Start-up Tsavo Media, an online media network started by UserPlane founder Mike Jones, has officially added a trio of new blogs, Manolith, Twirlit and KidGlue to its growing media mini-empire. Tsavo, who has appeared to implement a growth by acquisition strategy since its start in September, opted to develop the three blogs in-house.
Tsavo is trying to tailor digital content directly to a consumer’s online experience. Twirlit, which includes content showcasing celebrity gossip, fashion, food and beauty; and Manolith, which features posts on gadgets, style and men’s health; are both blogs targeted at consumers in their mid-20s to mid-40s. Kidglue rounds out the mix with resources and news for parents. Last week, Tsavo announced the acquisition of popular foodie recipe site OpenSourceFood, which has been integrated into its search aggregator and network, Daymix, under the name NibbleDish. Daymix serves as both a platform for the blogs and as a giant automated search technology. Through Daymix, users can not only search for personalized content, but can also create and embed widgets of their favorite topic searches. See the Michael Arrington widget below. Tsavo also recently created a nifty Twitter-based search engine called Twithority.
Funded by deep-pocketed private equity firm American Capital, Tsavo has made several acquisitions since its birth, including the publishing assets of Canadian digital media network MoxyMedia and the online marketing and search engine optimization firm Better. We speculated last year about how Tsavo and American Capital are good fit for each other in terms of implementing an expansion by acquisition strategy.
While some compare Tsavo to new media network Demand Media, Jones doesn’t agree. He prefers for Tsavo to be compared to a smaller Hearst Media, CNET or even parts of Sugar Inc.’s blog platform. It should be interesting to see how Tsavo continues to differentiate itself from the aforementioned (and well-established) digital media networks in the future.
I am not sure starting a network of blogs in an advertising downturn is the best idea …
Anjali Sen
You can get many things for cheap when you start businesses in a down economy.
Exactly. Buying during a downturn is the very height of wisdom. Y’know, “buy low, sell high”? It involves *buying low* – like the lows provided by downturns.
Thanks for sharing. I hadn’t even heard of this interesting startup.
I’ve been checking out the new content sites and they’ve creaped their way into my weekly online reading. Keep up the good work Tsavo Team.
Read a few things about them, notably the Open Source Food acquisition. Whilst I don’t think acquring content is the best way to go, I like the Tsavo brand itself.
I’ve gotta admit, I am totally confused by thwt Tsavo is, or aims to be?
I beleive in Jones 100%, but man I am lost on this one!
Mike rocks!
I know with Mike on the helm, you can bank on it being successful..
Cool! Exciting to see what good things Tsavo will put out next.
These blogs are garbage and they have no traffic. The only reason TC is writing about Tsavo is that big $ backing them.
The latest post on Manolith is titles “DJ Khaled Dead”…and that’s not even accurate. They have an update that he’s actually in FL working on a record…..great journalism. booo
Congratulations to the entire team at Tsavo. Keep up the great work — see you all at Twiistup!
I am totally confused by what Tsavo is or is trying to be.
That said, I have no doubt that the Tsavo team knows what they are doing. Its a top notch team and thats why TC covers them.
Tsavo knows exactly what they are doing, and they will kick ass. Mark my word.
Keep cranking guys
Josh Stomel
“Hey guys, can you go post a positive comment on the TechCrunch article about Tsavo?”
There is plenty of room for lots of ‘mini media empires’ on the ‘net these days, and in the future.
daymix is nice
These sites are really well done. Look forward to seeing everyone at Twiistup.
“Tsavo is trying to tailor digital content directly to a consumer’s online experience.” – that sounds kinda like what AOL has been up to all these years ..
Wow – A business based on wordpress blogs. Novel idea.
Congratulations to Mike and his new team!
What this story missed {seesmic_video:{”url_thumbnail”:{”value”:”http://t.seesmic.com/thumbnail/blHdG7LBRX_th1.jpg”}”title”:{”value”:”What this story missed ”}”videoUri”:{”value”:”http://www.seesmic.com/video/ZnMOW9A8TC”}}}
Andrew Warner is my hero!
Btw… this info is similar to what Quantcast has in terms of demographics and psychographics.
Actually, Andrew, you’re 34. Their info is spot on!
You’re making my point stronger. Tsavos (and my fiance) knows me better than I know myself.
What does it mean for search if the search engine knows who you are?
What does it mean for blogs, if the site you read knows you better than you know yourself?
Andrew…all excellent points.
I had to try this out for myself. In fact, I visited one of Tsavo’s sites this morning…had no idea they knew so much about me. Maybe that’s why the content was spot on.
Andrew, great observations… Apparently, Tsavo knows much more about you than me. (Me, they think I’m female, and nothing else)
I just talked to Mike and he says the site thinks he’s a woman too. I read the same thing on twitter in my pre-interview research.
It’s far from perfect.
After running Userplane into the ground and getting out of dodge before his handlers found out, I’m sure Mike will do a bang up job with Tsavo too.
Okay, two questions:
1. Agree with blogger – does a blog network make sense anymore (albeit it costs nothing to build/maintain)?
2. What does Tsavo mean, anyone? And thank god they changed their logo back to the multicolored bird, the interloper web2.0 logo they tried for a second after the bird….SUCKED.
I talked with their people last night @ Twiistup. Tsavo is a place in Africa that the owner has a deep connection to. Also, it’s not just blogs. They’re microtargeting content to users.