Links for August 24th through August 31st

31 August 2009 | Media | Comments

Things I’m tracking for August 24th through August 31st:

• Publishers Are Killing Web Advertising’s Potential With Misguided Pricing | paidContent – "The web has advantages in providing a platform for advertisers, but the notion that it is some sort of new animal entirely has grown out of a variety of misconceptions that have worked to radically slow the eventual migration of ever-larger advertising budgets online."
• As Stars Slip at Box-Office, Hollywood Frets – NYTimes.com – "A-list movie stars have long been measured by their ability to fill theaters on opening weekend. But never have so many failed to deliver, resulting in some rare soul-searching by motion picture studios about why the old formula isn’t working — and a great deal of anxiety among stars (and agents) about the potential vaporization of their $20 million paychecks."
• "Regarding Content" – Nice piece by my friend Kendall Allen:
  "Our relationship to content is no longer as simple as our brain relating to the written word, or the way we transport story-telling in our cultures — or even whether video is killing radio and Internet is killing print. The addition and gradual strengthening of channels – and the introduction of more pronounced commercial elements to our daily reality as consumers — have made us constantly co-mingle reading, consumption, entertainment, edification, socialization and marketing. This is a lot to process. At its worst, it has been very noisy. At its best, it becomes symphonic. But one thing is certain: our regard for content will never be simple again.
• Disney to Buy Marvel Entertainment for $4 Billion – NYTimes.com – "The Walt Disney Company said Monday that it would buy the comic book giant Marvel Entertainment for about $4 billion."

  Spidey and Mickey… together again for the first time… imagine the rides at Disneyland. WOW!

• What NBC Has Learned About Making Web Content – NBC has made digital a much more integrated part of the whole series life cycle, from story development to sales. It’s been a learning process, Andrade explained, and only after years of experimenting online are things now normalizing.
• Barry Diller’s Brash New Strategy – BusinessWeek – He is creating a model where companies don't just sponsor or advertise against online articles and video, but also pay for customized content about their businesses—from three-part series to Web shows built around their products. Eventually, he also hopes to sell subscriptions for content, too.
• How Much Time People Really Spend with Ads – eMarketer –