SURPRISINGLY STRONG DIGITAL MEDIA COMPANIES
Recently, Gigaom.com released a list of the top fifty most successful digital media companies in the United States. These companies’ revenue figures reflect the growing number of people consuming digital media (web and mobile devices).
The list includes a number of the usual suspects (i.e., Google, Apple, Microsoft) but also has a few that are surprising. Based on the list, I wanted to take a closer look at three of the companies and uncover some of the strategic moves in 2010. More specifically, I wanted to see how some of these “less obvious” organizations were incorporating video content into their overall mix of digital media. The following is a list of three companies that surprised me, so I looked a little closer to see how video was incorporated on their websites.
- WebMD – This organization was listed at #20 on the list. In 2010, the organization started a social media network designed to connect WebMD users/members with experts. A major component of the website is the video content. The site has an “A to Z” list of videos offering insight on hundreds of health related topics.
- Ancestry.com – This company is #39 on the list and offers the largest online family history resource. Users can search thousands and thousands of records in order to discover more about their ancestry. The site uses video in a number of ways. First and foremost, the website highlights stories of those who have used the service and also includes a “how to” video describing the search function.
- Classmates.com – This site is referenced as #43 on the overall list. As the article mentions, this site is probably more well-known for the online ads that encouraged people to find their classmates. With the growth of Facebook, the company has been forced into other directions (since people can find their classmates more easily through FB). Recently, classmates.com redirected efforts into Memory Lane. This site states that it offers over 100 million pieces of nostalgic content. So, you can get access to old videos, magazines and yearbooks.