Latest news with #RichBarton
Geek Wire
07-06-2025
- Business
- Geek Wire
Zillow co-founder Rich Barton on the ‘provocation marketing playbook' that can boost your brand
GeekWire's startup coverage documents the Pacific Northwest entrepreneurial scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter , and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and venture capital directory . Rich Barton. (Zillow Photo) Here's a marketing tip for companies on a tight budget: be provocative. That's the strategy Zillow used in its early days in Seattle, according to Rich Barton, the company's co-founder who joined the Tim Ferriss Show on a recent podcast. Barton previously co-founded Expedia, which spent heavily on marketing to drum up interest in the travel company's brand. But early Zillow investor Bill Gurley challenged the burgeoning Seattle startup to imagine if it didn't have any marketing budget. 'We were like, 'No way, you can't do that,'' Barton recalled. 'But that made us think a lot more creatively about the features that we built, the way we built them, and then the way we PR communicated them.' Zillow recognized that the data it was collecting on housing prices was valuable for newspapers and built a mechanism to 'constantly feed the endless appetite,' Barton noted. That was a big brand builder — with no ad money spent. 'When you have constantly changing data that people are interested in, you can almost think about feeding that data to hungry consumers in a Bloomberg-like way,' he said. The company then launched its now-famous 'Zestimate' home estimate tool in 2006 — which drew more than 1 million visitors within the first three days and crashed the site. 'When you have a really provocative feature that you know people are going to feel emotional about one way or the other and they're going to talk about it, you're on to something,' Barton said. Since then Barton said he has developed a playbook around what he calls 'provocation marketing.' 'I'm a big believer in the product being the most important part of the marketing mix, if that makes sense to you,' Barton said. Barton, who stepped down as Zillow's CEO last year, also pointed to Glassdoor, the review and salary database site he co-founded. 'We knew salaries [were] a little bit taboo for a lot of people — so it was inherently secret and provocative,' he said. Companies can do too much that may offend or turn off consumers — so there's a balance. You don't want to scare people or piss them off. 'If you're building a brand and a service, you want people to be provoked — but feel good, or tickled, or entertained,' Barton said. He added: 'Provocation marketing with a heart, with the end consumer's best interests in mind — that's a winner.' Barton and Ferris covered a number of other topics during their conversation, including the early days at Expedia, advice on hiring and firing, balancing family and professional life, and other leadership tips.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Zillow's (NASDAQ:ZG) Q1: Beats On Revenue But Stock Drops
Online real estate marketplace Zillow (NASDAQ:ZG) reported Q1 CY2025 results topping the market's revenue expectations , with sales up 13% year on year to $598 million. Its GAAP profit of $0.03 per share was significantly above analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy Zillow? Find out in our full research report. Zillow (ZG) Q1 CY2025 Highlights: Revenue: $598 million vs analyst estimates of $589.9 million (13% year-on-year growth, 1.4% beat) EPS (GAAP): $0.03 vs analyst estimates of -$0.02 (significant beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $153 million vs analyst estimates of $138.5 million (25.6% margin, 10.5% beat) Operating Margin: -1.5%, up from -8.5% in the same quarter last year Free Cash Flow Margin: 11.4%, up from 7.8% in the same quarter last year Market Capitalization: $16.15 billion Company Overview Founded by Expedia co-founders Lloyd Frink and Rich Barton, Zillow (NASDAQ:ZG) is the leading U.S. online real estate marketplace. Sales Growth A company's long-term sales performance is one signal of its overall quality. Any business can put up a good quarter or two, but many enduring ones grow for years. Over the last five years, Zillow's demand was weak and its revenue declined by 7.6% per year. This was below our standards and suggests it's a lower quality business. Zillow Quarterly Revenue We at StockStory place the most emphasis on long-term growth, but within consumer discretionary, a stretched historical view may miss a company riding a successful new product or trend. Zillow's annualized revenue growth of 10.4% over the last two years is above its five-year trend, but we were still disappointed by the results. Zillow Year-On-Year Revenue Growth This quarter, Zillow reported year-on-year revenue growth of 13%, and its $598 million of revenue exceeded Wall Street's estimates by 1.4%. Looking ahead, sell-side analysts expect revenue to grow 14.4% over the next 12 months, an improvement versus the last two years. This projection is above average for the sector and suggests its newer products and services will spur better top-line performance. Here at StockStory, we certainly understand the potential of thematic investing. Diverse winners from Microsoft (MSFT) to Alphabet (GOOG), Coca-Cola (KO) to Monster Beverage (MNST) could all have been identified as promising growth stories with a megatrend driving the growth. So, in that spirit, we've identified a relatively under-the-radar profitable growth stock benefiting from the rise of AI, available to you FREE via this link. Operating Margin Zillow's operating margin has been trending up over the last 12 months, but it still averaged negative 10% over the last two years. This is due to its large expense base and inefficient cost structure.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Boating season kicks off this weekend, police to increase water patrols
Seattle's Opening Day of Boating Season starts tomorrow! To keep everyone safe, King County Deputy Sgt. Rich Barton tells us they will be patrolling the waterways every day starting Saturday. 'We don't do a lot of citations, but we do a lot of safety inspections,' Barton said. They are warning people to check their boats before heading out. 'Make sure you have proper equipment, people may put things away fire extinguisher life jackets everything safety related people might forget about,' Barton said. This includes the paddleboarders too, they must have a life jacket and a whistle. Crew Coach Rachel Le Mieux tells us she has been on the water her entire and even she knows how important safety precautions are. 'We are very conscious about safety; we won't let our rowers out in the water if air temperature are not conducive to our safety. We have traffic patterns all the boat houses follow traffic patterns,' Le Mieux said. If you do find yourself in an emergency out on the water, you can always call 911. He says as long as you meet the requirements, everyone will have a good time!
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
3 Unprofitable Stocks in the Doghouse
Unprofitable companies face headwinds as they struggle to keep operating expenses under control. Some may be investing heavily, but the majority fail to convert spending into sustainable growth. A lack of profits can lead to trouble, but StockStory helps you identify the businesses that stand a chance of making it through. Keeping that in mind, here are three unprofitable companiesto avoid and some better opportunities instead. Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: -8.8% Founded by Expedia co-founders Lloyd Frink and Rich Barton, Zillow (NASDAQ:ZG) is the leading U.S. online real estate marketplace. Why Are We Hesitant About ZG? Products and services have few die-hard fans as sales have declined by 4% annually over the last five years Persistent operating losses suggest the business manages its expenses poorly Negative returns on capital show that some of its growth strategies have backfired At $65.75 per share, Zillow trades at 34.2x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than ZG. Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: -14.1% Founded in 2007 by three Georgetown University alum, Sweetgreen (NYSE:SG) is a casual quick service chain known for its healthy salads and bowls. Why Does SG Fall Short? Historical operating losses point to an inefficient cost structure Negative free cash flow raises questions about the return timeline for its investments Limited cash reserves may force the company to seek unfavorable financing terms that could dilute shareholders Sweetgreen is trading at $19.41 per share, or 65.2x forward EV-to-EBITDA. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why SG doesn't pass our bar. Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: -2.3% Started by a waterskiing instructor, MasterCraft (NASDAQ:MCFT) specializes in designing, manufacturing, and selling sport boats. Why Does MCFT Give Us Pause? Performance surrounding its boats sold has lagged its peers Estimated sales growth of 6.2% for the next 12 months is soft and implies weaker demand Sales were less profitable over the last five years as its earnings per share fell by 26.6% annually, worse than its revenue declines MasterCraft's stock price of $16.81 implies a valuation ratio of 14.4x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with MCFT, check out our full research report (it's free). Market indices reached historic highs following Donald Trump's presidential victory in November 2024, but the outlook for 2025 is clouded by new trade policies that could impact business confidence and growth. While this has caused many investors to adopt a "fearful" wait-and-see approach, we're leaning into our best ideas that can grow regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Take advantage of Mr. Market by checking out our Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 175% over the last five years. Stocks that made our list in 2019 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+2,183% between December 2019 and December 2024) as well as under-the-radar businesses like Sterling Infrastructure (+1,096% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
3 Cash-Producing Stocks with Questionable Fundamentals
While strong cash flow is a key indicator of stability, it doesn't always translate to superior returns. Some cash-heavy businesses struggle with inefficient spending, slowing demand, or weak competitive positioning. Not all companies are created equal, and StockStory is here to surface the ones with real upside. Keeping that in mind, here are three cash-producing companies to avoid and some better opportunities instead. Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 1.3% Known for store associates whose uniforms resemble those of referees, Foot Locker (NYSE:FL) is a specialty retailer that sells athletic footwear, clothing, and accessories. Why Are We Out on FL? Ongoing store closures and lackluster same-store sales indicate sluggish demand and a focus on consolidation Lagging same-store sales over the past two years suggest it might have to change its pricing and marketing strategy to stimulate demand 6× net-debt-to-EBITDA ratio shows it's overleveraged and increases the probability of shareholder dilution if things turn unexpectedly Foot Locker is trading at $11.80 per share, or 6.8x forward price-to-earnings. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including FL in your portfolio, it's free. Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 12.7% Founded by Expedia co-founders Lloyd Frink and Rich Barton, Zillow (NASDAQ:ZG) is the leading U.S. online real estate marketplace. Why Do We Think Twice About ZG? Products and services have few die-hard fans as sales have declined by 4% annually over the last five years Suboptimal cost structure is highlighted by its history of operating losses Negative returns on capital show management lost money while trying to expand the business Zillow's stock price of $64.87 implies a valuation ratio of 33.7x forward price-to-earnings. If you're considering ZG for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more. Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 11.9% Spun off from Merck in 2021 to create a company dedicated to addressing unmet needs in women's health, Organon (NYSE:OGN) is a global healthcare company focused on improving women's health through prescription therapies, medical devices, biosimilars, and established medicines. Why Should You Sell OGN? Annual sales declines of 3.6% for the past five years show its products and services struggled to connect with the market during this cycle Adjusted operating margin declined by 17.3 percentage points over the last five years as its sales cratered Earnings per share have contracted by 19.8% annually over the last four years, a headwind for returns as stock prices often echo long-term EPS performance At $12.20 per share, Organon trades at 3x forward price-to-earnings. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why OGN doesn't pass our bar. Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election sent major indices to all-time highs, but stocks have retraced as investors debate the health of the economy and the potential impact of tariffs. While this leaves much uncertainty around 2025, a few companies are poised for long-term gains regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate, like our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 175% over the last five years. Stocks that made our list in 2019 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+2,183% between December 2019 and December 2024) as well as under-the-radar businesses like Comfort Systems (+751% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free.
