SpectatorBytes

There has been some recent posts discussing the impact of the Web on other media. Today’s Techcrunch post on publishing and blogging is the latest example of that (see here). In my view, these editorials are signals that the Web is finally coming on its own as a medium. This got me thinking about [...]

Much discussion has taken place about the value of advertising networks over the last couple of days. Here are some of the most interesting posts (See Are Ad Networks Becoming Irrelevant?, What’s This Fascination with Ad Networks? and Are ad networks for loser/weak publishers?).
I believe that Web publishers need to focus on building [...]

I recently attended the Under the Radar Conference at the Microsoft Campus in Mountain View. I came across some interesting products and companies such as SlideRocket, Nuconomy, Orgoo, and TripIt. This was the third startup showcase in less than two weeks that I have attended. It was interesting to see next-gen product innovation [...]

Some interesting news came out GM today (see GM roars Forward Into Digital Ad Channels). This suggests brand advertisers are finally ready to commit significant spending to digital media. This is certainly good news for the industry, and in particular for companies that are creating solutions specifically designed to serve brand advertisers.
GM’s [...]

I recently came across an article in Ad Age that urged us to think differently and consider a scenario in which the Web is not a medium suited for advertising (Think Different: Maybe the Web’s Not a Place to Stick Your Ads). While the argument is well constructed, I believe the author may [...]

Traditional and digital media companies have begun to recognize the need to use M&A to build their business. Acquisitions are increasingly becoming a critical source of product innovation, specialist talent (see my previous post Product Development: Specialists Win), new audiences, new customers, etc. This is a trend that I expect to become more [...]

The Google-Doubleclick deal announcement (see Google closes $3.1 billion DoubleClick deal) is a good time to share my current thoughts on the evolution of advertising: I have been talking to a few folks about display advertising over the past couple of weeks. Here are some of my findings to date:
- Majority of online [...]

While it seems hard to see if the iPhone will be as revolutionary for mobile experiences as the iPod has been for portable music devices, something that I think is remarkable is that the iPhone has shown consumers, carriers, publishers and developers the potential of the mobile Web. The announcement of its platform for [...]

During the Bear Stearns Conference, Google’s Tim Amstrong described YouTube as the “brightest light” in terms of display-ad potential (see Google: Moving Aggressively Into Display Ads). I remember many people who were surprised at the value that Google paid for YouTube a couple of years back. However, it was clear [...]

For quite some time, I have been really impressed with Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos. I believe Jeff has proven to be a true industry visionary. This came today after reading about Kindle sales (see Amazon gains after CFO remarks). I am not sure whether or not the Kindle will is a hit and [...]

The controversy around Ask.com’s new strategy to focus on optimizing their search product for a segment of their users (see Ask.com And Ye Shall Receive) has reminded me of how important is to developed products that seek to deliver a clear and well-defined payoff to consumers.
I am not saying that Ask’s strategy will [...]