After I graduated from Betty Owens secretarial school in March 1975, my first job interview was with The American Bible Society for a secretarial position. My application was rejected. Too aggressive,
I was told - though carpentry was part of my lineage. Next interview, advertising agency BBDO, which decades later was subsumed by OMD, to be hired in the TV programming department to work for Bob
Levinson and Paul Wigand, whose mail was always incorrectly addressed to Mr. Wizard. Within months I wangled a job as commercial traffic coordinator for Chrysler, which shortly thereafter morphed into
an assistant national TV buying position working in Larry Fried's group. A few months into my TV buying tenure Larry offered me a promotion in the guise of Directorship of National Radio buying. No
incremental salary. Still responsible for my national TV assignments. However, he assured me that there would be lots of free meals and the radio networks would shower me with gifts and free tickets
to entertainment and sporting events. I was single, 23, earning $8,500 and now possessed a business card with the word "Director" broadly embossed across its bow associating me with one of Madison
Avenue's finest.
Day and night radio salespeople queued in front of my door. Proffering gifts as Larry had foretold much like ancient Greeks offering supplication in the form of valued
objects and the roasted meat of fatted calves. In order to partake of the rewards I simply had to sit through myriads of presentations, which more or less spelled out their value proposition, the
benefits of an alliance or media marriage and the implied promise of economic prosperity for all involved.
Stage direction: jump to fall 2008.A few weeks ago I was up
at MPG/Media Contacts Boston Office where I was invited to attend presentations from some of our media community's most prominent online video destinations. Lunch was served, the value propositions
vetted, and the proposals of marriage proffered. And that's when it struck me. I've heard this before circa The BeeGee's ("Stayin Alive," "Night Fever" for those too young to remember) and disco
infusion (a precursor to techno music). Two musical refrains were prevalent and I hope, the online video destination sales organizations will refrain from using them in the future:
The Funding RefrainSimply take the money from one primetime TV network commercial spot and transfer the dough to the online video realm. Though lyrical, the tune is being sung
to the wrong individual and the siren's song is not alluring to all. Although in a utopian media environment, TV and online video would be negotiated by the same individual, we are still living in a
world where there is separation between the two. The TV person ekes out a living by spending TV dollars on traditional distribution platforms and personally would diminish their clout as well as
growth opportunities in the industry by spending less. On the other hand, the online person would glean kudos from their peers by the redistribution of video wealth. Also, one must keep in mind that
in many organizations the commission structure is different. Onliners garner upwards of 3 times the commission of that of their traditional media agency brethren. You explain the incremental fees to
your client. Most importantly, it is not the TV buyer that makes the decision to redirect funds from one domain to another. It is the media planner. The gatekeeper. The transfer of funds affects
reach, frequency and client accepted cost per points. It is not simply a song of transferral but of precise, one would hope, orchestral integration.
The Rating Aggregation
RefrainInevitably there is a comparison chart that shows cumulatively how the audience aggregation from the supplicating media, in this case online video destinations - in the days of
disco, radio - is superior in pure numbers to that of the best TV show. Case in counterpoint: one of the companies brandished a chart indicating that they generate 32 million monthly viewers to their
site while one of TV biggest hit series, Fox's "American Idol," only garnered 16 million. The orchestration is all wrong: are we talking monthly or weekly, are we discussing snacking or commitments to
30 minute to 60 minute series, the environment, the costs attributed to association, the reach, the frequency....
In my estimation, comparisons should always be presented in the same key
-- at least that's what my ear longs for if I am going to hum the tune and ultimately consider buying the melody.
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