While it’s a close contest, I think I was the most excited Brand.netter with our Video launch today. 

I left my job doing M&A in the New York magazine publishing industry, and moved West to join the internet industry (Yahoo!), early in 1998.  Why? Living in Manhattan, reading Seventeen, Modern Bride and American Baby for work by day, and Red Herring and Business 2.0 for fun at night, it was clear Change Was Coming.  The internet had jumped the early adopter fence, and the way audiences consumed content was going to change dramatically.   Silicon Valley would provide the technology for that change.  But one thing wasn’t changing – advertisers’ need to reach consumers as they make lifetime Brand connections – the tweens, teens, brides and moms.

“Content” and “Monetization” are the essential elements of all media.  I’ve always been a monetizer at heart.  Not creating the coolest news, information, entertainment, and communications products for millions of people to use, but finding a way to pay for it.  

I’m often jealous of the internet content folks, who always have been way out ahead of the monetizers.  At Yahoo! we were at least blazing the trail to bring online the megabrands that need to reach tweens, teens, brides, moms and more.  But there weren’t many others making much headway creating content and business environments that made sense for brand advertising. 

Then, seven or eight years ago Overture caught fire monetizing search – and Google jumped in.  Mission Accomplished?  Yes for Search.  But for those of us who love great content, and know it takes Brand advertising to support it (and that Brands really want to support it, by the way) declaring victory seemed premature. 

Entrepreneurs leave big companies to put their passions to work.  My passion:  I want a world of fantastic content we can consume when and how we want it, on whatever device we own or are testing out that day at the Apple Store.   

So, today, I am excited and proud to be launching our Video offering with Unilever’s I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter.  Back with the tweens, teens, brides and moms, where and how they want their content now, with Silicon Valley technology making it possible.  Coming full circle, and just getting started.

Find me on twitter: @eb_brandnet