iEstates.com

Today MTV announced the launch of a new music sitecalled HypeMusic.com

The domain name HypeMusic.com was purchased last November for $2,688 from BuyDomains.com and was part of our weekly Afternic report.

Here is how the whois record read prior to the sale:

Administrative Contact:
   Buydomains.com
   Inventory Management (brokerage@buydomains.com)
   +1.7818397993
   Fax: +1.7818392801
   738 Main Street, #389
   Waltham, MA 02451
   US

After the sale the domain ownership went to proxy at Godaddy and remains so today.

Here is the press release announcing the new service:

“MTV, a division of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), and Extreme Music, the production music arm of Sony/ATV, have announced the official launch of the Hype Music website: www.hypemusic.com.  Hype Music, the remarkable, first-of-its-kind, hybrid music licensing partnership brings together the two industry powerhouses, along with the incomparable talent-spotting genius of Nic Harcourt as Chief Creative Consultant, to incubate, nurture and introduce some of today’s hottest, emerging, independent artists to professional music users.”

“When you harness two of the industry’s most credible taste-making teams and then add the uncanny talent-spotting genius of Nic Harcourt, you unleash a king-making force that can pick the next big thing with predator drone-like precision,” said Russell Emanuel, Extreme Music CEO.  ”We’ve launched with a truly stunning roster that oozes cred and comes with a cast iron guarantee that you will absolutely hear no evil.”

“Hype backs its “Hear No Evil” slogan with a rigorous selection process and a no submission policy, guaranteeing all artists introduced through the partnership will be discovered by the Hype team.  Once signed, all acts receive a seal of approval from music insiders including reviews and opinions by an A-list lineup of the industry’s music supervision elite including Nic Harcourt, Kathy Nelson, Gary Calamar, Matt Kierscht, Lucius Dillion, Nick Martin and Liz Gallacher, to name a few.”

“The launch of the Hype site represents an exciting step forward in MTV’s commitment to emerging talent. Hype artists = MTV artists and this platform is yet another destination for them to break through.” said Joe Cuello, Senior Vice President of Creative Music Integration for MTV.”

“In addition to first-look consideration for placement in MTV shows, Extreme will be distributing and licensing Hype songs to their global client base of professional users.  MTV will also serve as music distributor for all contracted songs, delivering music to the artists’ fans through multiple digital music services.   The Hype Music site will include interviews, videos and buzz along with reviews and views to provide an educated, inside look at the emerging talent.”

“To celebrate the launch, MTV and Extreme will host a industry insider showcase on June 16th at The Village Studios in Los Angeles that will be hosted by Nic Harcourt and feature several of the Hype artists.”

In a press release today Apple confirmed its long anticipated service called  iCloud”

“”Apple® CEO Steve Jobs and a team of Apple executives will kick off the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) with a keynote address on Monday, June 6 at 10:00 a.m.”

“”Apple® CEO Steve Jobs and a team of Apple executives will kick off the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) with a keynote address on Monday, June 6 at 10:00 a.m. ”

“At the keynote, Apple will unveil its next generation software – Lion, the eighth major release of Mac OS® X; iOS 5, the next version of Apple’s advanced mobile operating system which powers iPad®, iPhone® and iPod touch®; and iCloud®, Apple’s upcoming cloud services offering.”

“WWDC will feature more than 100 technical sessions presented by Apple engineers. Mac® developers will see and learn how to develop world-class Mac OS X Lion applications using its latest technologies and capabilities. Mobile developers will be able to explore the latest innovations and capabilities of iOS and learn how to greatly enhance the functionality, performance and design of their apps. All developers can bring their code to the labs and work with Apple engineers.”

For more details, visit the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2011 website at developer.apple.com/wwdc.”

iCloud:

From what I’m reading iCloud will allow you to upload your iTunes music library to Apple which then will store it for you for use on mulitple devices thereby giving you a lot of your hard drive space back.

Pricing and other features will be coming on June 6th

In a Press release, Overstock.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: OSTK, short cut: O.co) today announced it has acquired the naming rights to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

Effective immediately, the Coliseum will be known as Overstock.com Coliseum.

The facility will host its first game under the Overstock name Friday, April 29, when the A’s host defending American League champion Texas at 7:05 p.m.

The six-year deal covers the stadium facility that is home to both the NFL Oakland Raiders and the MLB Oakland Athletics.

USAToday.com is saying that:

“Also, expect another name change in the stadium’s future when Overstock.com completes its re-branding to O.co.

See you at the O.co Coliseum.”"

The HuffingtonPost.com is reporting that the deal is costing overstock $7.2 Million a year for 6 years and Overstock has the right to change the name of the stadium to O.co Coliseum at any time.

What would that mean for the .Co extension to have NFL games played in the O.co stadium?

Huge.

Of course having 81 Major Language baseball games a year played in the stadium is great exposure as well.

Know back to the press release:

“Overstock.com Coliseum is one of only two U.S. stadiums hosting two major league teams.

“Overstock.com is thrilled to become a part of Oakland and Alameda County, and to be associated with the Raiders and the A’s—two globally-recognized championship teams,” said Overstock.com Chairman and CEO Patrick Byrne.

“The Overstock.com brand is a great fit with these teams and with the excitement and culture of the area. We look forward to enjoying events with the community and doing our part to give back. Residents of the Bay Area can look forward to many great events taking place in the Overstock.com Coliseum.”

“The Authority is excited to have Overstock.com as a naming rights partner for the Coliseum,” said Authority Chair and Oakland City council member Ignacio De La Fuente. ”The additional revenue and prestige this agreement brings the City and County are important to the viability of the Coliseum Complex.”

“The Authority has been working for some time to find the appropriate naming rights partner for the Coliseum,” said Scott Haggerty, Vice-Chair of the Authority and Alameda County Supervisor.  “We believe Overstock.com is that partner and we look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship.”

As part of the new alliance Overstock.com receives branding opportunities through stadium signage, internet, television, radio and print promotion.

Overstock.com Coliseum plays host to more than 100 events annually, including 10 Raiders games, 81 A’s games, MLS and international soccer matches, concerts and corporate events.”

MSNBC.com just published a story on National A-1 a company known for owning buying and selling some of the best domain names on the planet.

However this story was about a company associated with National A-1 known as Prime Tel Communications which has amassed some 1.7 Million  800 numbers, out of 7.87 million active 800 numbers, most of which are used for phone sex.

So Prime Tel owns about 20% of all active 800 phone numbers in the US.

Wow.

“”Records obtained by The Associated Press show that over the past 13 years, a little-known Philadelphia company called PrimeTel Communications has quietly gained control over nearly a quarter of all the 1-800 numbers in the U.S. and Canada, often by grabbing them the moment they are relinquished by previous users. ”

“As of March, it administered more 800 numbers than any other company, including Verizon and AT&T.”

“And many, if not most, of those 1.7 million numbers appear to be used for one thing: redirecting callers to a phone-sex service.”

“Dial 1-800-Chicago and instead of reaching a tourism hotline for the Windy City, you will hear a woman offering “one-on-one talk with a nasty girl” for $2.99 per minute. A similar thing happens if you punch in the initial digits of 1-800-Metallica, 1-800-Cadillac, 1-800-Minolta, 1-800-Cameras, 1-800-Worship or 1-800-Whirlpool.

“All those numbers contain messages redirecting callers to erotic chat lines operated by National A-1 Advertising, a company that shares an office building with PrimeTel, has common ownership and lists many of the same people as executives or business contacts”

The story goes on to tell the tale of the company including a lot of phone squatting if you will, and makes for an interesting read go check it out.

According to a report released today by Kantar Media, on the top paid search advertisers in the U.S., for the 4th quarter 2010, Amazon.com is the top advertisers spending some $51 Million dollars in PPC ads in just that quarter.

Here is the top ten list:

Top 10 Advertisers Ranked By Search Advertising Spend¹: Oct-Dec 2010

I’ve noticed over the last few days a commercial that’s running on National Television, principally CNN, for the site MyMarriageMatters.org.

The Commercials which seem to have been running for a few months is essentially a commercial against AshleyMadison.com, the site whose slogan is life is short, have an affair.

The site itself, MyMarriageMatters.org, is pretty bare, just having the commercial that is airing and a link to sign a petition.

Here is what you get if you click on the sign the petition link:

“Anti-Ashley Campaign

“Published April 22, 2010″

“Life is short. Have an affair?”

“Infidelity can SAVE your marriage?

“These are the messages AshleyMadison.com and other affair focused websites want you to believe.”

“However, at MyMarriageMatters.org, we don’t believe that AshleyMadison is correct at all …”

“I am Ryan Hill – Faithful husband, loving father and a traditional American who values marriage just the way it is.”

“So join me in saying NO to AshleyMadison and YES to your marriage!”
—————————————————-
Added by: MyMarriageMatters on April 22, 2010, 10:58:55 am
—————————————————-

Life is short. Have an affair?

Infidelity can SAVE your marriage?

These are the messages AshleyMadison.com and other affair focused websites want you to believe.

However, at MyMarriageMatters.org, we don’t believe that AshleyMadison is correct at all …

I am Ryan Hill – Faithful husband, loving father and a traditional American who values marriage just the way it is.

So join me in saying NO to AshleyMadison and YES to your marriage!”"

There are some that believe that this advertising campaign of MyMarriageMatters.org is actually a guerrilla advertising campaign by AshleyMadison.com.

AbovetheLaw.com has written on this issue concluding that AshleyMadison is behind it (BTW I love that domain) as has the site, manogamy.com which laid out its argument in a post entitled:

“Case Closed: Proof That Mymarriagematters.org = Ashleymadison.”

I have no idea but here are some red flags.

First the “non-profit” behind the ads doesn’t appear to be asking people to join its organization or more importantly contribute money to it.

There aren’t too many non-profits I have run across that don’t seek members or ask for money.

Second the domain name, MyMarriageMatters.org is listed under privacy at Godaddy, which is pretty unusual for a non-profit.

Thirdly domain name AshleyMadision.com is shown on the 30 second TV spot more than the domain it is reported to adverstise, MyMarriageMatters.org.

Fourth there is no point for anyone to sign the petition.  The site AshleyMadison.com is one of the most popular on the net ranking in the top 1,000 of all sites according to Compete.com, so if you want to “boycott” the site they just don’t use it.

Signing the petition accomplishes what?

Moreover there are only a few thousand signatures gathered so far. The site list just over 3,000 signatures with a stated goal of 1,000,000.

Less than impressive numbers.

The ads haven’t been all that effective in creating a firestorm against Ashley, so why does the non-profit continue to run them?

Fifth,  Why doesn’t the commercial or the site which alludes to “sites like Ashley Madison, not include the names of any of these other such sites and why doesn’t the petition list these other sites by name?

Finally AshleyMadison.com has had its commercials rejected by the networks from airing during the SuperBowl, and actually I cannot recall seeing a national TV commercial for it anywhere, meaning networks may in general have rejected the controversial ads.

So what do you think?

Is MyMarriageMatters.org, and its national TV ads an Anti-AshleyMadison.com movement, or one of the great cases of Guerrilla Advertising?

In a blog post today the on WSJ.com, they rip into the buyer of color.com and colour.com who spent $500K to obtain both domains:

“The founding team, regardless of their previous successes are showing a general lack of creativity and a misunderstanding of the marketplace in which we currently live.”

“This is evident most clearly in the fact that they paid $350,000 for the domain name color.com and another $150,000 for the domain name colour.com. That’s right, half a million dollars for two domain names.”

“It’s 2011 where people know, understand, and expect that domain names will be taken. We just don’t care about them anymore, and if your product is awesome we’re able to find it.”

“I just registered two domain names over at GoDaddy: http://mycolorapp.com and http://mycolourapp.com. I paid $24.37, including tax, for both of them.”

“Are we really to believe that color.com and colour.com justify spending an extra $499,975.63?”

Interesting.

So following the advice of the author a company raises $41 million and then should go out and hang register a domain for $24.37, a domain like mycolorapp.com.

How many people would remember the product as mycolor.com or colorapp.com and what if another company came along and did buy color for $350K and had a different app or a competing product , how much traffic would mycolorapp lose over the next 10 years to color.com?

A lot.

How many sales would be lost.

A Lot.

Moreover how much FREE publicity has the buyers of color.com received from their purchase?

A ton.

A quick check of the Google news feed or color.com found around 500 articles written about the purchase of the domain, the app, the company.

What is a story in Google news worth on average?

$500? each $250 each $1,000 each?

If there is a number that can be attached to the number of Twitter followers and Facebook Likes there is  certainly is a number that can be placed on stories published about a product, about a company.

Of course not just publications like “john’s blog” wrote about the purchase and app, but TechCrunch.com and WSJ covered it too.

There is an  old expression when it comes to getting a lot of press to cover your story that goes something like

“you can’t buy that kind of good coverage”

But in 2011 you can.

You just can’t get it by spending $24.37 at Godaddy.

Yes its 2011 and the best expenditure that company will ever make is the  1% of funding they just shelled out to buy the domains they will do business under forever.

In a blog post today the on WSJ.com, they rip into the buyer of color.com and colour.com who spent $500K to obtain both domains:

“The founding team, regardless of their previous successes are showing a general lack of creativity and a misunderstanding of the marketplace in which we currently live.”

“This is evident most clearly in the fact that they paid $350,000 for the domain name color.com and another $150,000 for the domain name colour.com. That’s right, half a million dollars for two domain names.”

“It’s 2011 where people know, understand, and expect that domain names will be taken. We just don’t care about them anymore, and if your product is awesome we’re able to find it.”

“I just registered two domain names over at GoDaddy: http://mycolorapp.com and http://mycolourapp.com. I paid $24.37, including tax, for both of them.”

“Are we really to believe that color.com and colour.com justify spending an extra $499,975.63?”

Interesting.

So following the advice of the author a company raises $41 million and then should go out and hang register a domain for $24.37, a domain like mycolorapp.com.

How many people would remember the product as mycolor.com or colorapp.com and what if another company came along and did buy color for $350K and had a different app or a competing product , how much traffic would mycolorapp lose over the next 10 years to color.com?

A lot.

How many sales would be lost.

A Lot.

Moreover how much FREE publicity has the buyers of color.com received from their purchase?

A ton.

A quick check of the Google news feed or color.com found around 500 articles written about the purchase of the domain, the app, the company.

What is a story in Google news worth on average?

$500? each $250 each $1,000 each?

If there is a number that can be attached to the number of Twitter followers and Facebook Likes there is  certainly is a number that can be placed on stories published about a product, about a company.

Of course not just publications like “john’s blog” wrote about the purchase and app, but TechCrunch.com and WSJ covered it too.

There is an  old expression when it comes to getting a lot of press to cover your story that goes something like

“you can’t buy that kind of good coverage”

But in 2011 you can.

You just can’t get it by spending $24.37 at Godaddy.

Yes its 2011 and the best expenditure that company will ever make is the  1% of funding they just shelled out to buy the domains they will do business under forever.

According to TechCrunch.com one company just parlayed $100K on Twitter into 1 Million Visitors in one week.

“Internships.com who paid at least 100K for the Ad.ly campaign… saw 1,035,021 unique visitors (almost two uniques per link click) as a result of the tweets and the subsequent shares and media attention.”

“Between the campaign’s run of 1:03pm PST on Monday March 7th and midnight on Friday March 11th, the original bit.ly link received over 475,375 clicks and over 82,148 people applied for the internship”

TechCrunch’s conclusion:

“these numbers are another bit of evidence proving that Twitter as a marketing tool can no longer be ignored”

Twitter in celebration of its 3rd anniversary just released some extremely interesting internal numbers on its blog today.

• 3 years, 2 months and 1 day. The time it took from the first Tweet to the billionth Tweet.
• 1 week. The time it now takes for users to send a billion Tweets.
• 50 million. The average number of Tweets people sent per day, one year ago.
• 140 million. The average number of Tweets people sent per day, in the last month.
• 177 million. Tweets sent on March 11, 2011.
• 456. Tweets per second (TPS) when Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009 (a record at that time).
• 6,939. Current TPS record, set 4 seconds after midnight in Japan on New Year’s Day.

#accounts

• 572,000. Number of new accounts created on March 12, 2011.
• 460,000. Average number of new accounts per day over the last month.
• 182%. Increase in number of mobile users over the past year.

#employees

• 8. 29. 130. 350. 400. Number of Twitter employees in Jan 2008, Jan 2009, Jan 2010, Jan 2011 and today.