• ONLINE SPIN
    Social By Design
    For marketers and publishers of the social Web, design matters. Creative matters. Ideas matter. It is true that properly utilized data can drive better decision making, but it is also true that all the data in the world doesn't create innovation without interpretation, and data doesn't always lead to great design (especially when the data is about the wrong thing - clicks, anyone?).
  • ONLINE SPIN
    The Authority Of Specialty
    A favorite ritual sparked this week's musing. Over the weekend, I joined my friend in San Diego to celebrate his new wedded bliss. This guy has always been like a little brother to me, so it was with particular anticipation of cuteness that I took in his father's toast. On Saturday, as my friend's dad raised his flute, he said, "I am so proud of my son, who I'll have you know is one of the top SEOs in the world." The lauded sprout muttered audibly, "Dad, no one here even knows what that is."
  • ONLINE SPIN
    The Endgame Of Media Buying And Selling
    What happens to the business of digital media when emphasis shifts from targeting content to targeting audiences via scientific aggregation and optimization? The short answer is: it's complicated. To drive some clarity around this question, I moderated the "The New Science of Advertising" panel at the recent OMMA Global Hollywood conference. To understand the dynamics, we must first break down the major players...
  • ONLINE SPIN
    TV Everywhere Might Just Work
    When I first heard about the TV Everywhere concept being promoted by Time Warner's Jeff Bewkes, I was skeptical.I've spent some time over the past few weeks pondering the viability of TV Everywhere. After much thought, I have replaced my skepticism for its prospects with guarded optimism. Here is why....
  • ONLINE SPIN
    The Web (and Advertising) In 3-D
    Just about everyone agrees that the next stage of the Web is a transition towards a customizable, distributed Web that no longer relies on mass audience destinations as much as it will rely on technology to tailor the remote experience to the individual user. But is it possible that this next stage will also transition from a two-dimensional experience of flat Web pages to a three-dimensional experience more akin to virtual worlds?
  • ONLINE SPIN
    CMOs Embracing Change
    The role of marketing has come a long way from the days of "Mad Men." Marketing has always been the subject of the classic "art vs. science" debate. While recent advances have given the idea of marketing as a science legs, marketing still is, and always will be, a bit of both art and science, because in the end it's about communicating with people. As technology increases the number of ways companies can communicate with people, the practice of marketing continues to grow in importance, along with the role of the CMO.
  • ONLINE SPIN
    It's Alive: What Makes A Conference Thrive?
    Given the turbulent times in progress, I find myself focusing again on what it takes to make a conference as valuable as can be. I have discussed programming before. It's a passion and pursuit of mine. But, when I really think about assuring the value exchange, I realize it comes down to a few key things. This is true as consumer, participant and periodic cast member. There are three general movements I have seen in conferences I frequent, that I immensely respect:
  • ONLINE SPIN
    Facebook, Twitter And Yammer Still Subservient To Email
    Social media services like Twitter, Yammer and Facebook are creating new value and interactions. Utility often overlaps and extends beyond email. But are these social media services replacing email? That notion, despite its propensity to resurface every couple of months, is highly misguided.
  • ONLINE SPIN
    Privacy Protection Is Now A Centrist Issue
    The issue of protecting consumer online privacy is about to get a lot more attention in Washington, D.C. While I've written about this subject a number of times in the past, it has never been with the immediacy that I write about it today. Privacy is about to take center stage with our federal legislators and regulators -- an occurrence I, and many others, don't think we're ready for.
  • ONLINE SPIN
    Display Ads Do Have A Future -- We Just Can't See It Yet
    Over the last few months there's been much speculation regarding the present and future of online advertising. No one can seem to agree on the direction that online -- specifically online display -- is going. Some think it will be up this year, while many feel it will go down -- but almost everyone agrees that the current formats and iterations of online display are not long-term solutions.
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