Flycast lowering commission - geek/talk: Signature-free discourse for serious web publishers

Roosh · 12-29-2000, 11:25 PM

Just when I started making money from Flycast again, I got an email...

"This notice is to inform you that the commission on the ad sales for your
site will be changing - you will receive 40% effective February 1, 2001.
Again, charging this commission is necessary for us to maintain the breadth
and caliber of the products available to our sites, and will enhance our
product offerings as well as provide Publishers with the technology needed
to secure greater market share with advertisers."

I like how they tried to cover the decrease with BS. In plain english they shoulda said: "We are lowering your commission to 40% because we need the money". Oh well.

------------------
Roosh
http://www.rn-net.com - entertainment network hq.

Ralph Slate · 12-29-2000, 11:27 PM

They've lowered it from 60% to 40% -- I thought that someone posted here a month or so ago that they were lowering it to 50%. Are they "tiering" sites with different commissions?

I too got the "you'll be getting 40%" letter.

Ralph

Pur Ple · 12-30-2000, 05:11 PM

We just got our notice today! How can they get the majority for doing nothing! You noticed how Engage wants to "help Publishers meet their revenue objectives..." after telling us this: "Engage is fully committed to becoming a PROFITABLE company in three quarters, and has more than adequate cash on hand to support operations until that expected date of profitability. In order to achieve these goals, the company will make changes – this is certain. In addition, our parent company, CMGI, stands behind Engage with a strong financial and strategic commitment for the long-term.. blah blah..."

They only want to save their investors' stocks and ***** us, cus they know they can get away with it! How is lowering our commission split going to help us ever meet our revenue objectives?

Ever since CMGI emerged, everthing went to hell. CMGI is evil.

God, I hope Burst wont' resort to this to such evil.

Are we the only ones getting this notice? There got to be more...

sterlingbeck · 12-31-2000, 11:43 PM

Recieved email as well, pity Flycast was finally starting to pay a half decent CPM for me again.

------------------
Sterling Beck
23d Networks
iMpeg3...do you?

weagle · 01-03-2001, 02:28 AM

that is nasty what engage is doing, didn't publishers and flycast sign an agreement the commision would be at 40% and not change? How can they change it? It looks like they want to milk money from both the advertisers and now the web publishers and at the end really is only flycast/engage making money and everyone else making nothing it's almost as bad as the food franchise industry, they make money off selling the meats to the stores raise the royalties then force franchisees to renovate every 5 years there goes the profit. I think where everythign is heading here is to deal directly with the advertisers and forget about the ads agencies.

Drastic · 01-04-2001, 08:26 AM

Looks like this is part of Engage's plan to hang in there.

<A HREF="http://www.localbusiness.com/Story/0,1118,NOCITY_558873,00.html" TARGET=_blank>Engage disengages 550 employees
</A>

------------------
free personals - Get a hot date today!

**singloon** · 01-04-2001, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Drastic:
Looks like this is part of Engage's plan to hang in there.

<A HREF="http://www.localbusiness.com/Story/0,1118,NOCITY_558873,00.html" TARGET=_blank>Engage disengages 550 employees
</A>

woah, that's drastic http://geekvillage.com/ubb/eek.gif

------------------[*]Australian Neon Genesis Evangelion[*]film - writers - reviewers - reporters - designers[*]FanBuy.com indevelopment

Aaron Dragushan · 01-04-2001, 09:30 AM

Yowch.

Quote:

The restructuring plan will include an increased focus on software, which the company said has higher gross margins than Engage's other businesses. The company will also consolidate offices, with the principal operations of its media business group moving from San Francisco to Engage's headquarters in Andover.

Paraphrase: We're getting the heck out of the advertising business!

Quote:

For the three months ended Oct. 31, Engage lost $173.8 million, compared to a loss of $17.9 million a year earlier. Revenues totaled $41 million during the period, up from $20 million in the same period a year earlier.

From one year to the next, 10x the loss, 2x the profit. Ouch!

------------------
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**Czar** · 01-06-2001, 10:10 PM

From what I've heard, it seems that only some of the sites represented by Engage have received notification about this change. The others, presumably, will continue to receive 60%.

I'd like to hear some traffic figures from those publishers that have had their commissions cut, in order to figure out what their criteria was in making this decision.

It's a real pity. For years, Flycast was far-and-away the best representative for mid-sized sites, but they seem to have been freefalling for the past year or so.

------------------
Czar
Net-Ads: Get More Hits. Make More Money.
www.net-ads.com

sterlingbeck · 01-06-2001, 10:35 PM

Just like to point out that FLYCAST STOCK IS AT 1.13 as of this post. They drop below $1, Nasdaq will drop their listing. Can we say dead?

------------------
Sterling Beck
23d Networks
iMpeg3...do you?

**Czar** · 01-06-2001, 10:47 PM

They're not dead, just one foot in the grave.

Keep in mind that Flycast/Engage still has major backing from CMGI (I know, their stock has been hammered too), which will hopefully keep them afloat until the online ad industry picks up again.

I don't know exactly when this will be, but judging by the rates we're all selling our inventory for at the moment, I'm hoping that it's already hit bottom, and that things will look brighter come second half of 2001.

------------------
Czar
Net-Ads: Get More Hits. Make More Money.
www.net-ads.com

SSacobie · 01-15-2001, 10:52 AM

Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if those who did not receive notices are not out of the water yet. I'm almost expecting something to go out to some publishers saying "We're taking 70%" in the first 10 days of March.

Flycast was still good after CMGI bought them out. They went downhill when Engage "bought" them from CMGI.

It's month-to-month, so they can pretty much do anything they want as long as they give a month's notice. Granted, it's not necessarily the best thing they can do as far as keeping people happy. My theory is that maybe they don't want everyone to be happy, though.

Engage will still, of course, continue to focus on advertising. Just not to the same extent.

I've seen stocks drop below $1 and not be delisted. TheStandard had an article earlier today that listed 257 companies in danger of delisting. Some companies (I know Snowball for sure), were under $1 for more than a month and are still on the NASDAQ.

12-29-2000, 11:25 PM	#1
Roosh Registered User Join Date: May 1999 Posts: 74	Flycast lowering commission Just when I started making money from Flycast again, I got an email... "This notice is to inform you that the commission on the ad sales for your site will be changing - you will receive 40% effective February 1, 2001. Again, charging this commission is necessary for us to maintain the breadth and caliber of the products available to our sites, and will enhance our product offerings as well as provide Publishers with the technology needed to secure greater market share with advertisers." I like how they tried to cover the decrease with BS. In plain english they shoulda said: "We are lowering your commission to 40% because we need the money". Oh well. ------------------ Roosh http://www.rn-net.com - entertainment network hq.

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12-29-2000, 11:27 PM	#2
Ralph Slate Registered User Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Springfield, MA Posts: 334	They've lowered it from 60% to 40% -- I thought that someone posted here a month or so ago that they were lowering it to 50%. Are they "tiering" sites with different commissions? I too got the "you'll be getting 40%" letter. Ralph

12-30-2000, 05:11 PM	#3
Pur Ple Registered User Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: California, USA Posts: 1	We just got our notice today! How can they get the majority for doing nothing! You noticed how Engage wants to "help Publishers meet their revenue objectives..." after telling us this: "Engage is fully committed to becoming a PROFITABLE company in three quarters, and has more than adequate cash on hand to support operations until that expected date of profitability. In order to achieve these goals, the company will make changes – this is certain. In addition, our parent company, CMGI, stands behind Engage with a strong financial and strategic commitment for the long-term.. blah blah..." They only want to save their investors' stocks and ***** us, cus they know they can get away with it! How is lowering our commission split going to help us ever meet our revenue objectives? Ever since CMGI emerged, everthing went to hell. CMGI is evil. God, I hope Burst wont' resort to this to such evil. Are we the only ones getting this notice? There got to be more...

12-31-2000, 11:43 PM	#4
sterlingbeck Registered User Join Date: May 2000 Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA Posts: 315	Recieved email as well, pity Flycast was finally starting to pay a half decent CPM for me again. ------------------ Sterling Beck 23d Networks iMpeg3...do you?

01-03-2001, 02:28 AM	#5
weagle Registered User Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: brampton, ontario Posts: 143	that is nasty what engage is doing, didn't publishers and flycast sign an agreement the commision would be at 40% and not change? How can they change it? It looks like they want to milk money from both the advertisers and now the web publishers and at the end really is only flycast/engage making money and everyone else making nothing it's almost as bad as the food franchise industry, they make money off selling the meats to the stores raise the royalties then force franchisees to renovate every 5 years there goes the profit. I think where everythign is heading here is to deal directly with the advertisers and forget about the ads agencies.

01-04-2001, 08:26 AM	#6
Drastic Registered User Join Date: Aug 1999 Location: Upstate SC, USA Posts: 168	Looks like this is part of Engage's plan to hang in there. <A HREF="http://www.localbusiness.com/Story/0,1118,NOCITY_558873,00.html" TARGET=_blank>Engage disengages 550 employees </A> ------------------ free personals - Get a hot date today!

01-06-2001, 10:10 PM	#9
Czar Join Date: Aug 1999 Location: Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia Posts: 9,488	From what I've heard, it seems that only some of the sites represented by Engage have received notification about this change. The others, presumably, will continue to receive 60%. I'd like to hear some traffic figures from those publishers that have had their commissions cut, in order to figure out what their criteria was in making this decision. It's a real pity. For years, Flycast was far-and-away the best representative for mid-sized sites, but they seem to have been freefalling for the past year or so. ------------------ Czar Net-Ads: Get More Hits. Make More Money. www.net-ads.com

01-06-2001, 10:35 PM	#10
sterlingbeck Registered User Join Date: May 2000 Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA Posts: 315	Just like to point out that FLYCAST STOCK IS AT 1.13 as of this post. They drop below $1, Nasdaq will drop their listing. Can we say dead? ------------------ Sterling Beck 23d Networks iMpeg3...do you?

01-06-2001, 10:47 PM	#11
Czar Join Date: Aug 1999 Location: Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia Posts: 9,488	They're not dead, just one foot in the grave. Keep in mind that Flycast/Engage still has major backing from CMGI (I know, their stock has been hammered too), which will hopefully keep them afloat until the online ad industry picks up again. I don't know exactly when this will be, but judging by the rates we're all selling our inventory for at the moment, I'm hoping that it's already hit bottom, and that things will look brighter come second half of 2001. ------------------ Czar Net-Ads: Get More Hits. Make More Money. www.net-ads.com

01-15-2001, 10:52 AM	#12
SSacobie Registered User Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Silver City, NM, US Posts: 487	Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if those who did not receive notices are not out of the water yet. I'm almost expecting something to go out to some publishers saying "We're taking 70%" in the first 10 days of March. Flycast was still good after CMGI bought them out. They went downhill when Engage "bought" them from CMGI. It's month-to-month, so they can pretty much do anything they want as long as they give a month's notice. Granted, it's not necessarily the best thing they can do as far as keeping people happy. My theory is that maybe they don't want everyone to be happy, though. Engage will still, of course, continue to focus on advertising. Just not to the same extent. I've seen stocks drop below $1 and not be delisted. TheStandard had an article earlier today that listed 257 companies in danger of delisting. Some companies (I know Snowball for sure), were under $1 for more than a month and are still on the NASDAQ.