From Dot Bomb to Dot Boom Let’s face it. The economy is taking on the distinctive, sickly pallor of a post Mardi Gras Keith Richards. Generally, recessions hit the advertising business with the ferocity of a rabid wolverine, and the last one trimmed overall ad spending by 9% according to market researchers Veronis Suhler Stevenson. [...]
A Conversation, Not a Monologue – Digital Marketing for Colleges
I just finished giving a speech at the western region meeting of the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations in Sedona, Arizona. NCMPR is the association of community and technical college marketers. A really interesting group that needs to harness social media and work with prospective students on an individual, relevant, highly personal basis. [...]
3 Reasons David Lee Roth is a Bad Internet Marketer
I am of a vintage that was shaped by Van Halen’s album (actually a cassette for me) 1984. With Jump, Panama, and Hot for Teacher (a video that joins “Hungry Like the Wolf” in my early teen pantheon), this was a truly epic record – highlighted by David Lee Roth’s bad boy caterwauling. And [...]
McAfee Hires Tribal DDB: The Tip of the Digital Agency Iceberg
AdWeek announced today that security software maker McAfee has hired Tribal DDB as their agency of record. In addition to digital marketing, the assignment includes TV, print, and outdoor. Note that Tribal DDB is the excellent digital marketing sister of DDB. These guys know their stuff. I’ve met a few Tribal DDB folks via my [...]
The 10 Strengths of the Agency of the Future
Web services giant Sapient recently fielded a national online digital marketing survey of more than 200 chief marketing officers (CMOs) and senior marketers responsible for managing digital budgets (among other things). Survey respondents were asked about the top qualities they sought in their advertising and marketing agencies in the coming year. Sapient’s Top 10 Wish [...]
The Alarming Truth About Digital Marketing’s Imperfections
A One Legged Stool There’s no question the Internet has been good to me. The last two jobs I had before getting involved in Internet marketing in 1994 were spokesman for the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections (prison tours), and marketing director for Waste Management (landfill tours). I prefer this gig as it is smell [...]
Wake Up Agencies – Digital Shops = Trojan Horse
It was bound to happen, and now it has. A big-time digital agency (R/GA) has opened up a full-fledged brand development arm. And whom do you think they will be competing against with this new branding department? Other digital agencies? Nope. They are aiming for traditional agencies and the branding, media placement, and creative budgets [...]
How Google Plans to Control TV Advertising and Crush Agencies
AdWeek ran an interesting story a few days ago about Google’s foray into television advertising. As I’ve been saying for years, Google’s ultimate plan is to be the middle-man for all advertising, everywhere. There are clearly inefficiencies in the buying and selling of traditional media. It requires multiple phone calls and emails and spread sheets. [...]
Internet Advertising to Grow 20% in 2008
A new report from Bernstein Research says online advertising in the U.S. will grow by 20% in 2008, despite weakness in travel, auto, and financials. Top categories for online advertising spend include: Finance, insurance, real estate – 29.6% of overall spend Media and entertainment – 25.2% Retail – 13.8% Other – 12.9% Auto – 8.6% [...]
Ad Networks Are a House of Cards – But a Great Deal
A groundbreaking study by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and Bain & Company shows that ad networks’ share of display ad sales soared from 5% to 30% from 2006-2007. (Read the excellent full report here) It seems the rise in Internet advertising (~20% per year, according to eMarketer) is creating a flurry of new sites, and [...]
