• ONLINE SPIN
    A Few Philosophical Observations On The Digital Age
    Have you checked in somewhere today? I'm guessing you haven't. Five years ago, my Twitter feed was rife with people unlocking this badge and becoming Mayor of that coffee shop. Today, nothing. And so it wasn't surprising to read VentureBeat's coverage of Foursquare's "controversial" relaunch - which, VB tells us, is "not looking good." Even more important than the decline of the check-in, though, is the fundamental question: Who cares? Aside from the founders. And the investors. And the staff. And the families of those three groups.
  • ONLINE SPIN
    Here's A Nice, Scary Halloween Story For The Ad Industry
    There are a lot of scary things in the ad industry that I could turn into a corny Halloween gimmick. Like that ad blockers are the most popular browser extensions by a mile, and a million new ones are installed every week. Or that ad fraud is so prevalent in the industry that there's a good chance you're basically sending a cut of your ad dollars to organized criminals. Real organized criminals, not fake ones from a show you can binge-watch on Netflix.
  • ONLINE SPIN
    What Makes A Strategy (And A Strategist)?
    I was asked this question a few weeks back: "What can one do to become a strategist?" That's a great question, one that requires you to do two things. First off, you have to understand what strategy is. Second, you have to put yourself in a position to be strategic.
  • ONLINE SPIN
    Nicholas Charles Tyrwhitt Wheeler, The Funnel Flipper
    Last week I received a letter from the United Kingdom sent by Nicholas Charles Tyrwhitt Wheeler, the owner of Charles Tyrwhitt, a men's apparel store with its flagship on Jermyn Street, London. The letter was titled, "Thank You" and if you've read my book, "Flip the Funnel" or even vaguely follow my rants, you would know that these are the two most powerful words in the English language and the cornerstone of the "A" in A.D.I.A. (Acknowledgment - Dialog - Incentivization - Activation)
  • ONLINE SPIN
    An Open Letter To Elon Musk: Would YOU Buy A $110,000 Taxi?
    Dear Elon: We all know and have come to accept that everything you touch turns to gold. You are the magician who at the same time is conquering space, the hole in the ozone layer, and the myth that electric cars are for former hippies. You are the modern day equivalent to Leonardo da Vinci. And we all admire you for that. But may I share with you a concern I have regarding your celebrated Tesla Model S? I read that the entire fleet of 167 Amsterdam Schiphol Airport taxis has been replaced with Tesla's Model S. Just what will …
  • ONLINE SPIN
    The Nature Of Advertising Heralds Its Own Implosion
    Long-time readers of this column may recall I run TEDxChristchurch, an annual event which is barreling down on me for next Saturday. I am neck-deep in speaker rehearsals, volunteer briefings, name tags and goody bags. I am also neck-deep in ideas. As one of our speaker coaches so eloquently put it, sometimes I feel like my brain is leaking out of my ears.
  • ONLINE SPIN
    How Come So Many Marketers Have Mobile-First Strategies, But So Few Are Hispanic-First?
    Lots of folks talk about the importance of multicultural marketing in the U.S., but you don't hear many of them talk (or implement) Hispanic-first marketing or media strategies, despite the enormous growth and importance of Hispanics as the critical growth market for so many U.S. consumer brands. Ironically, almost every day, we hear many of these same brands declare themselves to be social-first or mobile-first. How come?
  • ONLINE SPIN
    Different Ghosts For Different Folks: Why Snapchat's New Advertising Strategy is Smarter Than It Looks
    Last week, photo- and video-sharing app Snapchat released an ad for Universal Pictures' film "Ouija," marking the first foray into ad monetization for the company, recently valued at $10 billion. But unlike its competitors, Snapchat is not targeting its new ads to specific users. Instead, the company is taking a one-ad-fits-all approach. To many following the evolution of advertising on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, the company's announcement -- admitting that contextual advertising is better, while also announcing that it wasn't doing it -- was befuddling.
  • ONLINE SPIN
    Are You Genuine? (Sales & Marketing Leaders Should Be)
    In marketing, sales, the agency business and leadership, being genuine and authentic is a requirement. When you don't have those qualities, your audience and colleagues can smell it a mile away.
  • ONLINE SPIN
    The Unstoppable Growth Of Programmatic Is Going To Kill Jobs
    Darn it, I really wanted to write a rant about Twitter profiles from people that put a #hashtag #in #front #of #every #word #in #their #profile. Or people that qualify their profile with monikers like #thoughtleader or #insert-other-pretentious-claptrap-here. But alas, events in programmatic last week forced me to ditch my plans, and focus once again on programmatic's unstoppable rise and rise.
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