The Internet Letter on OBS

What The Internet Letter Is Saying About OBS

The Internet Letter, June 1, 1995
"Bookstore Turns Page On Ad Sales"
"The Online BookStore (OBS) this week plans to unveil a novel method of charging companies for advertising on World Wide Web sites at the American Booksellers Association convention in Chicago.
"The method is called the 'Gumball Machine Model.' OBS President Laura Fillmore said it is less risky than 'link' or sponsorship programs...
"...gumball billing does not require companies to pay up front. Instead a company would only pay for the number of times a user clicked on its URL.
"'The idea is that it's a no-risk billing model. If nobody comes, it doesn't cost the company anything,' Fillmore said. 'But say thousands of people come. What we're delivering to them are qualified buyers who voluntarily put their pointer on the word...'
"Fillmore plans to demonstrate the system with a 'Cyberdock' version of Nicholas Negroponte's bestselling Being Digital. The electronic version offers readers an opportunity to add additional links, both commercial and editorial. Adding an editorial link is free."