Print media spent much of last year feasting on dying dotcoms,
according to a report by Applied Communications, which added online
companies received more media coverage when they terminated businesses
than while they were still in business.
The study found 33 out of 55 failed dotcoms were covered more by print
media titles when they announced they were closing than they had when
they were open for business.
It also found companies that engaged in elaborate publicity stunts, such
as lavish spending on advertising and marketing initiatives, or
attempted to persuade journalists their companies would survive the
dotcom gloom received even more media coverage when they failed.
In the US, the companies that received the most media coverage when they
closed last year included boo.com, pets.com and toysmart.com.
Applied Communications surveyed the amount and prominence of dotcom
coverage in more than 6,500 publications. It found that the size of the
company - whether it was a small or large sized company - or the nature
of its business had no bearing on the amount of coverage a company
received when it terminated operation. It concluded, "Flameout is an
equal opportunity proposition".
