• The New Next: Right Here, Right Now
    It's been exactly one year since I moved to New York, started at naked communications and wrote my first new next column. After some reflection, I realized that New York is actually the New Next - the most exciting place to be right now for this business that we're in. Not only is this city naturally bursting with cultural opportunities, but brands are also beginning to add to this culture in smarter and more strategically complete ways. There are so many different kinds of agencies forming here all the time that do a variety of fascinating things, ranging from digital …
  • Media Metrics: A Powerful Predictor
    Engagement remains a much debated topic in marketing and media. While some media agencies and researchers have embraced the concept, others believe that the "holy grail" of engagement relates to how consumers experience brands.
  • Targeting: It's - Still - All in the Mix
    Every other year, accountability makes a resurgence. "Like it or not, CMOs still have to prove their worth" reads a recent headline in one major ad industry publication. But even as ad agencies work overtime in an attempt to link data with the machinery of statistics, the big question remains, how do you calculate, monitor and manage accountability?
  • Column: The [Ad]vantage -- Everyone's a Gamer Now
    Those of us old enough to remember pong know that today's video game consoles bear little resemblance to the early forms of video gaming. What was once a white block deflecting a white dot has become a nearly life-like visual experience with complex storylines and immersive environments.
  • Engagement: Can My Phone Do That?
    I do not like roller coasters, crowds or excessive hype. The first two are why you will never catch me dead at an amusement park. Crowds and hype are also why I will always avoid the latest blockbuster that everyone - whether they have good taste in movies or not - says you have to go see.
  • Column: Gestalt -- What Killed the Dinosaurs?
    I've been around the block of traditional media companies long enough that I should not get my hopes up too high. But I must confess I recently had a conversation with one of the largest cable/broadcast/print conglomerates out there that gave me a glimmer of hope.
  • Column: Integrated -- Why We're Wild About Harry
    A little less than 10 years ago, Harry Potter started his life in America. In the beginning, Harry was not just a fictional child-wizard who faces challenges of good and evil on and off a broomstick, but also as an editor's hope to bring to America a character that connects emotionally with readers for a lifetime.
  • Column: The Sell -- If at First You Don't Succeed
    Often I think back to 10th grade chemistry. I practically failed every test, but still earned a B in that class because I scored an A on the final exam, which was worth 50 percent of my grade.
  • On the Record: The Carrot and Stick Strategy
    A little over 10 years ago, I heard a conference speaker refer to sponsorship as "the brown suede shoe in a sea of black tuxedos." Apart from wishing I'd said it first, I was struck then - and still am now - by the way in which sponsorship has firmly retained its position as the Cinderella of the marketing mix, while advertising retains the mantle of Prince Charming.
  • Branded: Should Brands Pursue Bands?
    Judging by the flurry of recent merger news and speculation, the music industry didn't exactly take the summer off. Of course, with the tunes biz still groping for footing in a post-Napster, iTunes-centric world, that's not surprising.
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