• Flying Towards Quality When the Economy Is Grounded
    A slowing economy has, to state the obvious, put enormous pressure on businesses to scale back -- and advertising is often one of the first line-items to feel the heat. But the decision to cut marketing spends isn't -- or at least shouldn't be -- a simple one. In a report entitled "Learning to Love Recessions," global consulting firm McKinsey & Co. studied 1000 business from 1982 to 1999 with the goal of understanding the tactics employed by those that grew stronger during an economic downturn. While much of their report focused on M&A activity, there was one key finding …
  • Every Word Matters
    Every single word matters. Words are never neutral. Every word that does not help sell or market your product, hurts. A media executive I know spent 45 exasperating minutes trying to explain his product to me. Rarely did he pause to see if the idea made any sense (it didn't). I finally figured out that his entire concept could be described in two very simple sentences.
  • Salesperson Of The Year
    It is you -- the media salesperson -- I feel most aligned with when sharing my experiences inside this column. I understand the pressures and disappointments you endure. You are not perfect and yet you have perfected how to get this job done well for years, but well isn't good enough anymore. We are in the midst of the most challenging times of our careers. This fact is not going to change anytime soon -- so you have to. I doubt anyone at your company will share this with you as directly as I am now: Your job is as …
  • Ch-Ch-Changes
    As 2008 mercifully draws to a close, we begin to look forward to a new beginning in 2009 -- or at least we can fool ourselves into thinking things will be different as a result of flipping the page on the calendar. Whether you're inspired by New Year's resolutions, the "change" mantra of our incoming president, or just simply like to mix things up regardless of the month of the year or who resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, I thought that it might be a good time to explore some new ideas related the online advertising and marketing in 2009.
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