MediaPost | Online Spin

'I'm Not A Businessman, I'm A Business, Man'

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:27:31 -0400

What would you do with three minutes of prime airtime during the NBA Finals? If you're Jay-Z and Samsung, you take that time to announce a new album released in a whole new way.

Keep One Foot In The Clouds And The Other In The Trenches

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:08:44 -0400

Rising professionals face a big conflict: putting one foot in the clouds while keeping the other in the trenches. When you excel as a practitioner, your success lands you in managerial and administrative roles. With "senior-manager responsibilities," you rightly begin to focus on things like strategy and performance, and team and resource management. Those are important things, to be sure. But they remove you from the everyday practice and nuances of the tactile problems you were solving in the first place.

More On Crossing The Series-A Chasm

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:30:00 -0400

After weeks of meetings with various venture capital firms, I found myself on the main stage of VC deal-making: the Monday partners meeting. The VC partners meeting is an industry tradition, a day when perhaps a half-dozen promising startups present to the firm's partners, associates and advisors.

Your Data Was Never Yours

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 10:15:11 -0400

Did you really think it was? Did you really think the government could access none of it, that the miracle of an effectively free Internet was just a gift from the universe? Did you really think the companies that make their money by selling our body parts -- eyeballs, mostly -- could never be compelled, as telecommunications companies and banks can be compelled, to hand over that data to the government?

Who Will Run The Show In Emerging World Of Data-Driven Marketing?

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 18:01:31 -0400

Over the past 10 days, I attended two of the most important conferences on the application of data to the world of advertising and marketing.

Nerdonomics & The Buzzwords That Drive The Interwebs

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:53:00 -0400

Did you know nerds drive the economics of the Web? Being a nerd is not a bad thing. Nerds come in all shapes and sizes. I'm a nerd -- and chances are that if you're reading this article, you may be a nerd too (at least as much as I am). Nerds love to post content on inconsequential topics and these topics are the central driving force of the Web (see Facebook's news feed for proof). These are the driving force of what some people call Nerdonomics.

Get Your Master's Degree In Social Media (No Joke)

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:43:00 -0400

Apparently, I'm lacking a degree in social media. Over the past week, the University of Florida has been targeting me on Facebook as part of a lead-generation campaign to drive enrollment for its journalism and communications school's Master's in Social Media. The copy reads, "UF is now offering the first of its kind Master's in Social Media - 100% Online." I didn't believe it was real, at first. But I clicked through and, sure enough, it was. If people will buy it, why not sell it?

Crossing the Series-A Chasm

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 14:02:03 -0400

For the past few months, I've been raising a Series A round of financing for my startup. While I've raised smaller amounts of money for my company, nothing compares to the Series A. This round, usually $3 million to $5 million, can make or break a startup. Get it done and you have the resources you need to staff up, increase sales, and build a great product. Fail and you may not be around in a year. Sadly, most people fail at this task. The problem is that only 86 VCs made investments last year, but there are thousands of startups being founded. The odds of a startup raising a Series A is very low -- perhaps less than 1 in 10.

A Website's Work Is Never Done

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 10:28:07 -0400

It's a lucky thing that websites are not babies. Either that, or it's a lucky thing I'm not a mother. By the time my websites are born, I hate them.

When It Comes To Startups, NYC Is More Like Gotham

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 12:28:38 -0400

When it comes to embracing startups, New York City is more like Gotham City overrun by a schizophrenic Joker. On the one hand, the city of New York, led by a mayor with a proven track record of entrepreneurial success, pushes the startup agenda with a bold agenda of building on its #2 status in the U.S. and possibly overtaking Silicon Valley as the hot bed of startup success.However as the one hand giveth, the other taketh away, with a judge ruling two weeks ago that airbnb violates NYC's "hotel law." This ruling is the third in quick succession, joining the likes of RelayRides and Sidecar on the sharing "sidelines." These rulings continue to throw obstacles in the path of startups whose time has come. Treating hosts as common criminals and scaring off potential visitors is not exactly the best way to say, "I Heart NY," is it?

Is Google Glass The Demise Of Our Collective Attention Span?

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 23:50:00 -0400

Last week I was having a meeting at a coffee shop in Palo Alto and I finally witnessed my first Google Glass "in the wild." I've watched the videos and seen all the footage hyping this new entrant into the early adopter tech world, but I had yet to see one walking around in real life. While I think the concept of wearable computing is unavoidable and in many cases very cool, I just don't see myself liking the idea of Google Glass -- at least not in its current iteration.

Ambiguity Is The Enemy Of Your Success

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 07:37:36 -0400

Look at the mess within Terry Kawaja's LUMAscapes. What makes a few of those companies mores successful and stick out? What makes star professionals stand out from the masses? Of course, differentiation and uniqueness are key. But when you look at those who are winning versus those who aren't, the key factor often is specificity. Ambiguity is the enemy.

When Is It Pointless To Advertise?

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 10:33:03 -0400

Advertising remains a growth business, with annual global ad spend nearing half a trillion dollars. Digital advertising is growing even faster, thanks its ability to target consumers. Still, there are many situations when advertising can be pointless -- and sometimes even harmful -- for a brand. Here are some examples:

Is It Possible For Web Companies To Be Built To Last?

Fri, 31 May 2013 10:54:19 -0400

I used to be obsessed with Bejeweled. I played when I woke up. I played at work. I played at night, staying up until the wee hours of the morning, unable to resist the tantalizing, just-one-more-minute lure of Bejeweled Blitz, going to sleep only to dream up more boards, ones that never ran out of combinations.

It's Time For Quality Assurance In Advertising

Wed, 29 May 2013 11:40:14 -0400

Are you maintaining quality assurance standards in your online advertising? Questions seem to be popping up more often as of late, qualifying the topic for meme status. Articles about click fraud, the topic of viewability in impressions, and brand safety concerns are all serving to make quality a topical discussion once again -- and I would argue it's about time.

In Tumblr's Wake, Another Awesome Web Service You Should Care About

Tue, 28 May 2013 12:16:57 -0400

Yahoo just acquired blogging service Tumblr for $1.1 billion. Founded by 26-year-old David Karp, it's a great service that exploded to over a 100 million users in a just a few short years. Even better, it was built in New York. :-) With Tumblr acquired, I'd like to point your attention to another one of my favorite Web services: WordPress. I

The Most Impactful Mobile Revolution Begins Now

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:18:00 -0400

Sometimes I do not know how to live. I recycle -- and drive to work. I buy the cardboard milk carton instead of the plastic one -- and emit tons of carbon flying around the world. I pay my staff a fair wage -- and talk on a phone made by people who are earning anything but. The phone thing really bothers me, as I sit here connected to the Internet through my phone. After learning about appalling working conditions at the Foxconn factory in China -- where iPhones are made -- I was even more appalled to learn that the labor component of the phone is a mere $8.

Embrace Your Inner Masochist

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:47:26 -0400

There's a very simple matrix of pain and pleasure as motivational forces and catalysts of change. The continuum looks something like this (in order from most important to least important): 1) Pain now; 2)Pain later; 3) Pleasure now; 4) Pleasure later. What struck me with this very simple and yet effective breakdown is how pain trumps pleasure -- both present and future.

Never Trust A CMO Who Won't Go Out And Sell

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:52:02 -0400

I've been a marketer for years, regardless of what my title was or where I worked. And I've learned one inalienable truth in my career: If you want to be a successful marketer, you need to learn how to sell.

Hey, Marketers: Do You Have A Soul?

Mon, 20 May 2013 23:59:24 -0400

I love working at the intersection of technology, marketing and media. This arena makes business interesting, fun, challenging and disruptive -- all at once.

What Will Yahoo's Acquisition of Tumblr Actually Mean?

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:45:30 -0400

According to various news outlets, today Yahoo will announce that the company intends to acquire microblogging platform Tumblr for $1.1 billion. If this comes to pass, it would be an important event for the companies, their users, marketers and the New York startup ecosystem. Here are some of the good things that could happen:

Radical Transparency is Coming to TV Advertising

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:09:03 -0400

Transparency is coming to television advertising - radical transparency - and the marketplace will never be the same.

The Perils Of Google Glass

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:37:03 -0400

Most of us have been there: you're sitting with a friend, maybe enjoying a nice meal or a glass of wine, and you get the urge to check your phone. Has someone called, texted, emailed or tweeted? Is there a Facebook update you need to know about?

Can Responsive Design Provide Scale To Native Advertising?

Wed, 15 May 2013 10:00:04 -0400

The question facing most marketers is one of scale, and probably the single most overlooked challenge comes from how to design experiences for dozens of different platforms in an efficient manner.

Gone Sailing

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:11:03 -0400

By the time you read this, I will be a few hundred miles offshore in the Atlantic Ocean. My father and I are delivering our 46-foot sailboat from Fort Lauderdale to New York City -- over 1,000 miles. Most people perceive this as an exotic, carefree vacation -- like lounging on a beach with a frozen daiquiri. It's not.

Get Hired: 10 Tips for Landing a Job

Mon, 13 May 2013 08:15:12 -0400

Like a lot of tech firms, we've been making a number of hires recently. There are some great candidates on the market, including recent college graduates. But it's surprising how many people mess up the most basic aspects of applying for and getting a job. Here are ten tips for getting hired:

The Most Important Thing In The Digital Age

Fri, 10 May 2013 16:34:00 -0400

"What is the most important thing in the world? It is people! It is people! It is people!" - Maori proverb. In other news you already knew, pretty much everything is now available online.

CMO: The Chief Muddled Officer

Thu, 09 May 2013 10:56:38 -0400

This past week, we were treated to two very intriguing -- and yet seemingly contradictory -- pieces of research concerning the state of marketing and the relative health and wellness of its fearless leader, the Chief Marketing Officer.

Automating The RFP And Buying Process (For Real)

Wed, 08 May 2013 09:30:02 -0400

There's an area of the advertising business that's not so patiently waiting to be automated, and I think it will finally, finally happen in 2013. I am speaking of course, about the actual media RFP and buying process. Before you get all bent out of shape and try to tell me, "Geez Cory, it already is -- you are so out of it," be sure you have all the facts.

Marketers: Don't Let Automation Dull Your Senses

Tue, 07 May 2013 11:17:02 -0400

Air France Flight 447 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on June 1, 2009, killing all 216 passengers and 12 crew. The flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris involved an Airbus 330, one of the most advanced airplanes. The plane's speed sensors iced over, igniting a chain reaction of signal overload and pilot confusion. If the pilots had followed standard operating procedures, they most certainly would have recovered. The plane's black box, recovered two years later, surfaced how technology and automation - relied on for safety and productivity - may have had the unfortunate outcome of preventing pilots from gaining the experience and sensitivity required to take command during abnormal situations.