https://www.mediapost.com/Noneen-usThu, 27 Aug 2015 17:28:51 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/257200/kareem-bounces-a-cultural-rant-off-the-rim.htmlKareem Abdul-Jabbar, who should have stuck to basking in his glory as a basketball player and dreading cross-country air flights, is now a columnist for TIME. He has written a ludicrous column that essentially accuses whites of profiting from the adaptation of trends spawned by black people.Thu, 27 Aug 2015 17:28:51 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/257200/kareem-bounces-a-cultural-rant-off-the-rim.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/256598/hoping-that-newspapers-dont-give-up-the-good-figh.htmlOn Monday, "The New York Times" ran something of a rant in the business section about the impact of social media on quality journalism, saying in part: "[a]s more readers move toward online social networks, and as publishers desperately seek scale to bring in revenue, many [newspapers] have deplored a race toward repetitive, trivial journalism, so noisy that it drowns out more considered work."Thu, 20 Aug 2015 14:58:48 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/256598/hoping-that-newspapers-dont-give-up-the-good-figh.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/256173/ad-blocking-as-a-national-sport.htmlWord is that 198 million people around the world now use digital ad-blocking tools, at a cost to advertisers of $21.8 billion in lost revenue. Still, I would like to see how these numbers compare to "loss of income" in other media from folks who avoid those ads.Thu, 13 Aug 2015 17:17:25 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/256173/ad-blocking-as-a-national-sport.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/255544/guess-i-will-never-know-if-you-can-hear-me-now.htmlAmusingly, I got an email (not a phone call) from a friend pointing to a study that said, among other things, that 32% of mobile users would rather text you than talk to you.Thu, 06 Aug 2015 18:55:24 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/255544/guess-i-will-never-know-if-you-can-hear-me-now.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/254915/50-over-50-60-over-60-where-is-your-list.htmlIt seems a staple of most trade magazines to run an annual story featuring 20 Under 20, or 30 Under 30, or 40 Under 40 -- purportedly identifying the best people in their jobs, in that industry, who are under the featured age limit. Sadly, no one thinks about honoring 50 Over 50 or 60 Over 60.Wed, 29 Jul 2015 20:53:36 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/254915/50-over-50-60-over-60-where-is-your-list.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/254719/even-i-wouldnt-have-published-that-gawker-story.htmlBy now you probably know the particulars of the story Gawker posted about a married media exec who tried to hire a gay porn star for a liaison. But when he refused to use his brother's considerable Washington leverage to help the porn star in a legal dispute and canceled the "date," the porn star gave the entire email, text and photo-exchange transaction to Gawker, which ran it with glee.Thu, 23 Jul 2015 18:09:07 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/254719/even-i-wouldnt-have-published-that-gawker-story.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/254199/has-technology-really-improved-the-ad-business.htmlA marketing technology company fielded a study that - SURPRISE! - found that marketing technology has grown and impacted the lives of CMOs.Thu, 16 Jul 2015 18:32:45 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/254199/has-technology-really-improved-the-ad-business.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/253702/is-the-sharing-economy-enslaving-or-liberating-man.htmlUmair Haque, the director of the Havas Media Lab, has written (in a personal blog apparently not related to Havas) a provocative argument against the sharing economy, which he calls the Servitude Bubble.Thu, 09 Jul 2015 18:28:46 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/253702/is-the-sharing-economy-enslaving-or-liberating-man.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/253345/lets-get-beyond-the-30-second-online-ad.htmlThe Internet is now the second largest form of advertising. Why do advertisers still think the 30-second spots they run on TV will work hereMon, 06 Jul 2015 15:38:51 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/253345/lets-get-beyond-the-30-second-online-ad.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/253180/british-postal-service-aims-low-with-retargeted-sn.htmlRoyal Mail is the primary postal service for the U.K. (think USPS, but with cute British accents). It was founded -- get this -- in 1516 by Henry VIII, so it is not like they are newbies to the world of customer service. But that doesn't protect them from dumb-assed ideas.Wed, 01 Jul 2015 16:53:29 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/253180/british-postal-service-aims-low-with-retargeted-sn.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/252717/climbing-out-of-the-funnel.htmlEach time I read that as a consumer I am "on a journey through the funnel," I suddenly feel exhausted.Thu, 25 Jun 2015 16:03:11 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/252717/climbing-out-of-the-funnel.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/252334/kudos-to-the-nhl-for-doing-it-right.htmlI am not a big hockey fan, but I always watch the Stanley Cup finals, because it is simply the best sporting event on TV (with the exception of all college football games -- oh, and maybe March Madness).Thu, 18 Jun 2015 17:37:34 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/252334/kudos-to-the-nhl-for-doing-it-right.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/251837/you-dont-have-to-be-big-to-be-bad.htmlYou have probably never heard of Tele-Media Corporation and its affiliates, which happens to be the cable and Internet provider for my little beach house in North Carolina. While dealing with its front-office folks is generally a pleasure, god help you if you need technical support, because it is just as crappy, if not worse, than the bottom-feeders of the industry, Time Warner Cable.Thu, 11 Jun 2015 15:36:17 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/251837/you-dont-have-to-be-big-to-be-bad.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/250866/useful-vs-creepy-the-jury-is-still-out.htmlServing "the right ad, to the right person, at the right time" has become the industry mantra for the 21st century, with the underlying assumption being that if you do that, people will buy your product. But to actually do this right requires a considerable amount of data collection that leaves audiences feeling a little queasy.Thu, 28 May 2015 18:17:05 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/250866/useful-vs-creepy-the-jury-is-still-out.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/250506/unsolicited-advice-to-the-graduate.htmlI am scheduled to be the "parent speaker" at a dinner for the seniors graduating from my son's high school. This is like getting the "$10 for second place in the beauty contest" card in Monopoly -- but since it is not the commencement address, it means I don't have to provide any practical advice about life after high school. Which is too bad, because I do have some tips.Thu, 21 May 2015 17:40:33 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/250506/unsolicited-advice-to-the-graduate.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/249951/aol-a-legacy-of-most-hated.htmlBy now, as I have, you've read tens of thousands of words about the Verizon acquisition of AOL. Personally, I couldn't care less if it paves the way for Verizon to serve video content and ads better, or results in the sale of HuffPo and TechCrunch to the Germans.Thu, 14 May 2015 17:49:53 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/249951/aol-a-legacy-of-most-hated.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/249425/the-native-son-rises.htmlI read a byliner that said that the future of online advertising is not display, but native content distributed by automated feeds at scale. It referenced a few companies that are already creating content and automating its distribution. So I looked up one of the companies, which said its "freelance network covers over 60 countries and includes over 45,000 award-winning journalists."Thu, 07 May 2015 17:15:10 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/249425/the-native-son-rises.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/248737/ill-tell-you-what-this-is-about-just-as-soon-as.htmlIn 2013, American Airlines handed out more than 8,000 iPads to pilots to replace some 35 pounds of paper manuals required in cockpits. Said AA proudly, "Altogether, 24 million pages of paper documents have been eliminated." But on Tuesday, the app crashed.Wed, 29 Apr 2015 20:54:44 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/248737/ill-tell-you-what-this-is-about-just-as-soon-as.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/248378/piling-on-the-hate-stop-fighting-unbundling.htmlPerhaps the most concerning quote in all the copy devoted to cable channels dumping on Verizon for trying to do something everyone in the country wants was this one from a 65-year-old retired electronics salesman, who told the "WSJ:" "I've been paying for ESPN for 30 years and never watch it." Really? My head would not have snapped back if he had said Nickelodeon or Home Shopping Network or even Food Network, but ESPN? As in no college football? No "Monday Night Football?" No Little League baseball playoffs? No "Around the Horn!!" I think that is grounds for excommunication from the "Mystic Knights of The Male Persuasion." Leave it to the "Journal" to track down the singular exception to the rule.Fri, 24 Apr 2015 08:07:34 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/248378/piling-on-the-hate-stop-fighting-unbundling.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/247906/the-next-ad-blocker-social-media.htmlA new global survey from Nielsen reveals that 33% of American TV viewers said they engage with social media while watching, and 62% of North Americans browse the Internet while watching video programming. None of this comes as a big surprise.Thu, 16 Apr 2015 16:39:29 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/247906/the-next-ad-blocker-social-media.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/247460/unfriend-anyone-who-sends-you-baseball-footage.htmlIn a story you probably missed this week, Major League Baseball announced it will monitor the way fans at games use new live-streaming apps like Meerkat and Periscope, since play is licensed content and MLB policy prohibits fans from taking live video.Thu, 09 Apr 2015 17:43:33 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/247460/unfriend-anyone-who-sends-you-baseball-footage.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/246957/how-paywalls-prevent-news-scoops.htmlThere are a couple of points to be made about the metered pay model that I have yet to see addressed by newspaper execs, all of whom seem to put very brave faces on their digital futures. But there is no mistaking the abject fear in their voices for sincerity.Thu, 02 Apr 2015 13:45:10 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/246957/how-paywalls-prevent-news-scoops.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/246572/who-is-to-blame-when-your-dumb-assed-idea-bombs.htmlIn a transparently desperate attempt to pander to social media's clickbait mentality, McDonald's in Europe is offering a range of clothing and home decor items such as wallpaper and bedsheets imprinted with Big Macs.Thu, 26 Mar 2015 18:42:03 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/246572/who-is-to-blame-when-your-dumb-assed-idea-bombs.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/245976/this-buds-for-me-really-just-me.htmlIf I read one more story where someone claims that today's consumer wants everything customized, personalized or "the way THEY want it," I think I am going to send some highly personalized bile onto my totally un-customized shirt.Thu, 19 Mar 2015 16:20:56 -0400https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/245976/this-buds-for-me-really-just-me.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/245135/att-presses-judge-to-dismiss-throttling-case.htmlThe Federal Communications Commission's new approach to broadband deprives the Federal Trade Commission of the ability to sue AT&T for throttling wireless subscribers, the company says in new court papers.Fri, 06 Mar 2015 17:06:41 -0500https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/245135/att-presses-judge-to-dismiss-throttling-case.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/245074/poll-results-get-over-being-hated-by-the-public.htmlThe other day I was reading a byliner in The Guardian about how much people hate and/or distrust advertising (again/still) -- but I was stopped by the data used to support the premise. One source was a survey conducted in September 2010 and another from 2011.Thu, 05 Mar 2015 17:00:22 -0500https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/245074/poll-results-get-over-being-hated-by-the-public.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/245047/senate-democrats-reintroduce-bill-to-curb-data-bro.htmlFour Senate Democrats have re-introduced a bill that would enable consumers to wield control over how information about them is used by data brokers. The Data Broker Accountability and Transparency Act empowers consumers to stop the use and sale of their personal information by data brokers.Thu, 05 Mar 2015 16:01:05 -0500https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/245047/senate-democrats-reintroduce-bill-to-curb-data-bro.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/244981/cartoon-network-urges-11th-circuit-to-reject-appea.htmlThe Cartoon Network is asking appellate judges to reject Android user Mark Ellis's request to revive his video privacy lawsuit. The company argues that transmitting Android devices' 64-digit identifiers -- combined with names of videos that users watched -- to an analytics company doesn't violate the federal Video Privacy Protection Act.Wed, 04 Mar 2015 15:43:29 -0500https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/244981/cartoon-network-urges-11th-circuit-to-reject-appea.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/244898/net-neutrality-rules-dont-protect-att-in-battle.htmlThe Federal Trade Commission says in new court papers that it is entitled to continue pursuing a lawsuit against AT&T, despite the new net neutrality rules. The FTC's papers come less than one week after a different agency -- the FCC -- voted to reclassify broadband as a common-carrier service.Tue, 03 Mar 2015 16:04:35 -0500https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/244898/net-neutrality-rules-dont-protect-att-in-battle.htmlhttps://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/244873/mobile-display-impression-shares-growing.htmlThe performance of mobile banner advertisements doubled in Q4, with higher unit engagement rates, video play rates and video completion rates, per a recent report. Interstitial ad units engagement rates also rose, from 2.5% to 3.4%, while ad expansion rates for expandable banners remained unchanged.Tue, 03 Mar 2015 12:08:42 -0500https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/244873/mobile-display-impression-shares-growing.html