(Also) they're seeing some decline in subscribers and in people using the proprietary site. Those (people) may have been heavier users of AOL. |
Although Valentine's Day drove up traffic in several categories versus the previous month, those categories actually experienced declines when compared to February of the prior year. Conversely, heavy interest in the 2006 Winter Olympics propelled the Sports category to a 16 percent traffic gain and 32 percent increase in engagement over February 2005. It appears that the Olympics took away mindshare from Valentine's Day during the middle part of the month, possibly resulting in softer sales for Valentine's Day retailers. |
It's a high amount of demand, small amount of time ... could sell out ... really drives that much traffic. |
The beginning of the year typically marks a time of optimism as people recommit themselves to achieving their New Year's resolutions, and many turn to the Internet for assistance in planning and executing these goals. Rather than procrastinate until April, many Americans went online in January to file their taxes. Some decided it was time to shed those excess holiday pounds with assistance from online health resources, while others sought assistance with job changes or used the Internet to snag late-winter vacation deals. |
The popularity of March Madness On Demand is a testament to the significant progress of streaming video over the past few years. |
The success of this event, including the effective use of video advertising to reach consumers at work, could prove to be the tipping point where television ad budgets begin to shift online. |