Verticals are in

Interesting Wired article and Read/Write Web summary post on News Corps general internet and specific MySpace strategy. Note focus on mini-portals or “aggressive vertical categories” in lieu of Yahoo/MSN style mega-portal. Also, their belief that moving fast with M&A is the way to get there, which relates to two former posts of mine: Old school will by travel start-ups and Travel Search acquisitions near?

Here are excerpts from the Wired article summarized by Read/Write Web:

"Over two months in spring 2005, [Ross] Levinsohn and a handpicked team hammered out an 80-page strategy document. A Yahoo- or MSN-style portal was out, they determined: Fast connections and search engines made aggregating content superfluous. Broadband-ready “aggressive vertical categories” were in, pegged to sports, news, and entertainment – areas where News Corp. had mountains of content, standout stars, and demographic expertise. Above all, the report concluded, speed was critical. M&A, not the company’s customary homegrown approach, was the fastest path forward."

"Levinsohn, for his part, thinks one way to make the site more ad-friendly is to introduce miniportals focused on MySpace core interests – music, movies, and comedy so far – that offer advertisers “clean” (that is, professionally designed and managed) pages. Smart stuff – but again, tidy the place up enough to make American Express happy, and it won’t be MySpace anymore."