The Power of Community: Nothing Rivals It

Yahoo’s acquisition of Rivals.com, a site dedicated to college and high school sports, is a clear acknowledgement of the Web’s prowess as a gathering place for communities of people with shared interests. Yahoo is a destination portal already, and its acquisition of Rivals.com is a sign that it seeks to bond with one of the most passionate consumer communities in existence: college sports fans. Adding Rivals.com content gives Yahoo an advantage over sports-only sites such as ESPN.com. Tapping into the devotion of college and high school sports fans is a way to attract users to Yahoo and keep them on the site to meet their content needs in other aspects of their lives. This move gives Yahoo an opportunity to enhance the brand experience it offers and become more relevant to Rivals.com users.

Author: Don Roy

Don Roy is a marketing educator, blogger, and author. His thirty-year career began with roles in retail management, B2B sales, and franchise management. For the past 27 years, Don has shared his passion for marketing as a marketing professor. Don's teaching and research interests include brands, sports marketing, and social media marketing. Don has authored over 20 articles in scholarly journals, co-authored two textbooks, and self-published three books on personal branding. Don is an avid hockey fan and enjoys running. He and his wife, Sara, have three sons. View all posts by Don Roy