The Rocketboom Hype

David Kirkpatrick has an analysis of Rocketboom that spent zero dollars in marketing and advertising,relying instead on word-of-mouth publicity was able to get 300,000 viewers for its vlog. Naturally this leads to questions about business model, revenue streams etc. David while highlighting that it has carried so few advertisements that it has probably made about $0 in profit thinks that Rocketboom is probably a strong indication of thigs to come in the user-generated media space.
David writes:"In the saga of Rocketboom can be seen the future of media…But part of the reason the Rocketboom ruckus is so delicious is that the site has always devoted much of its coverage to the very phenomenon it exemplifies - the rise of consumer-created media. In fact, everything about Rocketboom is very right now…Little noted in all the coverage however is how innovative Rocketboom has been. It’s some of the best video you’ll see anywhere - as much video art as news. The audio is fantastic, the writing consistently sharp, and the subject matter surprisingly diverse and entertaining."
You can read the full article here: The Rocketboom Ruckus here. As I see it, While the bullishness is based on user generated content and it associated premium value, I am not too enthused about user generated content itself given the proliferation of electronic media and rendering devices. If Rocketboom were to work on creating heppy quality content, then they are in an head-on collision with the traditional media – far more resourceful and showing signs of great dynamism and it they are just going to rely on user generated content, once can’t escape the fact that reality will dawn upon them as is happening with the likes of youtube. The hyped up Skype’s, Flickr’s provide ample lessons. A look at the way the posterboy of internet era - Amazon & its stock movement tells it all.