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Case Study

America Online (AOL): Combining internet and media

By Johan Roos, Bart Victor and David Oliver

13 pages

May 2000

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Reference: IMD-3-0877

This case describes the evolution of America Online (AOL) from Internet start-up to media giant with a $290 billion market capitalization following its merger with Time-Warner. AOL grew by targeting Internet novices with easy-to-use news, shopping, and chat rooms, and connecting its customer “community” to a large network of Internet “content providers”. Through a series of acquisitions in the late 1990s, including Netscape, Spinner, Movie Fone, CompuServe, ICQ and others, AOL attempted to transform itself into a brand “family” that reached different Internet audiences with its likable, homey interface. The case traces AOL’s strategy and various interpretations of its corporate identity, along with the possible impact of its entry into the media industry.

Keywords

Internet, Media, Corporate Identity

Settings

United States of America
January 2000

Type

Published Sources

Available Languages

English

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