Mode Media
{{Short description|Digital lifestyle media company}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Mode Media
| logo =
| type = Privately held
| founder = Ernie Cicogna, Fernando Ruarte, Vic Zauderer, Dianna Mullins, Raj Narayan, Rebecca Bogle Arora, Susan Kare, Emmanuel Job, Samir Arora
| industry = Internet, Media, Fashion
| products = Mode.com,{{cite web |url=http://www.mode.com/ |title=MODE.COM - Shopping & Information |website=www.mode.com |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060125024143/http://www.mode.com/ |archive-date=25 January 2006 |url-status=dead}} Mode Video, Glam, Foodie, Brash, Bliss, Tend, Ning.com
| foundation = 2003
| defunct = 2016
| fate = {{bulleted list|2016: Cyndx acquires and continues operation of Ning.com|2022: Static Media acquires and relaunches Foodie.com and Glam.com}}
| location_city =
| location_country = U.S.
|
}}
Mode Media, Inc. (previously Project Y and Glam Media), was a digital lifestyle media company operating a suite of websites where content was produced by anyone but reviewed by professional editors prior to publishing. In 2013, Mode Media had a valuation of about $1 billion as the company prepped for an IPO. In 2015, Mode Media had grown to over $100 million in revenue, primarily from providing native content, branded video and digital advertising to large brands but had over $100 million in expenses.{{cite web |url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/05/21/more-money-for-mode-media/ |title=Mode Media Raises Another $30M |work=TechCrunch |date=21 May 2015 }}
On 15 September 2016, Mode Media abruptly shut down its operations,{{cite news |last=Gage |first=Deborah |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/billion-dollar-valued-mode-media-shuts-down-1473970070 |title=Billion Dollar-Valued Mode Media Shuts Down |work=Wall Street Journal |date=2016-09-15 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2016-09-16}} with operations of its Ning division passing to a New York-based company, Cyndx.
In 2022, Static Media, a media company based in Indianapolis, Indiana, acquired and relaunched Mode Media's former Glam.com (Women Style, Fashion, Beauty) and Foodie.com (Food Recipes and Restaurants) websites.
History
Mode Media was founded as Project Y, Inc. in 2003 by Ernie Cicogna, Fernando Ruarte, Vic Zauderer, Dianna Mullins, Raj Narayan, Rebecca Bogle Arora, Susan Kare, Emmanuel Job and Samir Arora.{{Cite web |url=http://corp.mode.com/leadership/ |title=Leadership |publisher=Mode Media |access-date=June 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617000212/http://corp.mode.com/leadership |archive-date=June 17, 2016 |url-status=dead}} The company originally was founded as a website to offer fashion and beauty content and blog content.{{cite press release |url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/glamcom-launches-the-first-fashion-blog-network-54968507.html |title=Glam.com Launches the First Fashion Blog Network |publisher=Glam Media Inc |access-date=2016-06-23}} The company launched Glam.com in September 2005 at Fashion Week in New York.{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.forbes.com/free_forbes/2007/0917/056.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011140001/http://www.forbes.com/free_forbes/2007/0917/056.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 11, 2007 |first=Claire Cain |last=Miller |title=Pretty in Pink |magazine=Forbes |date=September 17, 2007 |url-access=subscription |access-date=November 2, 2007}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.glammedia.com/about_glam/our_story/an_idea_whose_time_had_come.php |title=Glam Media. About Glam. Our Story. |publisher=Glam Media |access-date=October 24, 2007}}
As the company grew, it diversified its focus from exclusively targeting a female audience. The company owned and operated Mode.com across 20 lifestyle categories and Channels: Glam (Women Style, Fashion, Beauty), Brash (Men's Lifestyle), Bliss (Health & Wellness), Tend (Parenting), Foodie (Food Recipes and Restaurants) and Entertainment, Music and Video. In June, 2007, Mode Media became the #1 women's web property in the US as reported by comScore.{{cite web |last=Marshall |first=Matt |title=Glam surges to No. 1 women's property, overtakes iVillage |date=18 June 2007 |url=https://venturebeat.com/2007/06/17/glam-surges-to-no-1-womens-property-overtakes-ivillage/ |website=VentureBeat |access-date=2 May 2014}}
In September, 2007, Mode Media launched its first discovery product "Glam Curator" and started to popularize the term "curation" as a new way of filtering content in the social web.{{cite web |last=Marshall |first=Matt |title=Glam, the Web's fastest growing network, unveils Digg-like feature |date=24 September 2007 |url=https://venturebeat.com/2007/09/24/glam-the-webs-fastest-growing-network-unveils-more-features/ |website=VentureBeat |access-date=2 May 2014}}
In January 2009 Mode acquired Personiva Inc, along with this Glam India Pvt. Ltd. a 100% subsidiary India company was created.
Glam India created Glam Adapt, the Ad serving engine for Mode Media previously known as Glam Media.
In September 2011, Mode acquired Ning, a social media platform that allowed users to create custom social networks.{{cite web |url=http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=159013 |title=MediaPost Publications Glam Media Buys Ning 09/21/2011 |website=mediapost.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110923181705/http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=159013 |archive-date=2011-09-23}} {{cite web |last=Parr |first=Ben |title=Glam Media Acquires Ning |date=20 September 2011 |url=http://mashable.com/2011/09/20/glam-media-acquires-ning/ |website=Mashable |access-date=2 May 2014}} In 2014, Glam Media was renamed to Mode Media.{{Cite web |last=Castillo |first=Michelle |title=Glam Media Rebrands as Mode Media and Takes On Netflix |work=AdWeek |access-date=2014-07-14 |url=http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/glam-media-rebrands-mode-media-and-takes-netflix-157345 }} In 2014, Mode Media launched Mode Studios, to create original video series, branded entertainment and digital films in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.{{cite press release |url=http://www.modemediacorp.com/mode-media-launches-its-first-ever-comprehensive-video-service-featuring-exclusive-original-programming/ |title=Mode Launches Comprehensive Video Service}} In 2015, Mode Media launched Mode Video streaming platform {{cite press release |url=http://www.modemediacorp.com/mode-media-introduces-mode-video-a-new-native-distribution-video-streaming-service-with-expanded-original-programming/ |title=Mode Launches Video Streaming |publisher=Mode Media}}
In total, the company raised approximately $225 million from silicon valley venture firms Accel, DFJ, Walden, Information Capital and investors Burda and Dentsu. After abruptly ceasing operations in September 2016, operations of its Ning division passed to a New York-based company, Cyndx.{{cite magazine |last=Spangler |first=Todd |url=https://variety.com/2016/digital/news/mode-media-shuts-down-1201862679/ |title=Mode Media Shuts Down: Women-Focused Digital Player Once Valued at $1 Billion |magazine=Variety |date=2016-09-16 |access-date=2016-09-16}} Mode Media did not file for bankruptcy protection.{{cite web |last=McAlone |first=Nathan |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/mode-media-glam-collapse-inside-story-2016-9 |title=Inside the catastrophe at Mode Media, the billion-dollar juggernaut that suddenly went bust |website=Business Insider |access-date=September 22, 2016}}