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More Attention Required
Warning the below is not true:
"Rocketboom fans may have to pay to see Joanne Colan, now that show co-creator Andrew Baron has told Marketwatch that advertising isn’t working out as he would like. No decision has been made, but Baron said advertisers “are just not happy to do small deals” like Rocketboom has been doing."
Its not true at all. Rocketboom will remain freely available. The point I was making is that we are not happy with advertising right now. The advertisers are not being very flexible and down-to-earth and we are just not happy with the idea of mass advertising on Rocketboom. Its not ruled out, it just feels wrong so far.
I think pre-roll/mid roll commercials on content like ours is a terrible mistake, product placement will not work for us (LonleyGirl can get away with product placement because the whole show is full of myth and psychological mayhem already), groups like Federated Media while helpful to talk to, haven't addressed video advertising just right yet, and so we have been exploring other ways to do more than just merely sustain, without advertising, or taking hold of people with venerable mental states.
Some kind of sponsorship model, more along the lines of NPR or PBS might be best for content that exists for the sake of content itself.
The real success story lay in obtaining finantial support from the active and participatory audience - I continue to refer back to a build upon/turbo version of Jason Kottke's mico donation experiement.
I think there is a difference between a reader of a link blog and an audience member/fan of a daily show, and it's that loyal audience/fan mentality, one which I seem to express myself for others as well, that could inspire progressive support of the show.
A combination of audience support and museum-like sponsorship support could work together to keep centain kinds of content free.
Posted to rocketboom by Drew on
March 23, 2007
12:03 PM
Comments:
+ George Farina
Ummmm... Ze Frank's 'gimme some candy' is the best in breed for micro-sponsorship.
Don't reinvent a process when a perfectly viable process exists. Or is it an ego thing?
Posted: March 23, 2007 12:22 PM
+ Drew
I think it was a nice try but it clearly wasnt implemented right.
Ze Frank kinda petered out (before his last week) and also didnt make enough $ from his ducks to sustain (I can tell just from looking at the graphics). Not sure about his advertising, but it seems like he kinda sold out to advertising for his exit.
Whatever, good or bad, it left me with a poor taste in my mouth. I think he's worth more than that.
Posted: March 23, 2007 12:29 PM
+ Nab
Ze was willing to try anything, and that was exciting. He'd change things day to day, mess around with anything that popped into his head. A lot of it didn't work, but we (the audience) didn't mind because he was taking us along. We knew he was making it up as he went along. He didn't spin, didn't act like he had a plan, didn't act like he knew what he was doing. He was sometimes wrong, sometimes an asshole, just like the rest of us. He didn't pretend to be a professional.
This fundamental personal honesty (the opposite of main-stream non-fiction media) is why Ze is our friend. You expect a friend to be a jerk sometimes, it gives you a chance to forgive them. It makes you feel good. But you can't be a friend to someone who puts on a pose, tries to project an image, tries to hide the flaws.
So, you say "it was a nice try but it clearly wasnt implemented right". Geeze Drew, who cares, at least he DID try. Ze tried a lot of stuff.
And then you gently tell us how Ze didn't really know what he was doing, concluding with "I think he's worth more than that." Yikes, could you be more patronizing. More mealy-mouthed. Why don't you just say "Ze was a fucking asshole who turned on me and dis'ed me for no reason. I always supported him and he makes me look like a fool! He would never have done his show without me. And he took Amanda's side too. I hope he gets hit by a bus."
Anyway, I was going to say more, but that's enough for now. I won't protest if you delete this.
Posted: March 23, 2007 2:19 PM
+ Drew
Whatever Nab, we are all trying our best. You yourself have a history of coming in and bashing everything I say, trolling because you are bitter for some grudge just the same. You even expect to get deleted before you leave your comment.
Posted: March 23, 2007 2:28 PM
+ Adam Curry
Drew,
The offer from PodShow still stands. For us, advertising is content. We can find the right balance for RB. If you wanna talk, just drop me a line.
AC
Posted: March 23, 2007 2:30 PM
+ Nab
Drew, I know you are trying your best. I LOVE rb. I think you're a genius, doing things that I could never do. I don't even have a blog.
I used to bash Amanda back in the day. But I have never bashed Joanne, and I don't think I've ever bashed the non-Amanda part of rb either.
Look, I'm sorry I was an asshole above. It's just that you are always so NICE in everything you say, it makes people stop believing you. It's odd, but that's how it works. No one else will ever tell you this stuff except me, a troll who doesn't know you.
Posted: March 23, 2007 2:55 PM
+ ctmystic
Funny, I just read through 2,000+ comments on the final Ze Frank video and 5,000 forum posts in the final two weeks (when the show as "petering out") and not a single person complained about the advertising.
I guess you know something about connecting with your audience and connecting with your advertisers that Federated Media, Ze Frank, Ask A Ninja and Diggnation don't.
I don't know what it is, but I'm guessing it involves eBay and big round numbers. Would you mind sharing your wisdom with us in a blog post?
Posted: March 23, 2007 4:45 PM
+ Drew
Thanks to all for the nice comments.
Ctymystic, FM has worked for some people. Dignation said they are not making enough money with advertisements to support the show at this point. LonlyGirl said they are burning money too, and not making any profits now. Aside from a dozen people, what upstart content creators are making money and money aside, who is happy about what they have to do with advertising?
Again, Im not saying it cant work for some people, this is not a revolt against advertising. I'm just not feeling comfortorable with what other people expect so far, it just hasnt felt right yet, sorry.
Posted: March 23, 2007 7:58 PM
+ kn
ctmystic: I believe Drew's "petering out" comment was speaking to gimmiesomecandy which did fall off quite a bit unless Ze goosed it (e.g., Valentine's day.) There's just too many people who, if you tell them something's going to be free for a year won't be compelled to pay for it.
Drew: I disagree, I think if Ze's goal was to make money from videoblogging he could have leveraged gimmiesomecandy more agressively and probably come up with many other off the wall ways to monetize The Show. That wasn't the point. The point (as I gathered) was to grow his imrovisational, comedic and maybe even production skills while showcasing them to potential employers. The inescapable fact being that there's geometrically more money in Hollywood. I do agree that the key to a successful program (or any brand, for that matter) is involvement and emotional attachment.
Posted: March 25, 2007 2:48 AM
+ Drew
Kn, I mean, not only did his candy peter out, if you look at his public stats, etc. the news, hype. blog-posts - everything went way down and continued to go in a downwards motion for the last 4+ months.
Also, I think you are wong in assuming Ze didnt want to make money. Ze did want to make money and that is why he got paid for preroll spoken messages, banner ads, etc. on his last few days.
Posted: March 25, 2007 10:57 AM
+ ctmystic
A quick peek at zefrank's public stats shows lots of growth in the last four months, Drew.
For starters, Feedburner says 60,000 new subscribers added. I also see tons of end of year press (early January) and end of show press (mid-March).
Ze Frank built the candy thing because his audience asked him to. He played it totally low key, so I don't think money was the goal there.
This blog post (not mine) shows the chart of candy revenue. I don't see this as "petering out." I see it a small, steady stream with some huge peaks.
http://collections.lopolis.com/archives/2007/03/19/how-much-money-did-ze-frank-make/
With the peaks, he averaged $300 a day. Without the end rush, it was $170 a day.
You claim an audience 10 to 20 times larger than his. Using the smallest numbers (10x the audience, $170 a day), that puts you at $34,000 per month.
Posted: March 25, 2007 9:07 PM
+ Drew
Thanks ctmystic, nice info.
Posted: March 25, 2007 9:16 PM
+ Greg Rose
Yo,
In all the times I have watched Rocketboom (100's?) I have never seen the advertising.. Where is the advertising? I am not complaining, but I am just curious. Is it on the daily page or something? I get Rocketboom via RSS...
Posted: March 25, 2007 10:05 PM
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