• ONLINE SPIN
    My New HTC Evo Smartphone Rocks -- Except For The Bloatware
    I just got an HTC Evo for my birthday, and it is awesome. The phone has been reviewed widely, so I'll sum it up via Engadget : "[I]ts magnificent list of specs reads as though it was scribbled on a napkin after a merry band of gadget nerds got tipsy at the watering hole and started riffing about their idea of the ultimate mobile device." Or, as Gizmoso says, it's a "warmachine" and it's got "guts."
  • ONLINE SPIN
    The U.S. Ad Industry Should Applaud Blocking Of Arizona Immigration Law
    Fair warning: I'm going to get on my soapbox ( just this once). This morning, I was very happy to read that a federal judge has temporarily blocked the implementation of key parts of Arizona's new immigration law. This ruling, I believe, is not only a good thing for the country; it is a good thing for the advertising industry as well. Why? Simply because the U.S. is not producing enough technology workers to go around and this debate has a chilling effect on real reform that would assure access to the best and brightest tech minds who want to …
  • ONLINE SPIN
    What Does It Mean To Be A True 'Partner'?
    The antithesis of a partner is a vendor, and there is a simple point of differentiation. A partner is a valued relationship. A vendor is an order-taker. A partner is someone who adds value beyond the exact words of a contract, where a vendor does exactly what they're told and nothing more. Many people ask me what's wrong with the marketing services business. My two cents: too many companies and too many people are vendors; not enough are true partners.
  • ONLINE SPIN
    Defining Social Media Marketing
    What does it mean to do "social media marketing"? In talking with various brands and agencies, there are extremely wide-ranging thoughts on what tactics, goals and, most important, resources should be allocated to social media. Let's settle the debate: All marketing is social media marketing.
  • ONLINE SPIN
    The Misbehaviors Of Digital Dependence
    I've found myself thinking lately about all the small ways we, even in the business, prop up our digital toys. We sometimes sound incredibly codependent as we talk among ourselves. Then my mind wandered to a couple of habits that seem to have become acceptable that I would actually consider misuse.
  • ONLINE SPIN
    When Your Mobile Carrier Treats You Like A Real Human Being
    I've been with the same mobile carrier for 10 years. I almost left two years ago over a billing issue, but a special customer-service SWAT team swooped in and took things over. Since then, my family has enjoyed the benefits of a dedicated customer-service rep. This is the real deal, as I know my rep's full name, personal email address and mobile phone number. Unfortunately, this is not the norm, not even with my own mobile carrier.
  • ONLINE SPIN
    Agencies: What's Your Unfair Competitive Advantage?
    Creating an "unfair competitive advantage" seems to be a persistent goal in the tech start-up world. It is a pretty standard question that venture capitalists ask entrepreneurs seeking funding (with a lot of stress on the word unfair). I find that it can be a great way to focus critical analysis of a business's true differentiation and realistic competitive advantages. Earlier this week, in a conversation with an industry analyst trying to divine the ideal characteristics for ad agencies of the future, I found myself pondering this question in the context of ad agencies.
  • ONLINE SPIN
    Have You Hugged Your Agency Today?
    Have you hugged your agency partners today? OK, I'll admit that sounds a little extreme, but the question is intended to be exaggerated to highlight the state of agency/client relationships these days.
  • ONLINE SPIN
    Five Things The Old Spice Man Means For Advertising
    If you are reading this, you are likely in the advertising industry, and if you are in the advertising industry you have undoubtedly heard all about the phenomenon that is "The Old Spice Man." When Old Spice, W+K et al, made the decision to produce extremely rapid custom content based on the popular character, they changed the very way we will look at advertising going forward. The big question for everyone is: What does it all mean? Here are a couple of thoughts.
  • ONLINE SPIN
    How The Web Made Journalism A Sinner
    Have you ever thought of journalism as an inconsolable sinner? Have you ever then thought of mobile as journalism's second chance? Neither had I -- until an article I read this weekend suggested it. The piece revisited the long woeful conversation about opportunities lost by legacy journalism in its poor handling of content monetization, in a different light. It presented mobile as the promise -- as the light.
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