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Domain attration: Brent Hoberman, former CEO and chairman of Lastminute. com, on harnessing the extraordinary commercial power of the internet.

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
AuthorHoberman, Brent
PositionINFORM

As a co-founder of the travel site Lastminute.com, I was aware at an early stage of the disruptive power of new technology. We launched the site in 1998, after I'd spent time as a media consultant advising firms or how to exploit the internet. I had a vision for where the web was going and was lucky enough to realise that e-commerce would be a key factor even then.

LASTMINUTE.COM'S SUCCESS was definitely about good timing, but also the business was unique and differentiated, It wasn't a copy of anything anywhere else, so it was able to gain attention in a crowded market of dotcom wannabes because it was original and addressed a real consumer need. We were asking: "Do you want great stuff at the last minute, whether you're going out or staying in?" That message captured people's imagination.

WE ALSO EXPLOITED as many PR opportunities as possible. We were building a consumer brand, so, if we could gain a competitive advantage through our high public profile, great. We did lots of interesting and innovative things, such as auctioning Jackie Onassis's boat for $1m on the site. We were also one of the first dotcoms to advertise on London buses--something that people didn't expect at the time.

I WENT ON TO START UP Mydeco.com, an online furniture retail and interior design site providing 3D-modelling technology that enables consumers to design their own rooms. The business epitomises the impact...

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