Never thought about it like that

Sheesh - I feel like a groupie having left so many comments over at my 2 cents last Friday...honest David - I am NOT a stalker :). I've been woefully negligent in leaving this corner and adding comments. Is my slip showing? :)

Here's the deal - David's post (and link to Gene DeWitt's The Media Age blog) about the writer's strike possible impact on advertising was a new idea for me. Here's what he says:

"In his new blog The Media Age, media guru Gene DeWitt says newspapers and radio -- the long-suffering "other" mass media -- should be getting a closer look by advertisers who are faced with higher ad prices, fewer ad positions available and greater difficulty in reaching a broad spectrum of customers with TV sales messages."

First off I love the word media - love it! Mass media, targeted media, multi-media, new media, old media, traditional media, and cutting edge media - it all makes me tingle. I believe it is the rare word that cannot be over used. Second, the post and remarks sparked my brain - always a good thing. And thirdly, it got me to comment - feedback is a another vital part of living this new age and time. I'd never considered that as TV shows lose viewers, advertisers lose value. The same thing happens with newspapers. We lose readers and it impacts the advertiser. I'm not sure why the connection never happened before.

Third, we can agree ads have to go somewhere. They won't disappear. If everybody's gonna eat, somebody's gotta sell. Current belief says they are migrating to the medium you are currently reading. What goes up - must come down. What happens when page view numbers (or however you measure) go down? Do advertisers move to phones? podcasts? video? all of the above? I know advertising is changing. How fast and to what degree is yet to be determined. A lot depends on the success of those who do the advertising. Right now, combining print and online makes sense.

So thanks David and Gene

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Art Appreciation Made To Stick

In grade three or four - it was so long ago, I can hardly remember - we had a class called Art Appreciation. Each week we received a post card size print of a noted artist and their work. As we gazed upon the cards, we heard stories of the lives of the artists. We were transported to a different time and place. These three I share today are the ones that are etched into my brain. The first is a wood cut by Japanese printmaker Hokusai called Tidal Wave. I remember the crisp lines. I remember the motion and the action that is illustrated in two dimensions.

The picture to the left is a paiting in oil by Pierre Auguste Renoir's "A Girl with a Watering Can". I believe I could look at this painting for hours. In fact, I probably did. And there are several prints of various sizes in my possession. When I recall first memories of art, this painting is always one of them. Along with this painting comes the artists focus on light, depth and brush stroke. Why is it certain images have such an impact on us? What part of our senses retain this information? One can almost feel the season surrounding the girl. At this time of year, when the roses blossom and the peonies pop - it is this painting that always plays in my mind's eye. Any suggestions Dr. McMaster?



Finally, this fresco by Beato Fra Angelico, Italian Renaissance artist - Annunciazione (The Annunciation) which is housed in the Museo di San Marco in Florence, Italy. I first discovered the symmetry and perspective of this masterpiece - not to mention those groovy wings - in grammar school Art Appreciation class. Then, a few years ago, we were able to take the trip of a lifetime (so far, at least :) and spent a couple weeks in Firenze. Imagine the emotion when I saw this painting - in real - after only seeing it on paper. It took my breath away. The visit to Italy started as a goal almost 20 years ago. It was simple "Before I die, I want to see the Sistine Chapel". We saw much more including the grave of Fra Angelico.

All of this before marketing, before blogging, before branding - these are paintings that stuck. This may be a bit of a stretch - and its art not ideas - but...I'm reading "Made to Stick" by the Brothers Heath (that darn MarketingProfs Book Club). Chip and Dan use an acronym - SUCCESs. Do these paintings meet the criteria? Simple - yes. Unexpected - in their time and even today, yes. Concrete? - I'd say so. Credible - artists carry credibility over time though usually after they die. Emotional? - try looking at them without feeling or emitting a response. And finally, do they tell Stories - they ARE a story.

What is some of the early art you remember? I'd be curious to know. Was it "Made to Stick"?

Back to Reality...and isn't it fun!

Seeing how I am in the newspaper business and I occasionally post to this blog while at work - s-s-s-h-h-h don't tell the boss or I may be looking for a real job - I thought writing about industry news might add some credibility.

Today I ran into a couple articles from Direct Marketing News service. The first story deals with monetizing display ads on a website - and how Google has changed it all. Both links in the article are worth reading - one directs you to the president of RightMedia which operates an open marketplace for online media - and the second takes you to a sign up form to participate in an advertising market pilot program. The idea of auctioning display ad placement in a local website is interesting to me

The second story basically talks about how Google blog search is kicking butt on Technorati. Technorati has pretty much owned the blog measurement universe - its the only place I've registered but frankly haven't visited lately. Besides which I thought Google owned 'em anyway :) - wait a minute - newsflash...this blog is suddenly ranked 29, 978 - a HUGE uptick from October (584,076) and 109 blogs link here. The major reason is due to the Z-list meme Mack Collier started. I love ya, Mack! And so do many others. And shame on me for not creating my own Z-list.

The third - and final - story for this post speaks to email authentication and is also from DMNews. Since most of my real job entails managing a home grown opt in list PLUS creating and sending emails, it's topical. Essentially authentication validates your email as coming from you - a real person! The people who develop and implement email marketing applications (solutions) do most of the heavy lifting on this one. They work with providers to get domains approved and accepted. There are many to choose from - we currently use Bronto. More and more ISP's are looking at authentication to stop the incessant flow of spam. If the email is not authentic, it gets bounced. Too many bounces and you get on the bad list and get in all sorts of legal trouble. Although from the looks of my in box - it hardly seems to work.

Just for fun - and maybe networking possibilities - a link to a story on something called "Twitter" from the gang over at MarketingProfs.

It ain't Rocket Science - or is it?

I love this - today I didn't have to sign into my Blogger account. It seems Google figured out a way to recognize my initial sign in - for gmail - and apply it to all tendrils of Google that reach to my being. Probably just another form of cookie but I love cookies.

But thats not the why for this post - its here. Granted it's just shy of a month old - and we know how quickly things become stale in todays brave new world. Yet it is chock full of timely info. If charts and graphs are your flavor then this is the spot.

If you prefer the research highlights - click here. This brief rings my bell in light of reading "Citizen Marketers" and MarketingProfs book club extraordinaire. This brief from the Center for Media Research speaks directly to the importance of engaging the customer (item#5) in whatever we do. We all KNOW this and we all TRY to do this. We want happy customers. The question is HOW?

Here is an irony that just struck me. In many stories throughout the book a customer marketing crusade begins with the customer being upset, ticked off, or down right disappointed. None of us want that and yet it seems a common indicator for a crusade. Coke and Surge, Moleskin, Starbucks, Apple and iPod batteries - the authors document and interview individuals and groups who for one reason or another went to the edge and took a leap.

And - the customer does it for nothing but for the fact that they can. The voice of the people - sometimes the one person - makes a difference time and time again. Corporate culture is not easy to infiltrate yet we see a well researched book show example after example.

When the customer speaks, we gotta learn to listen. And do the research!

Second Life

You've all read about it and perhaps even visited. Some of you may have found a second home in the Second Life universe. Greg Verdino left a frank and fair post on marketing in Second Life at MarketingProfs. I linked to his blog here and gave my input. I can only hope it adds to the conversation. It's based on personal experience in the metaverse. I'm curious to see if there is any response. If not - no big deal.

Those who know my postings - albeit sporadic these days - rarely see a negative comment. I look for possibilities as I stumble through technology. I'm not classified as a geek by any means though I consider myself a quick study. Those familiar with CK's blog and collage will find my reason for blogging is learning. Part of the beauty in blogging is the ease and simplicity of the interface. Its also the beauty in a number of social networks I frequent.

Thinking out loud I wonder often about how we can market on social networks and what it means in the long run. At some point we monetize the time we spend and the actions we take. I continue enjoying the ride.

Added 01.08.2007 - and excellent list of links to Second Life hype and a challenge to the size of community it touches.

Church of the Customer

Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba release their second book and blog it here. MarketingProfs - and CK - kick off a book club here.

What I really like about this roll out (announcement) is the coordination between bloggers. Blogging is so huge yet so small. I note a couple familiar names in comments. The chance to share insight on timely writing should not be missed. One never knows the discoveries that are waiting.

Men, health, and....mustaches?

I'm staring to dig MarketingProfs - its full of wit, wisdom, and sound advice. Come the first of the year, a premium membership is considered. I drop in on the DailyFix occasionally - or rather it drops in on me. Today I found a great post on an item we hear all too little about in the US - prostate cancer and men's health. Seems a bunch of guys in Australia grow mustaches in November. It draws attention to a change in attitude about men's health. It opens the conversation.

The photo you see in the upper right of this blog is an exact representation of yours truly. I'm a man and I wear a mustache. I'm also reluctant to talk about my health. While I'm reasonably healthy its not because I'm comfortable talking about it. It's an awkward conversation. Even within the health care system, depression and cancer are not high on the list. I have a routine procedure scheduled for next month and only those closest to me will hear about it. Fortunately, I am blessed with male friends who listen AND are able to share feelings.

So Bravo to the organization that imagined this month long focus -