Budweiser’s celebrated $30-million push into internet media over at bud.tv is a looker for several reasons. Rich content defined, it may well be a glimpse at the immediate future of the internet, at the expense of the networks and cable. It’s certainly a lot easier to remember “bud.tv” than to keep track of every over-the-air and cable program sponsored by Bud if you’re hooked on their message. If it’s this good in the beginning, it’ll only get better down the road.
tip: check out the fake celeb salon spoof — then think of that the next time you’re forced to choose between bottled or tap in front of strangers.
As reported by Ad Age, Bud’s experiment with online controlled content hasn’t exactly blossomed. February started out with 253,000 unique visitors. March ended up with 152,000. Expectation is for between 2 and 3 million by next year. At an estimated cost of between $30 and $40 million. Maybe the foam’s just settling.