So much for the hype: Bud.tv, one of the most ambitious-yet-poorly-implemented brand forays into online content/video, may “fade away” by later this year, its parent Anheuser-Busch admitted yesterday. CEO Busch also said he expected content from Bud.TV to be used on other A-B branded websites, leaving several analysts listening in on a conference call to conclude that the reported $30 million to $40 million site would be left for dead, though the company didn’t make that clear, reports AdAge.
A statement from A-B VP-Global Media Tony Ponturo following this is even more unclear, as the story notes: “Its current structure might fade away as we learn more about consumer connectivity and building a social network. But we are eager to evolve Bud.TV as part of a broader digital future for our brands to reach today’s consumer.”
STLToday: “We thought we had a fantastic idea,” said Busch. “We put a Fort Knox entry system on the website to ensure that there would be nobody underage that could get into the website.” As a result, he said, “I can’t even figure out how to get into the website.” The site’s shows would be redeployed on A-B’s beer websites, Busch said.