Rafat disagrees with me on the mixture of media and content in a single company
So I posted something about Chowhound being bought by CNet and hwy that seemed like a perfectly logical match to me. Rafat Ali (of PaidContent.org) first clarified with me that it was HE who wrote the complaint of an ill-mtached fit and then further disagreed with me about why……
Here’s what Rafat left as a comment:
Marc
I am not a CNET writer…also, on your justification, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should…and by “you” I mean CNET here. I can appreciate this as a separate business opportunity for someone to come in, but for CNET, then they have to stop pretending being a tech lifestyle company, ’cause then they are not. Then they are just a portal company like Yahoo…
Rafat
My response to Rafat…..
I don’t get why a so-called ‘media company’ like CNet can’t be in the content business. Call it portal, lifestyle or news agency, labels don’t matter.
Chowhound is a vibrant content community which produces and facilitates compelling discussions on foodies about food. Why can’t CNet leverage that, bring to bear their sales force, get foodies involved in new kinds of tools, interfaces or opportunities. And as far as I’m concerned ‘lifestyle’ companies ARE the next portals.
There are no walls or preconceptions here Rafat - right?
CNet is a unique brand and it continues to redefine what media and content really mean. I LOVE The idea of a lifestyle company being a portal. Don’t you?
IMHO
It makes perfect sense.
CNET is about destination websites.
With Chowhound / Chow.com you are looking at users that will have a very high repeat history at coming back to the website. Also , whats funny is that why would you think that CNET is not about content ?
Most of the Gamespot & Redball products are all about content.
What is different with this site is that a lot of the content is from the community, this is more in line with the reviews you see on yahoo , yelp , about , etc
All in all its a smart move to continue to diversify out of Tech & Games that tend to have their heaviest activities in Q4 and around major convention dates like E3.
Destination sites that are used year round just make sense for Web Companies that may feel their too focused in one key group of Industries.
For the following think about what new unique group will be available and when they are most apt to look for content.
TV.com
Metacritic
Chow.com & Chowhound.com
Webshots.com
Consumating.com
plus the new sites to come
The key is to think about the content and the Advertisers that might be attracted by it plus the fact that you can also leverage content deals with other companies like Google for example.
It makes perfect sense.
CNET is about destination websites.
With Chowhound / Chow.com you are looking at users that will have a very high repeat history at coming back to the website. Also , whats funny is that why would you think that CNET is not about content ?
Most of the Gamespot & Redball products are all about content.
What is different with this site is that a lot of the content is from the community, this is more in line with the reviews you see on yahoo , yelp , about , etc
All in all its a smart move to continue to diversify out of Tech & Games that tend to have their heaviest activities in Q4 and around major convention dates like E3.
Destination sites that are used year round just make sense for Web Companies that may feel their too focused in one key group of Industries.
For the following think about what new unique group will be available and when they are most apt to look for content.
TV.com
Metacritic
Chow.com & Chowhound.com
Webshots.com
Consumating.com
plus the new sites to come
The key is to think about the content and the Advertisers that might be attracted by it plus the fact that you can also leverage content deals with other companies like Google for example.
It makes perfect sense.
CNET is about destination websites.
With Chowhound / Chow.com you are looking at users that will have a very high repeat history at coming back to the website. Also , whats funny is that why would you think that CNET is not about content ?
Most of the Gamespot & Redball products are all about content.
What is different with this site is that a lot of the content is from the community, this is more in line with the reviews you see on yahoo , yelp , about , etc
All in all its a smart move to continue to diversify out of Tech & Games that tend to have their heaviest activities in Q4 and around major convention dates like E3.
Destination sites that are used year round just make sense for Web Companies that may feel their too focused in one key group of Industries.
For the following think about what new unique group will be available and when they are most apt to look for content.
TV.com
Metacritic
Chow.com & Chowhound.com
Webshots.com
Consumating.com
plus the new sites to come
The key is to think about the content and the Advertisers that might be attracted by it plus the fact that you can also leverage content deals with other companies like Google for example.
I’m love this great website. Many thanks guy
I’m love this great website. Many thanks guy
I’m love this great website. Many thanks guy