MediaPost | Online Spin

Google+, You Suck

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:28:48 -0500

Google+, you are really starting to piss me off. Yes, you're "gaining momentum." You've got "90 million members." But there's one problem. You're "a sham."

Rush, '2112,' And My Missed Mobile Interaction

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:21:00 -0500

Creativity and insights can emerge from the most unlikely of places. Today is a unique date: 2.1.12. The numbers 2.1.12 immediately bring to my mind one thing, and that is the much-heralded Rush album "2112." In "2112," a man discovers an ancient guitar, learns to play it, and his subsequent enthusiasm and excitement are crushed by the ruling classes of this dystopian future, where technology is routinely abused to control the society and repress its inhabitants.

Enter The Digital Media Performance Score

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:37:00 -0500

I've been working on perfecting a calculation for a normalized index of multiple objectives and priorities that allows for the comparative analysis of campaigns and elements within campaigns. The resulting digital media performance score is not skewed by campaign scale and should be well formulated such that the calculation does not change over time. Of course, I can't give away the entire punchline here, but I will walk you through the general framework for creating your own model.

A Guide To New Advertising's Favorite Watering Holes

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:08:30 -0500

Today's ad industry is very different from the old one. In this new world, paper and ink have given way to screens and software. Our predecessors used to speak in terms of universal selling propositions and mass markets, but now we use jargon like pay-per-click, engagement, and brand content. But our need to socialize, gossip and blow off steam after dealing with clients and data all day has remained relatively unchanged.

Zuckerman Hypothesis Proven, As IWitness Puts Documentary Filmmaking in Student Hands

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:57:41 -0500

Four years ago, after observing that the Web had evolved from version 1.0 (which allowed physicists to share research papers) to version 2.0 (which allowed people to share pictures of their cats), Ethan Zuckerman put forth a hypothesis: that sufficiently usable read/write platforms will attract both porn and activists. If there's no porn, he continued, the tool doesn't work, and if there are no activists, it doesn't work well. In 2011, we began to see just how well the Internet and its subsidiary read/write platforms work.

In Praise Of Joe Paterno

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:29:46 -0500

I am like so many of the more than 450,000 folks affected by Joe Vincent Paterno -- thousands of whom work in our industry and who attended Penn State over the past 61 years. It is probably hard for those who didn't go to Penn State or who didn't live nearby to fully understand the impact that a football coach could have on so many. But I can tell you that Paterno's effect on our lives was extraordinary.

The Gray Areas Of Digital Brand Measurement

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:20:48 -0500

As an industry, we have made several promises that we have yet to keep. The promise of accountability, while realized for direct response marketers, is still a conundrum for most brand marketers. In our somewhat-modern digital marketing age, we have not yet overcome a number of measurement challenges, some of which are never acknowledged by the very strategists and media planners managing significant media investments.

Can An Agency Succeed On Pay-For-Performance?

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:19:11 -0500

Can a pay-for-performance model really work in the agency world? Last week Mediabrands made the announcement that it was going the performance route and would begin to tie its compensation to the success of clients' campaigns. I think this could be the start of something important.

The Business Of Memes (Or Lack Thereof)

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:41:38 -0500

On April 2, 2008, the country of Canada went on strike.

Tired of being mocked -- on Canada Appreciation Day, no less! -- the good citizens of Canada decided to show the world just how bad things would be without them. And no one was hit harder by the strike than Kyle, Stan, Cartman and Butters from South Park, Colo. The boys were forced to watch Terrance and Phillip reruns until they were no longer funny

Desperate, they called Stephen Abootman to get him to call off the strike, and Abootman was happy to comply -- if the boys raised a bunch of money on the Internet and gave it to Canada.

Fortunately, Butters’ YouToob video was a smash hit, so the boys went off to the Department of Internet Money to collect their Internet income. As they took a number and settled in, though, they were surprised to find themselves sharing the waiting room with such Web superstars as Numa Numa, Tron Guy, and Sneezing Panda Cub.

Ultimately, Butters got paid for his video: ten million theoretical dollars, all of which he gave to Canada. And Kyle, of course, learned a valuable lesson: "Yeah, but you know, I learned something today. We thought we could make money on the Internet. But, while the Internet is new and exciting for creative people, it hasn't matured as a distribution mechanism to the extent that one should trade real and immediate opportunities for income for the promise of future online revenue. It will be a few years before digital distribution of media on the Internet can be monetized to the extent that necessitates content producers to forego their fair value in more traditional media."

A few years have gone by since then, and the Internet certainly has matured as a distribution mechanism. But for meme-creators like Randall, narrator of that honey badger video, YouTube fame is still about the promise of future revenue, online or otherwise. Millions of views on YouTube still only make you a theoretical millionaire, so Randall is left seeking ways of leveraging his new brand platform -- as evidenced by this tidbit from yesterday’s Total Licensing Weekly: “Randall's Honey Badger is loose and ready for licensing. Randall's Honey Badger captured more than 32 million viewers on YouTube, and Randall's narration has spawned a myriad of catchphrases. The character-driven brand is featured in the national Wonderful Pistachios Get Crackin' TV campaign, is on a national book tour with Honey Badger Don't Care, and is recognized by Advertising Age in America's Hottest Brands. Randall's Honey Badger is looking for licensing partners in apparel, board games, interactive games, social expression, e-cards, plush, and toys.”

Randall is smart to seek monetization channels, and I wish him luck at doing so. Typically, being an Internet sensation is as closely correlated with long-term success as being a child star -- that is to say, not very. For every Justin Bieber leveraging his YouTube videos to a multimillion-dollar brand, there are a dozen Antoine Dodsons leveraging their YouTube videos to a multithousand-dollar brand, and millions not leveraging their YouTube videos at all.

While our websites go black and our politicians debate fair use, it’s worth remembering just how much of the business of content is still controlled by Big Media. If you’re hoping for your video to go viral, you’d better have a plan for how you’re going to benefit from that lightning strike.

The Ad Industry And CES: A New Love Affair

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:44:37 -0500

I spent all of last week in Las Vegas at CES. Me and thousands and thousands of other ad industry folks joined the historically geeky crowd jazzed by the newest in consumer electronics. Five years ago, few from the ad industry ever trekked to Vegas to one of the world's largest tech shows. But that's changed now. Why the newfound love affair between the ad industry and CES?

Do You Have Industry Deja Vu?

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:12:00 -0500

Do you have industry deja vu? I do! Doesn't it feel as though the primary issues of the day we face today are the same issues that we faced eight or 10 years ago? Is this a sign of the cyclical nature of the business -- or have we literally stalled?

Solving Advertising's Talent Crisis

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:07:00 -0500

Advertising is a massive human enterprise. The top 10 advertising agency holding companies employ a combined 370,000 employees worldwide, with thousands more employed as consultants, freelancers and outsourced team members. All of this talent is a major investment for the agencies. Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP, estimates that his company spends $9 billion each year on employee compensation. The other holding companies spend billions more on top of that. Despite this, the industry is in the midst of a major talent crisis. Here are four signs:

The Great Digital Debate

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 09:10:02 -0500

Are you passionate about the positions you take on digital marketing issues? Do you question the biases of the research you use, or the methodologies of the testing and optimization approaches employed by your agency? What about the validity and value of the targeting data used by your media and ad tech partners? How often do you engage in debates with your colleagues?

A Prescription Of Empathy For The (Online) One Percent

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:36:00 -0500

It has become entirely automatic for me to turn to technology solutions for logistical challenges. Hosting a movie screening? Ticketbud. Memorial invitations? Paperless Post. Wedding planning? EWedding. Since you're reading this column, I'm guessing you're a kindred spirit. Any tool that automates the process, crowd-sources the labor, and facilitates the outcome is a welcome additional to our arsenal, am I right? We forget that not everyone is like us.

Super Bowl Vs. Online? The Answer Is Frequency

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:57:05 -0500

This is the time of year when marketing pundits launch into the inevitable debate of whether it makes sense to advertise on the Super Bowl or not. It's easily the single largest advertising event of the year, and there's a football game, too! Coming a close second to that debate is whether the Internet or TV will become the dominant form of advertising. Both these debates are ridiculous. Why? It's simple. The answer to every question is "yes."

When A Mobile App Is More Than An App

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:24:00 -0500

Most brands seem to understand that mobile apps must provide clear utility or entertainment value to the consumer. Some have actually achieved this in execution. However, few are truly transformative, more than a box checked off a list of digital tactics.

The Must-Attend Media Events Of 2012

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:10:31 -0500

According to John Durham at CatalystSF, there were only eight business days in 2011 without an industry event. A quick look at the conference calendar confirms this year appears to be no different. Given this onslaught of events, it's important to prioritize the conferences that are crucial to attend. Otherwise it might be difficult to get any work done at all! Here are some of the events that I'm looking forward to this year:

Changing The World With A Culture Of Customer Service

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:41:00 -0500

Let me tell you what it's like to go skiing in New Zealand. First of all, it's awesome. I mean, you can surf and ski on the same day. You can see the ocean from the slopes. You can ski glaciers. But it's not easy to get to. If you want to visit the largest commercial ski area in the South Island, you have to drive a 10-mile dirt road; as often as not you're required to put chains on your tires.

Top-10 Reasons Why 2012 Will Be The Year Of Television (Once Again)

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 09:26:18 -0500

In the spirit of all the editorial writers, columnists and pundits who offer up predictions for 2012, here are thoughts on why 2012 will be the year of television (once again):

Manage Your Time In 2012

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:27:14 -0500

Welcome to 2012. It's a whole new year, and potentially a new beginning, assuming that the Mayans are incorrect and the world won't end this year. As it is (most likely) a new beginning, I thought it might be time to share a New Year's resolution, and one that you might find useful for yourself. My 2012 is all about time management.

Media Stocks Down In 2011, But Not Out For 2012

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 02:07:00 -0500

Despite a tumultuous year for stocks, thanks to the European debt crisis and an American debt freakout of its own, the major stock indexes ended 2011 virtually unchanged. The same cannot be said for the media advertising industry. Whether it was agencies or media companies, many publicly traded media businesses had a year they would rather forget.

Will Digital Media Folks Own the Next-Gen TV Conversations At CES?

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:27:26 -0500

That television, the dominant global advertising platform, is now becoming digital has not been lost on brand marketers, which is why so many of them will be at CES. The fact of TV's digital transition has not been lost on TV ad and media agencies and media sellers, either -- which is why so many of them will be there as well. The big question is, who will lead the next-gen television conversations? Will it be the traditional TV folks? Or, rather, will digital media folks elbow their way into the conversations? I think that we'll see quite a bit of the latter. Here's why:

The People's (Tech) Bailout

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 23:05:00 -0500

If you're anything like me, you're getting tired of politics. This has been a disturbing year, especially given all the stalemates and political immaturity that's running rampant in Washington. Additionally, if you're anything like me, you're getting tired of protests without a point. It's time that our government focus on the important things, like creating jobs for Americans. So as we embark upon a new year, I thought I'd lay out an idea for you. I call my proposal the People's (Tech) Bailout.

Asking The Tough Questions

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 11:54:57 -0500

Sometimes the holidays provide just enough breathing room to think about important issues that you may not ordinarily have the time to deal with during the normal course of the rat race. Here are a few of the tough questions that I am recommending marketers think about as we round the corner into a new year of challenges and triumphs.

A New Words Resolution

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:24:00 -0500

There were a number of words and phrases that infected media during 2011. Some made people feel queasy about the state of the industry, while others left people confused about what we actually do for a living. Here are some of the words that we should quarantine immediately:

Read/Write Web's Rock Star Richard

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:25:52 -0500

In the suburb of Petone, on the outskirts of Wellington, New Zealand, there lives a quiet, unassuming man with glasses and reddish-blond hair. He has none of the dramatic aggression of an Arrington, none of the elegant contempt of a Huffington. When you meet him, he will not try to impress you with how much he knows. If you don't already know who he is, he's unlikely to let slip how many millions turn to him and his team of writers for in-depth, thoughtful analysis. But over the past eight years Richard MacManus' website Read/Write Web has become one of the most widely read blogs in the world, a trusted purveyor of insight into the tech space.

TV Upfronts Growing -- Not Declining -- In Import

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:29:49 -0500

Earlier this week, USA Networks, a cable network owned by NBCUniversal, announced that it was going to join upfront week with a presentation of its own. USA is not the first cable network to crash the historically broadcast monopoly. ESPN and Turner Networks added presentations of their own to the week over the past few years. So, ironically, just as the voices of pundits predicting the demise of the upfronts grow louder, the upfronts defy gravity and become more important within the television advertising world, not less.

May The Force Be With You in 2012

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:07:36 -0500

Over the last few months, I've written a number of columns that attempted to remind us all that content is king. Just to clarify before I go any further, it's not that I don't love data, targeting and technology -- I do. It's that none of these work without good, solid, beautiful, engaging content.

Your Most Valuable Digital Asset For 2012

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 10:08:39 -0500

In an industry where the only headlines that eclipse the latest and greatest marketing technology is the next newly funded technology, it's easy to lose sight of the most valuable asset within each of our organizations: our people. It may sound clichd, but ultimately marketing -- even digital marketing -- IS a people business. No advancements in technology will ever change that.

The Digital RFP Is A Frustrating Mess

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 10:21:34 -0500

Recent research tells us what we already know: planning and buying digital media can be highly inefficient. Google opines that 28% of a media buy is soaked up by transactional costs beyond the cost of the media itself. Ad tech firm Nextmark believes that the labor to execute a digital buy comprises 8% of the cost of media.