When Stencil began its relationship with Aeneid in April 1999, Aeneid was in possession of two strong assets: technology expertise in the exploding field of XML, and a vision of the oncoming vertical portal boom. Within a matter of weeks, Stencil had designed and implemented two audience development tactics to increase awareness of Aeneid within the existing XML community, and to assume a leadership position in the vertical portal market.
Implementation
With respect to the XML community, Stencil implemented an audience development program that leveraged the burgeoning weblog phenomenon. With a great many technical resources and online communities already in place, the XML community may have had too much information. Stencil recommended a weekly distillation, with commentary, of that news. A weblog-like newsletter was therefore launched in mid-April. Stencil extensively researched the leading online influencers in the XML community, as well as the leading community venues. By reaching out to those individuals and communities, Aeneid's 'XML News' weblog rapidly became required weekly reading for the XML community.
To reach an audience interested in vertical portals, Aeneid did not have the luxury of reaching out to an existing community. Stencil's program, therefore, was designed to create a new community, based on an expectation that one would be emerging soon. In late Spring 1999, momentum was beginning to emerge around the vertical portal phenomenon. To take the lead in this trend, Portal-V was launched in mid-May (at the first Net Market Makers conference).
Portal-V was an email community designed to create a forum for the discussion of the vertical portal phenomenon. To kick off the list, Stencil devised a 'Twenty Questions' strategy. Prior to the official launch of Portal-V, Stencil had solicited questions from some of the leaders in this emerging community: Geoffrey Moore of The Chasm Group, Kevin Jones of Net Market Makers, Chuck Shih, then with Gartner Group, Kevin Werbach of Release 1.0, and Richard Brandt of Upside Magazine, to name only a few. Each business day for one month thereafter began with a question posted to the list by Aeneid's list administrator, Diane Smith.
Results
Both lists served Aeneid extremely well. XML News reached thousands of subscribers each week, and provided much-needed content and context for an XML community overwhelmed with information. It continues today under the auspices of its new owner, Moreover. Click here to subscribe to XML News.
In creating a community virtually out of thin air, Portal-V was a great success. For many individuals, Portal-V was the first opportunity for them to discuss the vertical portal market with their peers. Now under the guiding hand of Net Market Makers, serves as a key role for NMM's online constituency. With a subscriber base in the thousands, Portal-V is a weekly summary of news pertinent to the vertical portal and net marketplace community. Click here to subscribe to Portal-V.
