From Sock Puppet to Flop: The story of Pets.com

What many of us remember of the dot-com era of the late 90s and 2000 were the ads, the hype. We saw a DIY sock puppet voiced by actor Michael Ian Black become the mascot for Pets.com and a pop culture celebrity in its own right. But even as the sock puppet found itself at the Oscars and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, the company couldn't reach the same level of success. Why was marketing considered so critical to the success of Pets.com and other dot-com companies, and why didn’t it work? From Epic Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Hosted by Julia Furlan. Enjoyed this episode? Rate us ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, then share it with your friends! Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear next week's episode by subscribing in your favorite podcast app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Om Podcasten

Go For Broke is a podcast series about historic bubbles, the irrational enthusiasm that creates them, and the lessons we’ve learned (and the ones we haven’t) when they pop.In our first season, we’re examining the original dot-com bubble. From the meteoric rise of Netscape to the stunning fall of Pets.com, we'll explore how venture capital money and stock market speculation, combined with the beginnings of Internet commerce, led to trillions of dollars created and lost — seemingly overnight.From Epic Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network.