This one... we'll have to wait awhile to see how it plays out.
Jeff Taylor, founder of Monster.Com, is looking to make (pun intended) his next killing:
Out of print ... Monster.com made its name by putting help-wanted ads online. And now its founder sees untapped potential in widening the audience for death notices, too
Taylor, the founder of the online career site that became Monster.com, raised $32 million in venture capital funding for Eons. The company filled its Charlestown offices with about 60 staffers, who focused on building an online community for people over the age of 50 with features such as a 40-question quiz that aimed to estimate one’s longevity and supply advice about healthy living.
But three years after the glitzy launch party, just 12 people remain on the payroll at Eons, and the site’s traffic has been shrinking. Taylor is now hoping that Tributes.com, a spinoff from Eons, might do better than the original site. It offers news about notable personalities who’ve died, and sells online obituaries (they prefer the term “tributes’’) to grieving families via a network of funeral homes. Just as Monster grew to a $1.3 billion company by putting a section of newspaper classifieds online - the help-wanted ads - Taylor plans to do the same for death notices, though this time, he faces competition from a big rival.
[snip]
The site tries to build traffic by creating online memorials for departed celebrities such as Paul Newman and Michael Jackson. It also has information from the Social Security Administration about more than 80 million deceased Americans. But its revenue comes from individuals who pay for online obits that can include unlimited text about the deceased, along with photos, videos, and music.
Yes, you too can live for infinity, out on the World Wide Web!
(We touched on this, back in April -- After Death, No Reason For The Spam To Stop.)
Not only that, but if you go out to Tributes.Com, you can set up your very on "Celebrity Alert."
Oh yeah, death is going to be big bucks.
It's definitely not your father's funeral home any longer.
Now, we will have to wait until next January, for the Super Bowl, to see if Taylor copies his success of Monster.Com for Tributes.Com with some clever, witty television spot.
Maybe they can come up with a combo -- Someone dies while searching Monster.Com for a job, so they segue to the deceased's Tribute.Com page, perhaps offering a deal if you sign up for both services.
Bonus Links
Monster.com Super Bowl Ad
Legendary Ads ... Some ads suck, but these are an art form. Or at least funny
Kellogg Grades 2009 Super Bowl Ads, Monster.com Gets A+
(Cross-posted at The Garlic.)
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