.A longtime print journalist who did stints at Time magazine and the Los... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2012-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #stephen greenblatt


The Media Equation: Amazon Low Prices Disguise a High Cost

An antitrust suit may provide short-term price reductions on ebooks, but once the competition is flattened, Amazon is likely to resume its monopolistic ways. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2012-04-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #media equation #high cost #antitrust suit


Local Media Association and California Newspaper Publishers Association Form Strategic Partnership

Recognizing that collaboration in the industry has never been more important, the California Newspaper Publishers Association (CNPA) has joined forces with the Local Media Association (formerly Suburban Newspapers of America) to offer certain product ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #joined forces


Fairfax Media in talks to buy Business Spectator: Reuters

Fairfax Media is in exclusive talks to acquire the publisher of independent news and opinion website Business Spectator, Reuters says. Continue reading at The Sydney Morning Herald

[ The Sydney Morning Herald | 2012-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #exclusive talks #fairfax media #independent news


B&N moves fuel UK Nook hopes

Barnes & Noble is strengthening its relations with UK publishers and app developers in the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #barnes noble #uk publishers #app developers


Media Decoder Blog: In a Blow to Independent Bookstores, Google to Discontinue Reseller Program

Google said the program, which allowed independent bookstores to sell ebooks through their Web sites, was not a success. Bookstores said it was a valuable platform that allowed them to give customers something they wanted. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2012-04-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #independent bookstores #sell ebooks #web sites #give customers


Amazon tax probe in media spotlight

Amazon's tax arrangements are in the spotlight this morning after national newspapers... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-04-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tax arrangements


Media Decoder Blog: Former Goldman Executive Is Said to Complete Book Deal

Greg Smith, the former Goldman executive who wrote a widely read Op-Ed in The New York Times about the changing culture at the Wall Street firm, has reported made a deal with Grand Central Publishing, part of Hachette. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2012-03-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |