tedster - 8:51 pm on May 14, 2003 (gmt 0)

i'm hoping (for some reason) that they prove us all wrong

This reminds me of a time way back, when an innovative business called GoTo.com (which looked something like a search engine) decided to change their name to Overture - and work on their brand to position themselves clearly and cleanly as an advertising company, not a search engine.

Many were the doubters - myself included - of the wisdom of that name change, when they had already begun to build recognition as GoTo. But those smart little puppies had it right, didn't they?

And for all the worries about click fraud, they did put together a relatively solid and quite innovative set of defenses. They were clear that their core business proposition lived right here in the integrity of their charges, and they knew that they needed solid bedrock.

And when it came time to raise rates, they did it sensitively and built in a nice grandfather clause -- unlike some other companies who really stirred the waters in their attempts to increase income.

All in all, Overture has proven itself rather solid in a volatile field. Their attentive to their own bottom line and attentive to client satsifaction. They were the innovators, and they kept their eye on the ball. So I'm betting they've got a very savvy game plan, and I look forward to seeing it unfold.

Of course, no business plan is a guaranteed win, no matter how well put together. So time will tell. But I'm sure they didn't just go on a compulsive buying spree.