And Now it's Time to Say Goodbye...

Sad, but true - today is my last day. It's been quite the journey over the last few years and I'm sad to see it end. Here's my parting gift to you:

Thanks for everything. It's been real. :)

World Cup News Flash: We're Going to Eat Like Pigs

According to Nielsen, the World Cup triggers increased ad spending and food consumption. In other words, by July 11th we'll all be fatties. Or at least they will be in Indonesia, where this data comes from:

Stephen Mitchell, Managing Director for Consumers at Nielsen Indonesia, a subsidiary of Nielsen Company, a global information and media company, told a press conference that manufacturers will see the event as an opportunity to push more sales.

"Besides, advertisement spending will also see growth during June as World Cup sponsors are geared to air their commercials," said Mitchell.

In Indonesia, he said, Nielsen's data shows that sales of World Cup products categories during the event weeks of June 5 to July 9, 2006 increased 31 percent to reach 67 billion rupiah (about 7.2 million U.S. dollars) compared to the same period of 2005.

Meanwhile, he said, categories like snack, soft drink, peanuts, cigarettes, and energy drink are also expected to enjoy more sales.

"In the period of World Cup 2006, peanuts experienced the highest growth with 72 percent, followed by cigarettes (37 percent), energy drink (35 percent), snack (28 percent) and soft drink (19 percent)," said Mitchell.

WOAH, peanuts - way to be number one!



(Courtesy of People's Daily Online)

Steak Billboard Smells...Like Steak

This billboard in North Carolina is promoting a grocery store's new brand of beef.

Seems pretty innocuous, right? Big fork, yummy-looking steak, catchy tagline...

Well, not only does the beef on this sign look delicious, but from 7-10am and 4-7pm, it smells delicious, too. This billboard pumps out the smell of steak during rush hour, because I'm sure the combo of auto exhaust and sizzling beef is mouth-watering to passing motorists.

I guess if you can dream it, you can do it.

(Courtesy of Geekologie.com)

It Only Takes 90 Minutes For Your World to Change...

Plus injury time, of course.

As an MLS supporter since the league's inception, I feel it necessary to mention American soccer whenever I get the chance.

MLS is doing the smart thing this time around and stopping league matches for the first two weeks of World Cup action. Making people choose between the league games and world-class international matches is kind of silly. Only the die-hard fans will split their time between both - most casual fans are going to go for the big ticket tournament games. This way everyone wins.

Anyway, to capitalize on this league-wide pause for the the Cup, MLS has a new commercial on-air that I thoroughly enjoy and felt the need to share.

Watch the new commercial! Support the beautiful game in the USA! Watch the World Cup!



(Courtesy of adage.com)

World Cup Marketing - Don't Offend the Sponsors

I was originally just going to post an article about World Cup advertising, but then I got to the part about "ambush marketing" and I was intrigued (and distracted)...

Why? Because of this:

The World Cup is the undisputed pinnacle of two things: One is soccer, and the other is ambush marketing.

"There's just so much passion behind soccer and such a large audience," explains Jim Andrews, a senior VP at sponsorship firm IEG. "It's irresistible."

He's not kidding: According to FIFA, the 2006 World Cup, held in Germany, featured 3,300 "rights violations" in 84 countries, a major concern given the eight-figure amounts that FIFA's six top-level partners and seven World Cup sponsors pay to officially align with the world's biggest sporting event.

Who could forget, for instance, the 2006 stunt pulled by Dutch brewer Bavaria, which handed out thousands of pairs of Bavaria-branded bright-orange lederhosen to fans of the Dutch national team? FIFA, defending exclusive beer sponsor Anheuser-Busch's turf, ordered fans to remove the lederhosen before entering the stadium, and many went on to cheer for their team in their underwear.

HA! I love it. Who needs pants, anyway?



(Courtesy of AdAge.com and Guardian.co.uk)

20 Ways to be Awesome

Yeah, that's totally not the title of this article, but whatever... Creative liberties - I'm taking them.

Peter Madden put together what he calls "Madden's 20 Lessons in Small Agency Ownership" on the Small Agency Diary section of AdAge.com. While it's tailored specifically for small agency owners, I think it holds a lot of merit for businesspeople in general.

Check 'em out...

1. Realize what you're great at and do it all the time. Realize what you suck at and stop doing it completely (and put the right person in place to do it).

2. If you want to make a point that sticks, stop yelling. (Or keep yelling and look ridiculous.)

3. Work as hard on your presentations to your staff as you do on your presentations to prospects and clients.

4. Tell your clients when you screw up and how something could have been better. They already know you blew it, but just want to hear it from you.

5. Trust your instincts. You can interview a prospective employee or client 10 times, they can say and do all the right things, but if your Spidey sense is tingling, something is amiss.

6. Read Keith Ferrazzi's "Never Eat Alone" and stop handing out your business card like a Vegas dealer.

7. One out of every 10 consultants will actually be a help to you. Finding that one is the toughest part. The right one probably asks all the questions you hate.

8. Do pro bono work for non-profit organizations that are trying hard to make the world a better place. You'll get more out of it.

9. Don't obsess about the financials (I can hear a million Wharton grads groan). You'll get lost in them and forget what the hell your agency stands for in the first place. When I think about my score in golf, I completely tank. I apply that to everything.

10. Are you completely freaking out, nervous, worried and losing sleep over something about your business? Welcome to being alive. Now calm down, move on, and step up your game.

11. Call the head of an agency you compete with and invite him out for a beer. You'll either a) really enjoy the person and learn a lot or b) hate him and enjoy crushing him in defeat.

12. Regarding No. 11, 99% of the time it will be "a." You'll talk about your family more than the work and it will become a regular thing.

13. You aren't thanking people who work for you enough.

14. Did someone working for you just disagree with a decision you want to make? Good. Keep her around as long as possible.

15. RFPs are a complete waste of time. But it's still fun to compete.

16. Throw parties at your office, no matter how humble or grand the space, for no reason at all. It's all about the people in the room, good music, and not running out of booze or ice.

17. Put your f***ing BlackBerry/iPhone down when you're meeting with me.

18. One personal five-minute call equals 12 impersonal e-mails back and forth. You also get to know someone much better that way.

19. Call the businesspeople you respect the most in your community. Buy them lunch and seek their advice. Sometimes the bigger the individual, the more generous they are with their time and advice. One good mentor is equal to 100 consultants.

20. Write personal notes thanking people you meet with and who are in your life. Besides death and taxes, the only other sure thing in life is that no matter who you are, it's exciting to get a handwritten note.

This Madden guy knows what he's talking about. Especially #20. I get emails, phone calls, faxes, direct mail with my name stamped on it, and all kinds of other random correspondence all the time, even awards and rewards for a job well done occasionally. And out of all that stuff, what is it that I actually keep on my desk and look at everyday? The birthday card I received from my coworkers earlier this year, complete with handwritten messages from everyone in the office.

Right on, Pete.




(Courtesy of AdAge.com)

Yay for Dawn!

I don't know how they make me love my dishwashing liquid so much, but Dawn keeps finding a way.

It's probably the cute little baby duckies on the press release announcing that the P&G product is going to continue its long-standing participation in wildlife rescue efforts, including stepping up production of Dawn in certain plants to help clean animals affected by the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that P&G will try to speed up production in the Kansas City plant, further deepening my love for the blue detergent.

Nothing makes me cry like a little girl quite like seeing animals in danger (and sports, but that's a conversation I'll save for another time...), so please do the animals a favor - go BUY DAWN and check out the link/info below to help donate!

Dawn is also continuing its Dawn Saves Wildlife program, in which consumers can help support the ongoing efforts of the IBRRC and Marine Mammal Center through their purchase of a bottle of Dawn when they activate their donation online at
http://www.dawn-dish.com/en_US/savingwildlife/home.do.

(Courtesy of P&G and the Cincinnati Enquirer)

Are You a Mother Lover?

No, not that kind of Mother Lover...

Have you noticed how the Mother's Day advertising has ramped up this week, since the holiday is coming up on Sunday? Have you also noticed the content of any of those ads?

"Hi, this is so-and-so from ABC Jewelers. When you're buying a present for your Mother from us, don't forget that your wife may be a mother, too, and she deserves something sparkly and new..."

OK, it's not a real ad, but it's almost word-for-word the same as one of the radio ads I heard yesterday morning. Wonder who they're trying to appeal to?

Oh, right...Men.

Between Valentine's Day and Mother's Day - two holidays when the men in our lives are expected to step up to the plate and present gifts of love and praise - I'd bet a majority of the advertising dollars are spent within about 7-10 days of the actual date of the holiday. (Don't ask me to provide any data on that, I have none, just personal experience)

Why? Because men shop at the last minute. I don't know about you, but my father hasn't ever bought a Christmas present before December 20th (and on the flipside, by December my mother is already preparing for my birthday in March), and my adult brother still requires reminder phone calls about upcoming holidays, birthdays, and celebrations. He heard from me just this past Saturday, and this is how our conversation went:

Me: Hey, don't forget Mother's Day is next Sunday, and Dad's birthday is the following Friday.

Bro: It is? (pause)

Me: Do you need me to buy cards now so that you can sign your name on them when you're home?

Bro: (Another pause) No, I think I can handle it.

Me: Are you sure?

Bro: (Another pause) No really, I can do it.

Me: OK, well consider this your official reminder so you'd better get on top of that, you don't have much time left...

Bro: Nah, I have a whole week!

Sigh.

Anyway, to all the Moms out there - thanks for everything you've done, and everything you'll continue to do. Love you.

AriZona Iced Tea - Caught in the Crossfire

AriZona iced tea is wishing they were in Utah right now. Or maybe Canada...

As Todd Wasserman of BrandFreak writes:

Iced-tea maker AriZona is experiencing some collateral damage in the immigration debate over a new law in the state of Arizona. Since the law passed, making it a crime for illegal immigrants to be in the state and requires police to check citizens for evidence of legal status, opponents have called for a boycott of the state. On Tuesday, a comic writer named Travis Nichols suggested—jokingly, we think—that consumers should also boycott AriZona iced tea because it's "the drink of fascists." For whatever reason, others took Nichols up on the idea, even though the brand, now owned by Ferolito, Vultaggio & Sons, is based in New York.

"For whatever reason, others took Nichols up on the idea..." I'll tell you why - it's because people are sheep (read: morons) and see only part of the story without looking into context. Sometimes I just want to shake them! Grumble, grumble...

Good thing the chairman and founder of the company addressed concerns immediately, noting AriZona's proud standing as an American company.



(Courtesy of BrandFreak)

2010 Census Advertising Recap

Did you get your 2010 Census form and answer the ten questions? Did it only take you ten minutes, as all the advertising promised?

We all saw the commercials ("We can't move forward until you mail it back...") and after looking into it a bit further there's some interesting information out there regarding all the paid advertising surrounding the 2010 Census.

Here are a few nuggets for you to chew on:

For three decades after the 1970 census, mailback rates fell sharply until the 2000 census. That was the first time the Congress authorized the Census to launch a paid advertising and public relations effort to help slow this rate of decline. We exceeded expectations in 2000, and we not only halted the decline but the American public increased their response rate. As a result the Census Bureau later in 2000 returned to the federal Treasury some $305 million in savings, partly because of this renewed civic engagement. The Congress and our oversight agencies generally applauded this effort in 2000, and encouraged us to do more for 2010 to help get a better count, improve accuracy, and hopefully again save the government some important funds.

We’re advertising again. The management equation on this is pretty simple. For every one percentage point we increase the mailback rate, we save about $85 million dollars of followup costs. This is a business proposition. We seek ways that get the message out, even if it is unusual for a Federal agency to do so. We spent about $85,000 on the Alaska trip to kick off the census, but garnered an audience from publicity (85 million) that would have cost 300 times as much in paid media (see earlier blog entries on the Noorvik trip). We will advertise on the 2010 Super Bowl, as we did in 2000. The Super Bowl is the top-rated and most highly anticipated television event in the U.S. An ad running once in the Super Bowl has the potential to reach 45% of adults over age 18. A thirty second spot on the top-rated regularly-scheduled show in America, American Idol costs $450,000 and is viewed by just about 9% or 10% of all households watching TV. The Super Bowl reaches 100 million viewers at a very efficient price compared to other shows.

To check out the rest of the blog post on the Census website, just click here!



(Courtesy of http://2010.census.gov/)

Sexiest Lamborghini Ad Ever

Yeah, I don't really need to say much else about this one. Check it out for yourself:



(In honor of my Lambo-loving brother, who I hope never looks as ridiculous as Frank Reynolds does in his Countach...)



(Courtesy of the Lamborghini Channel on Youtube)

The Facebook Juggernaut

I saw this months ago and forgot to post it, probably because I was busy playing Bejeweled Blitz...

The Facebook population is officially bigger than the population of the United States. And not only that, it's now passed Google as the most visited website in the U.S.

Holy crap.

We saw this coming so it's not much of a surprise, but still, the concept of a social networking website with more users than the U.S. has people is pretty staggering. All the information that's passed back and forth and "news" that is shared has obviously impacted the interwebs in a tremendous way.

Keep on rollin', FB...



(Courtesy Facebook and Digits)

Andy Bernard and Cornell - A Match Made in The Office

HA! Oh, Andy....

As an Office fan, I'll just say it's about time Cornell jumped on the Nard-Dog bandwagon! Read the AdFreak blog post about it here.

(Courtesy of AdFreak)

Fake front page brings paper Disney dollars, debate

By Alan Duke, CNN
March 5, 2010 6:47 p.m. EST

Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- At first glance of Friday's Los Angeles Times, you might think the Mad Hatter has taken over the newspaper.

Johnny Depp's colorful character in Disney's new film "Alice in Wonderland" dominates a faked front page, which includes the paper's traditional flag and two stories that appeared in the paper last month.

Los Angeles Times spokesman John Conroy said the "cover-wrap" was an "unusual opportunity to stretch the usual boundaries and design an innovative ad designed to create buzz."

Roy Peter Clark, a senior journalism scholar at the Poynter Institute, said tough economic times and lower ads sales have forced newspapers to tear down the ethics wall that separated a paper's front page from advertisers.

"The wall became in recent years a fence, but the Los Angeles Times has created a swinging gate," Clark said.

"What offends my traditional sensibilities is the notion that you would be willing to deceive the reader into thinking that this was the actual front page," Clark said.

Although Conroy said readers would not be confused by the fake front, several journalists in CNN's Los Angeles bureau did not immediately realize that the real front page was inside.

A Times reader who works for a movie marketing company in Hollywood said he felt deceived by the ad. He asked not to be identified because his company, which was not involved in the Disney campaign, deals with the newspaper.

"We propose these kinds of ads all the time but have never gotten them approved," he said. "I don't always agree with what we do."

He estimated that the ad would cost "well over $100,000."

Conroy would not disclose the price, but he said, "Our front page section is our most valued real estate. The ad was priced accordingly."

The use of real newspaper stories, published previously in the newspaper, to make the ad appear to be a real front page is another issue, Clark said.

"I'm particularly nervous about them running fake stories that are really real stories," he said. "That seems like a misappropriation of the journalism in the newspaper."

An online search revealed that the article on the left column -- headlined "To take reins on health proposal" -- was a slightly altered version of a story written by Tribune Co. Washington reporter Noam Levey. It was published February 18.

The second article, appearing on the right column of the Disney ad, was headlined "Major Afghan Figure Caught." The original story was published February 19, with the bylines of Times foreign correspondent Laura King and Moscow bureau chief Alex Rodriguez.

"If I had written one of those stories, I would be pissed," Clark said.

CNN has received no response from e-mails and calls to the three journalists.

Although they may not be pleased with their work being used in a movie ad -- without the byline -- they have jobs while many of their co-workers have been laid off.

The Tribune Publishing Co., the paper's parent, has ordered several rounds of staff cuts at its newspapers and bureau in recent years. Some have left in protest of changes in editorial practices aimed at boosting revenue, Clark said.

"There's been one editor after another that's walked out the door because they didn't want to cave in to pressure from the top to do the wrong thing," Clark said.

What he might have objected to five years ago, he could now accept it helps papers survive, Clark said. But not if it confuses editorial content with ads, he said.

"Every time I see a big ad in my local newspaper I send up a little cheer," he said.

When HBO paid the newspaper for a wrap-around ad last summer, for the vampire series "True Blood," it was not mixed with the flag or editorial content.

The Los Angeles Times drew criticism in April when it sold NBC the right column of its front page, where a lead story is normally placed. The network used the space to advertise the debut of its "Southland" series.

(Courtesy CNN.com)

Noooo, Don't Take My Colbert from Hulu!

Aw man, why do I have to get this crap news on my birthday? Click the title to go to the article...

Hulu Loses Viacom, 'Stewart' and 'Colbert'
Fast-Growing Video Site Fails to Reach Extension With Parent of Popular Comedy Central Shows

I can't stay up til 11pm to watch the shows when they're actually on (insert old lady joke here), so I usually watch them in the morning on Hulu before I head into work. What will I do now? Nothing goes with coffee like Colbert....



(Courtesy of AdAge)

Targeting "Life Stages" vs. Demographics in Advertising

It's becoming harder and harder to segment the population for targeted advertising based on traditional demographics such as age, gender, and location. There are just too many variables in the world nowadays that it makes sense to look more toward behaviors and stages in life as more appropriate indicators of possible buying decisions.

According to a recent study conducted by the USC Entertainment Technology Center, Hallmark Channel, and E-Poll Market Research, people are more affected by their 'life stage' than other factors:

The wealth of information captured in the survey reveals that individuals in different life stages can have very similar demographic profiles but different attitudes and media usage. For example, the 18 – 49 demographic group familiar to TV and advertising executives is made up of people in seven different stages, with College Students, New Nesters and Married No Kids comprising nearly equal proportions. Three of the life stages have a median age of 37 or 38. Yet when examining behavior, the life stages are distinct and exhibit clear differences.

Ch-ch-check it out here....

(Courtesy of AdWeek and E-Poll)

Yahoo! Wants to Take Over the Interwebs...

Well, maybe not really, but it sounds like they're trying.

What they have done is inked a new deal with Twitter that will allow Yahoo! users to see real-time tweets on all Yahoo! properties, and in turn allow Twitter users to tweet through their Yahoo! accounts.

This comes shortly after Yahoo! partnered with Microsoft last year to use the bing technology for internet searches.

Sounds like a well-planned interweb coup if you ask me....

(Read the full article here)



(Courtesy of CNN.com)

Mancrunch Swears This Isn't a Super Bowl Stunt

From Ad Age:

Mancrunch's attempt to land a Super Bowl spot has kicked up a ruckus online, where commenters upset about CBS's decision to air an anti-abortion ad starring football star Tim Tebow are howling about the network's alleged double standards because it won't air a spot showing two men kissing.

Here's the ad, enjoy! You might not see it on national television...



Read the full article from Ad Age here.


(Courtesy of adage.com)

Brown's Massachusetts Win Could Mean Higher 2010 Ad Spending

Tuesday's special election victory for Scott Brown has put the spotlight squarely on our little Northeastern state of Massachusetts. Considering the immediate political implications that come along with Brown's win, we're also looking at possible increased TV ad spending this year for the upcoming midterm elections in November.

As I posted a couple months ago, political advertising was already set to surge this year, but Tuesday's big win for the GOP will undoubtedly fuel additional spending.

Here's the article from Ad Age:

WASHINGTON (AdAge.com) -- Republican Scott Brown's win of a Massachusetts Senate seat could turn out to be a boon for media companies, increasing spending on political advertising this year from the $2.8 billion originally expected.

Together with announced retirements by some key Democrats, the outcome over filling Sen. Ted Kennedy's seat in yesterday's special election in Massachusetts offers an unmistakable signal to both parties that they are going to have to weigh in early to start courting voters for this year's November midterm elections.

There were signals from all sides that the election could increase the number of challengers running, which in turn would boost fundraising activities and, ultimately, lift ad spending.

The spending could increase even more if the U.S. Supreme Court frees businesses to spend on political advertising even in the last throws of a race. An important high court ruling could come down as soon as tomorrow.

Normally, off-year elections focus more on local, rather than national issues and the extent of media spending depends on how many primary races take place, where they are (big states have far more expensive media markets), how many incumbents are running and, finally, the number of major local referenda issues. Generally there isn't much national advertising. Political parties and interest groups buy markets in states with races.

This year Evan Tracey, president of TNS Media Intelligence's Campaign Media Analysis Group, a company that tracks political ad spending, was already predicting the combination of open gubernatorial races in Illinois, New York, California and elsewhere would hit the $2.8 billion spent in 2008, when the presidential race bolstered spending.

Mr. Tracey today said spending this time could now exceed that amount. The final figure, however, isn't yet clear -- in part because the economy and the Supreme Court decision could still affect the total.

Still, the Massachusetts race raised the stakes, he said.

"Anybody can win anywhere. There is no such thing as a safe incumbent any more," he said.

The Massachusetts results also could put more of a national debate in play, potentially benefiting cable news channels. It could also prompt the Republican and Democratic parties and advocacy groups to step up their local spending to make arguments about health care, the economy and other issues more typical to a presidential election year.

Today spokesmen for some cable companies and the Television Bureau of Advertising acknowledged they see the impact as potentially boosting political ad spending.

"It increases the importance of targeting your voters," said Tim Kay, director of political strategy for NCC, the national individual spot sales arm of major local cable providers. He pointed to independent voters, who were a major factor in the Massachusetts vote.

Greg D'Alba, CNN's exec VP-chief operating officer-sales and marketing, said advertising could be up for two reasons. First there could be more political advertising, period. Secondly, the results also signal more interest in politics this year and that could generate more corporate advertising in support of coverage.

"It's created another stellar political cycle," he said. "Last night's election supports our forecast that the midterm elections are going to be really important."

He said that he expected the political parties would do a national overlay of their messages to buttress local spending.

Jack Poor, VP-marketing for the Television Bureau of Advertising, said it sees the results as a fundraising boon to political parties, individual candidates and interest groups -- especially on the Republican side. That, in turn, will fuel ad spending on both sides.

"All that was missing [from the election races this year] was the full coffers," he said.



(Courtesy AdAge.com)

Follow-Up: Bar Codes in Advertising

So I'm flipping through my February 2010 issue of Website Magazine today and happened to notice barcodes in a few of the ads, such as this one:

See it in the bottom left-hand corner?

If memory serves me right, I had posted about this same barcode technology last year when they were appearing in the National Post of Canada.

Pretty cool way for people with smartphones to be able to connect immediately with print advertising...

(Courtesy Website Magazine)

How the Hamsters Saved Christmas: Zhu Zhu Pets Recharge Battery Category

So I get a call from my dad a couple weeks before Christmas that went like this:

Dad: Does your cousin's iPod run on AA batteries?
Me: No, sorry Dad.
Dad: What about his cell phone?
Me: Nope.
Dad: Game Boy? CD player? Anything?
Me: No, why?
Dad: I just bought 100 AA batteries at Costco for Christmas presents. I'm not sure what to do with them now...

Poor Dad, alkaline batteries used to be his go-to gift and now he's lost in a sea of rechargeables and lithium ion. If you've found yourself in a similar predicament recently, read on:

Loading up on alkaline batteries was once a familiar rite of holiday shopping for parents, but the category has been in a funk since well before the recession as traditional battery-operated toys and gadgets lost cachet to smartphones, laptops, iPods and other portable devices using different power sources.

But a funny thing happened this holiday season: Alkaline batteries had their best quarter for volume growth in at least three years and their first positive holiday quarter in terms of volume in four years. Zhu Zhu pets, one of the biggest breakout toy hits in years, may deserve the credit, though a round of savage price-cutting also played a role.

Don't worry, there's hope for you next year, Pops. :)



(Courtesy of AdAge.com)

DirecTV, ESPN, & Discovery to Launch 3D TV Channels

I still don't want to see Avatar in 3D because the blue hybrid people-aliens kinda freak me out, but put anything else in 3D and I'll be there with bells (and my 3D glasses) on.

Coming off last week's news that DirecTV is planning to launch a HD 3D channel early this year, both ESPN and Discovery Networks have announced they are planning to launch 3D channels of their own:

The Disney owned sports operator is set to introduce ESPN 3D in June, launching with the airing of the first World Cup soccer games on June 11. The channel will air 85 live sporting events over the year, but will go dark when there is no event on.

World Cup replays, goal celebrations, and hard tackles in 3D? AWESOME.

Discovery, meanwhile, has launched a joint venture with technology companies Sony and Imax, to launch a 3D channel in 2011. Although, it hasn't announced what content it will air in 3D, the channel will be a 24 hour channel.

The only possible drawback? According to the article about DirecTV's HD plans:

If accurate, the newly available content for the firm’s subs would require both a 3D-equipped HD set (and the requisite glasses) in order to see the light, as it were. One Web site, HD Guru, which originated the story citing its own sources, said DirecTV will announce its 3D plans at CES.

You know, I'm tempted to be skeptical about this 3D channel business, simply because it seems untested and unnecessarily expensive to buy a completely new television to view only one or two channels.

But then think about early HD programming - it was only a couple channels and required a new TV - and how far that has come along in the last few years. Surely there are innovators out there who will jump on the 3D wagon and extoll its virtues to the rest of us who will slowly follow suit. Is this going to be another change that's going to revolutionize the way we watch television?



(Courtesy of TBIvision.com, tvtechnology.com, & HDGuru.com)

Seven Advertising Insights for the New Year

Happy New Year! Dana Severson's seven advertising insights (below) are absolutely worth sharing and paying attention to in the new year. (I know, I know, this was written in December 2009, however it still notes some important points and things to consider for 2010):

1. Social networking is only a good idea if you are going to be social. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a social media "guru" by any stretch of my imagination. However, it's obvious to anyone who has a Facebook account that unless you're having conversations, you're not being social.

2. Just because newspapers are failing doesn't mean that print media is dead. Numerous studies have proven it. That said, forget the research. If you want real proof that print media is still alive, just look at the collection of magazines on coffee tables and in bathrooms at your next get-together. Or, better yet, consider your own relationship with your favorite magazine. Magazines are shuttering because advertisers are spending less. It's not, I repeat, NOT because readers stopped reading them.

3. For the reasons I just mentioned, do not eliminate print from your advertising plans. I'm generalizing here, but for the most part, rates are cheaper and there's less competition for the reader's attention between the covers. In other words, your ROI is going to be much greater.

4. The over-analysis of online advertising is detrimental to the concept of branding. Keep in mind, the measurement of success from your online advertising efforts doesn't always have to come in the form of clicks. Don't worry Mr. Client, it's not your fault, you've been misled. Ad networks have trained you to believe that the only value in online advertising is conversions. This is not true.

5. With that in mind, banner advertising is becoming increasing less effective (both in terms of brand exposure and conversions). Focus on online campaigns that engage, entertain and inform. In other words, branded content is an idea you should be exploring. And, by branded content, I don't mean sponsored blog posts. Those are nothing more than a banner ad made of words. Rather, think of engaging/entertaining the reader first, advertising second.

6. For once, green-light the third concept. You know, the one that's outside your comfort zone. This is the campaign that will more than likely drive the greatest results. Why? Because we know what we are doing and we just want you to trust our judgment on this -- just once. You won't be sorry.

7. And lastly, for god's sake, NO MORE BUDGET CUTS. OK, that was just some wishful thinking, but please do consider it.



(Courtesy of AdAge)