Internet and Mobile marketing are both on the rise again in Sweden. Mobilemarketing has increased four times since the third quarter last year. TV was passed the third quarter by Internet, but overall this year TV is still the larger medium however, Internet is rising each month and is now making up 14% of the total medium market.
Ever caught yourself while wondering what one might look like? Here’s a brilliant example on how a good idea “that kind of already has been done” can be combined with other ideas “that kind of already have been done”. To be honest I had missed this acquisition, I usually read and follow these things quite closely, but this is definately one that I missed. StumbleUpon, the “discover new sites” – site which basically is formed on the idea that consumers want excitement and randomness in their daily life of browsering the Internet was bought by Google for apx. $75M a couple of months ago.
As a Swede, when you read the idea behind the whole project, you get amazed. Here we have a site that combines and enhance the Google Economy by integrating their own idea (??). Instead of the I’m feeling lucky, the StumbleUpon team brings you their “Stumble!” button which matches new sites to your personal profile. And, above this basic concept they also have embedded the Buzz Bazooka rating idea with either thumbs up, or thumbs down to make people share their experience.
Quite easy. So why is this a 75M dollar idea? Well, almost 4 million members and growing (Stumblers I presume they are called) with personal interests, extensive profiles and registered behaviours pretty much makes up a small nation to target for personalized advertising.
“Only in America”.
I just finished reading The Google Story, a really good book on how this entreprenurial project started and grew into a multi billiondollar corporation.
In the book it’s also reported that when Larry Page and Sergej Brin, the founders of Google tried to pitch the idea to every major search company in the market, they all passed on the technology at the modest price of $1 million. I don’t think the investment/project valuator that worked at Yahoo and Excite at the time still holds his position …
If you like Google, read the story!