• by Lydia Loizides , Op-Ed Contributor, April 25, 2007

Things have been a bit crazed lately, so forgive me if this week's column is a bit disjointed.

Let's start with the Magazine Publishers of America 11th annual Magazine Day: New York conference. I was intrigued by panels entitled "What Advertisers Want," "Risky Business & Bold Moves," and "Media Measurement for the New World." I have to say that I was disappointed that magazine publishers have not come as far along as I would have hoped -- but I am elated at the vim and vigor that was displayed by Robin Steinberg of MediaVest. Now there is a woman who gets it -- from what is broken about the marketplace to what is working well. What I find most interesting about the lack of connectivity between online and magazines is that little to no progress has been made about using digital extensions that could really elevate the user experience and brand loyalty. Oh sure, there are exceptions -- Real Simple, SI.com., Wired -- but those who have really embraced the power of online are the exception rather than the rule, and that is what I find most distressing.

Let's not worry about the imperfections of Nielsen//NetRatings or comScore as effective measurement tools -- every measurement body across all media has its issues, and we all know it. Rather, let's focus on creating innovative, "big idea" content plays that will help to elevate advertisers' brands beyond what print has been delivering for the last 100 years.

Next, I was contacted by a company, NextMedium, after last week's column. Now understand, I hear from hundreds of companies who reach out all the time about this and that -- but there was something about this one that piqued my interest. So, the long and the short of it is this: the company has developed a technology platform that allows advertisers to define, measure and manage brand integration campaigns. What I find most interesting is that NextMedium is approaching this like an auction for buying and placing integrated spots. From the valuation and measurement side, it has yet to develop online as a platform to measure efficacy -- but it is covering TV, video games, film, and music videos. Take a look if you don't already know about the company.

Now, there was a lot of stuff that happened in between -- but that is for another time. Stay tuned next week to hear about tales from this week's Outfront Conference. And remember, you can always tell me.