Buffasics #4Is there a big moat around the business (a high threshold of entry) ?
(I've been cutting these 'Buffasics' from another website, but the commentary is mine...as it were.)
Moat?
Well this is going to require some fancy footwork. In terms of providing news, it would appear that the internet can also do the trick. So, no moat in that respect. There is a moat in terms of the specific way Torstar approaches news content. There is a moat in terms of Torstar's reputation and longevity as a business. So, there is a bit of a moat there.
High threshold of entry?
I think so. It takes a lot of resources to set up a new business with a print offering that's distributed rather widely.
On this board, we have made reference to the often struggling hockey team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. It seems that they are enjoying a tiny taste of success right now.
I never thought I would look the Leafs for inspiration, but that is what I'm doing right now.
Random poll:
Have any of you ever, ever, clicked on a Google ad to buy a product or even look a product. I pretty much never have. Who clicks on those things. I think Google is pulling the wool over the eyes of those paying them for ad placement.
I am fairly certain that the science backs up the assertion that print ads are more effective than online ads.
For what it is worth, I feel that the turnaround has begun.