DECA

What We’re Reading: DECA in BusinessWeek

 by Michael Wayne Co-Founder, President & CEO DECA News, What We're Reading June 19th, 2009 at 3:53 pm No Comments

BusinessWeek’s Jon Fine wrote about DECA’s business model this week. Here’s an excerpt:

The thing about Web video, of course, is that anyone can do it. Shoot it, edit it, distribute it on YouTube and other outlets—done. Assuming, of course, that “distribute” means “put it alongside zillions of similar things.” This is partly why building a Web video business is tough, as even showbiz vets have discovered. Infinite competition and uncertain ad demand for unproven Web properties make the 21st century dream—a hit online video series, or at least one that pulls in steady dollars— all but impossible. Unless you invert aspects of the traditional model, as a two-year-old Santa Monica (Calif.) Web video outfit called Deca does.

In other industry news, here’s what we were reading:

  • JetBlue Marketing: YouTube Stars Promote New LAX Route - AdAge
  • Fox, iPhone team on ‘Family Guy’ app - Variety
  • Studios-Backed Web Video Efforts Stalled for Now; Who’s Left? - paidContent

Is This a Web-Series Model That Works?

by admin All Press, Boing Boing TV Press, DECA Press, Featured Press, Good Bite Press, Momversation Press, Smosh Press June 19th, 2009 at 11:50 am No Comments

DECA, an acronym for Digital Entertainment Corp. of America, is exploring several ways to produce Web series in unusually marketer-centric ways. It seeks extended sponsorships—generally three months or longer, the prices for which start in the six figures—for specific properties. Rather than attempting to import to the Web the scripted series model birthed by television, DECA capitalizes on existing bloggers’ popularity to build properties that feature established online personalities and are aimed at specific demographic slices. It also enlists its talent to make and star in commercials for its advertisers. If this works, DECA will have found a way to fund online video—having a long-term sponsor or two significantly reduces the pressure to sell lots of ads—and bring chary advertisers into a new media realm.

Good Bite

by admin All Properties, Good Bite, Properties June 17th, 2009 at 12:43 pm No Comments

Good Bite brings together America’s most popular food bloggers for online video discussions about cooking. Each episode of Good Bite makes delicious food easy, providing accessible recipes and solutions for home cooks. The Good Bite website is focused on finding the very best in food online and sharing it with users.

Studios-Backed Web Efforts Stalled for Now; Who’s Left?

by admin All Press, DECA Press, Momversation Press June 15th, 2009 at 3:59 pm No Comments

Meanwhile, some of the studio efforts left in the field include… DECA, which is now focusing on video-focused vertical community sites like Momversation and others.

Why YouTube Will Sink or Swim with Obama Girl

by admin All Press, Smosh Press June 9th, 2009 at 11:26 am No Comments

The top-100 midtail producers — including names such as College Humor, Smosh and MyDamnChannel — have racked up more than 2 billion views during the past six months on YouTube, growing nearly 5% a month on average, according to video analytics firm TubeMogul. Meanwhile, the full-length hour-long and half-hour TV shows on YouTube, 3,215 episodes in all, have accumulated 19.5 million views.

What We’re Reading: Carl’s Jr. & Smosh, YouTube XL, Video Views Up

 by Michael Wayne Co-Founder, President & CEO What We're Reading June 5th, 2009 at 5:58 pm No Comments

Here’s what we were reading this week:

  • Carl’s Jr. Makes New Kind of Network Buy - Adweek (See Smosh’s sponsored Carl’s Jr. video above, or watch it on YouTube.)
  • Sugar Acquires Shopflick - NewTeeVee
  • YouTube Launches XL: Browser-Based TV - NewTeeVee
  • Tremor Media Touts New Web Video Ad Format - Mediaweek
  • U.S. Video Views Up 16% in April to New High - NewTeeVee
  • Digital Power 2009 includes DECA in its list of the 50 most powerful digital media entities - The Hollywood Reporter

Digital Power 2009

by admin All Press, DECA Press June 1st, 2009 at 10:31 am No Comments

Content Captains: Developing new-media programming to remember

Michael Wayne
Co-founder, president and CEO, DECA

Wayne launched his first startup, an English-language magazine in Prague, right out of college in 1995. He then helped build music site Launch.com, which raised $80 million in 2001 and was later bought by Yahoo. And since 2007, he’s raised $15 million for his digital entertainment startup that nurtures “organically grown Internet stars.” So far, he’s built seven properties, including Smosh, a teen site that’s the third most-watched YouTube channel of all time; Momversation, videos and blogs by moms; and Project Lore, dedicated to the popular online game World of Warcraft. “There is this idea that talent is based in L.A,” he says. “We feel that Internet talent is all over the world.”