Why Silicon Valley Can't Sell

Drive up and down the 101 Freeway in Silicon Valley, or cast your gaze north toward Seattle, and media companies, which expect to book over $20 billion in advertising in 2011, appear to be everywhere. But visit the biggest of these companies and ask them to define themselves, and you’ll be hard-pressed to get them to say they’re the new generation of media, attracting audiences for the purpose of selling advertising. “We’re a core technology company,” says Nikesh Arora, Google’s chief business officer, whose team netted $10 billion in U.S. ad sales for the search giant last year. “I don’t know [if we’re a media company], and to be honest, I’m not that interested in the answer,” says a slightly annoyed David Fischer, Facebook’s vice president of advertising, who sold $1.8 billion. “Microsoft is first a technology company,” says Keith Lorizio, the head of sales for the software giant’s Advertising unit. The exceptions? Yahoo and, on the East Coast, AOL—both once seen as tech leaders, but now laggards, trying to remake themselves as media companies. “I embrace it,” Ross Levinsohn, who joined Yahoo last November to run its Americas operations, says about the media label. “The media business is the most exciting business in the world.” But you won’t find any tech platform worth a few billion or more that admires Yahoo, AOL, or, for that matter, anybody else in the media business. Advertisers and other publishers have pointed out for years now that assembling audiences, and... Continue reading at 'AdWeek'

[ AdWeek | 2011-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #big thing

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Why Silicon Valley Can't Sell'


Melville House Sells Out of 'Torture Report'

Announced earlier this month and officially on sale today, Melville House's edition of the document known as the Senate Torture Report, is going back to press. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-12-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As Ukraine Sales Dip, Russia’s Eksmo Sells Bookstore Stake

Politics and a 15% drop in sales in 2014 has prompted Eksmo to sell its stake in Ukraine's Logos-Trans, which operates 50 Book Supermarket stores across the country. The post As Ukraine Sales Dip, Russia’s Eksmo Sells Bookstore Stake appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-12-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hachette turns to Twitter to sell books

Hachette is selling three of its titles, including Amanda Palmer's new book 'The Art of Asking,' using buy buttons on Twitter. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-12-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hachette Tests if Gumroad Can Sell Books on Twitter

Hachette has partnered with Gumroad, a company that enables direct sales through Twitter, to see if the social media platform can sell books. The post Hachette Tests if Gumroad Can Sell Books on Twitter appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-12-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hachette to sell books through Twitter

Hachette Book Group in the US has partnered with Gumroad to sell books directly through Twitter. From later this week (11th December), tweets from certain authors will contain buy buttons allowing customers to buy the books without leaving Twitter. The first book to be offered this way will be... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hachette Tries Selling Books via Twitter

The Hachette Book Group is partnering with native commerce platform Gumroad in a special promotion to sell print books by Amanda Palmer, Chris Hadfield and The Onion via Twitter beginning December 11. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-12-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Blogger Zoe Sugg sets new record for fastest-selling debut novel

Sugg's debut book, 'Girl Online,' now holds the record for the highest sales in its first week for a new writer in the UK.  Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-12-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Zoe Sugg's Girl Online is fastest selling book of the year

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[ The Guardian | 2014-12-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hanley Wood Sells Exhibitions Business for $375 Million

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[ Folio Magazine | 2014-11-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers Sell Sponsored Content Made for Instagram, Snapchat

Wired magazine has tapped a male-female duo famous on Instagram for their alluring photography to anchor an ad campaign for apparel and accessories brand Victorinox. The ads are appearing on Instagram, in Wired and on Wired's website."We use to create content that would live in our magazine,"... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-11-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Macdonald 'could be strongest selling Samuel Johnson winner'

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[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Cygnus Continues Sell Off, Divests Public Safety Group

Cygnus continued its piece-by-piece sell off Monday, sending its public safety and transportation divisions to SouthComm. Terms weren't disclosed. The deal includes 11 magazines, seven trade shows and seven digital properties. Cygnus says all employees moving to new ownership will be retained. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2014-11-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Curtis Brown: Love, Passion and a Century of Selling Rights

As Curtis Brown Ltd. celebrates its centenary anniversary, the firm’s CEO reflects on rights sales and the changing role of literary agents and authors today. The post Curtis Brown: Love, Passion and a Century of Selling Rights appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-11-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What's Selling at Symposium Books

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Vigliano to Sell Agency

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Best-Selling Author Warns ‘You Might Not Want to Buy’ His Book

Patrick Rothfuss is the author of the mega-bestselling novels The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear, and is currently hard at work on The Doors of Stone, the final volume in his epic fantasy trilogy The Kingkiller Chronicle. In the latest episode of Geek's Guide to the Galaxy he discusses... Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2014-10-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Survey: 80% of Premium Publishers Want to Sell Ads Based on Time

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[ Advertising Age | 2014-10-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Dunham Sells 38K in First Week

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Beyond the Moomin Valley: Celebrating The Many Sides of Tove Jansson

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stop Trying to Sell Rights to Us!

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-10-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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