Drama 2.0

Known for his critical analyses of Internet startups, Drama 2.0 enjoys exploring technology and how it impacts media, marketing and culture.

Drama 2.0 is the author of The Drama 2.0 Show at http://www.drama20show.com/ and a member of the E-consultancy blogging team.

Qtrax: A case study in blowing a launch

There have been a lot of launch flops in the online world over the years, but the blown launch by widely-hyped online ad-supported music service Qtrax may be the biggest in recent memory.

by Drama 2.0 29 January 2008 09:00am 1 comment

Dewmocracy - a branded property that makes sense

Brands have increasingly been creating their own consumer-oriented online properties to promote their brands while building a deeper connection with consumers.

From Wal-Mart's failed social network to Coke's virtual world, I've often wondered if brands haven't been a little to eager to jump on the hype train before asking themselves: "Where exactly are we going?"

by Drama 2.0 28 January 2008 13:00pm 2 comments

The Web Week in Review

Every Friday, I'll provide a roundup of the week's stories that I find to be most interesting and relevant.

With some of the world's top business leaders, politicians and intellectuals busy mingling at Davos, it's not surprising that some of this week's most noteworthy news dealt with Big Media, Big Technology and Big Recession.

by Drama 2.0 25 January 2008 13:50pm 0 comments

Radiohead, Reznor and The Agency

Radiohead’s recent experiment with selling music directly to consumers wasn’t exactly a massive success.

So it was with great interest that I read Greg Sandoval’s recent News.com piece, “Don't miss lessons Radiohead, Trent Reznor offer.”

by Drama 2.0 24 January 2008 12:00pm 7 comments

Online Video Advertising: is it worth it?

Online ad network operator BurstMedia has released a study about online video advertising.

Given that major advertisers are increasingly putting money into online video ads and that many publishers are reaping the rewards in the form of high CPMs, studies like it should be of great interest to both advertisers and publishers in this developing market.

by Drama 2.0 23 January 2008 09:34am 2 comments

Why the internet economy isn't immune from recession

The prospects for the global economy in 2008 are looking about as promising as Britney Spears’ career, especially after yesterday’s plunge.

But VCs aren’t concerned - they invested $29.4bn last year (pdf) across 3,813 deals and raised $34.7bn in 2007 for future investments.

What’s the justification?

by Drama 2.0 22 January 2008 14:30pm 4 comments

Slide investment - a big bet on widget ad market

Slide , a startup that creates social networking widgets, announced last Friday that it had raised a $50m round of investment from Fidelity Investments and T. Rowe Price at a hefty valuation of $550m.

But is their bet on the power of widgets as advertising platforms foolish?

by Drama 2.0 21 January 2008 14:30pm 1 comment