Almost all of these predictions are dreams and hopes and are not based on reality nor the trend lines that are developing. I assume that we will see some movement in each of these directions---depending on whether they develop along sensible business and consumer interest lines---but hardly the universal adoption or transformations that are being predicted by folks with a vested interest in same.

"We are delivering a great customer experience and advancing Kroger's commitment to redefine the grocery experience by creating an ecosystem that offers our customers anything, anytime and anywhere."

Yo Yael,  You sound like you are convinced that people are excited about delivery because you put a driver out of work for a driverless solution.  Wait till someone figures out your vehicles and hyjacks the groceries.  How does the grocery receivee verify it's really them?
Why don't you spend your time figuring out why after $100 is groceries at Kroger, you get  10 cents off per gallon, yet have a grocery card and buy nothing, you get 3 cents........so actually the 10 cent discount is really 7 cents.  how about some truth in nadvertising???

Paula; ...the perfect response, as usual. 

Why is it when you click on idiot.....oh never mind.

"Grandma, what big eyes you have!" "Better to see you with, my dear." Make sure they come with looking glasses, because even with glasses, the screens won't mean much.

If one Google search result claims that 2+2=5, and another Google search result claims that 2+2=4, should both be considered "equal"?  Or would ranking the latter above the former be considered "biased"?  ... It's really just that simple in today's political climate. 

PBS made good sense before the proliferation of channels. Not so sure nowadays.

Or she cold have campaigned in Wisconsin or Michigan, believe what you will. 

Beautiful. Thank you, Adam.

Very interesting, Wayne. Is it possible to posta link to Brian's report? Thanks.

By "audience based" he means those brand by brand buys that are negotiated with individual network sellers using "big data" set usage ratings to index each show as to its supposed  marketing value for each advertiser. These findings are then applied to conventional Nielsen ratings---usually by sex and age----to form the "currency" for each purchase and its audience guarantees.

The problem with these "advancements" is the fact that, so far, these have all been single seller deals without the ability of the buyer to evaluate the offerings of competing sellers---hardly a positive situation as the seller is in complete control, not the buyer. Also, the use of "big data" set usage ratings to determine the "value" of the audience is heavily biased in favor of the sellers and counter to that of the buyers as it creates a misleadingly positive profile for many shows whose actual viewers are not nearly as attractive as the indices paint them. Finally, the break on this type of selling is the simple fact that most upfront buys are---and will remain---corporate, not individual brand negotiations. How do you determine the marketing value of any audience when you are lumping all sorts of product groups and targeting needs together?There's no such thing as "the average brand". Until this changes  movement in this direction will remain limited.

If this is true, and it may well be, this is another really vexing issue that FB and other digital giants need desperately to deal with more effectively---if it isn't already too late. Consumer privacy is being sold for profit---that's already a big problem. But once you get the politicians into the act you are simply begging for regulation.

Ed, I meant to also respond to your core point about the problem with the isolation of the media function within marketing organizations. You are 100% on target there, and that may be the biggest contributor of the overly silo'd focus of media sales organizations, since they have been built out to mirror how the clients and agencies are organized. It is certainly a major factor in why the skill sets of folks working in such channel-centric roles and organizations are mypiic inn their understanding of the bigger marketing and media picture (and why they are vulnterable to losing their jobs right now).

Not surprising from the standpoint that select areas (e.g. mining, industrial agr.) of our U.S. private sector continues to pollute unabated, for capitalistic/share holder reasons which on one hand is fine, but beyond media fatigue to donate, why should citizens have to pick up the slack that in aggregrate with spewing out emissions, America doesn't even abide by its "agreed" Paris Agreement's benchmarks..neither does China over the past several years. 

The outlook is far bigger with industry first, and getting to the "root" of trying to minimize what increasingly seems where at a point of no return relative to record level of annual  "natural" disasters... and who will contribute, the little guy or the big goliath.

With only 1,000 polled, albeit online which provides less perspective with nuances/attidunal, I'd like to see HOW the point of millennials at 40% have ranked in volunteering...defined how?  

The stats shown seem quite bereft of revealing more depth on a critical subject. 

Also with the causes, they should have segmented categories, the loyalty factor % for helping "Save" the earth, etc. perhaps that part isn't shown for public view.


Anyway....with U.S. donations way down at nearly 10% in $$$...and discretionay spend/ PCE index up beyond just the essentials e.g food/gas...as limited as this survey is at just 1,000 ppl...telling in one's priorities, sense of giving back through "real" participation and action. 

Just commenting!   

I'd say let Apple and the other creative behemoths battle it out for functionaity and the winner buys/merges with the most derirable network's news assets James...or maybe Elon Musk and his team have a go at it!

This is long overdue.  Local news is a key content asset and there is much to gain, in long term, for a stronger OTT station presence, particularly if you want to have a chance at cultivating younger viewers.  Curious, Stan;  Which companies could possibly "build a better mousetrap?"  Cost of entry and sustainability in the news sector pretty high.

Look at it this way: They need money and for sure raising taxes on the working people is not working. Back to why Willie Sutton robbed banks (he said because that's where the money is - for those who have not paid attention).

Ed, very good points. I will add:
6. Read "How Brands Grow" by Bryon Sharp, and take a self-adminitrered test on comprehension. The idea that getting a maters degree in data analytics or an IAB certification is "below" long-time professinals in the TV ad business is exactly the kind of hubris that will lose hundreeds and thousands jobs. I can't say it any plainer.

Tell me what part of this story isn't accurate? 

As the Trumps Dodged Taxes, Their Tenants Paid a Price
https://nyti.ms/2QuE2Z0?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Looking at Dave's list of digital skills and education that he recommends for TV ad folks I find it hard to see anyone but entry level types undergoing such training---certainly not the pros now at work in buying and selling TV time---assuming that these repreasent the majority of "TV ad  folks". Or do they? What about the creatives who fashion ad campaigns or the CMOs and marketing or brand managers whose ad dollars are in play? Must they, too, be trained in such a technical fashion. Indeed, would they even consider submitting to such training? Also, what good is technical training when there is no companion effort to educate ourselves about advertising and marketing, to say nothing about the fine points of media planning? Basically nothing of the sort exists at most companies because the media fumction is, largely isolated and, sadly, is not considered to be the decisive one at many advertisers. Is it reasonable to take TV time buyers and sellers, plus CMOs,brand managers, media planners and creatives and make them all proficfient in digital technology disciplines without first integrating media, creative and marketing at all levels? In other words, must all car buyers be skilled mechanics too? Just thinking---or rethinking---what we are talking about here.

I would encourage people to google small business results for 2018.  Small business is literally on fire.  I'm sorry about Steven's local pizza joint, nobody appreciates a great slice more than me.  But the suggestions here fail to materialize as fact.  At least beyond the unfortunate block upon which Mr. Rosenbaum resides.  

If you haven't noticed, Media Post does not like our current president.  He has many flaws, no doubt.  But SMB's have had a great run for two years.  They've earned it, deserve it and I hope it continues.   They are critical to employment and our economy.  

Re: chatbots and automated voice systems - I now start shouting “representative”

I laughed out loud and shared with colleagues as I do the exact same thing #stillcrying

Dave, thanks for clarifying.  I think the disconnect with me is the focus on acquiring skills and technology as the priority because they're execution focused.  I see gaining knowledge of how media works as the priority.  For example, how audiences cume at different rates and amounts, what each platform's Pareto distribution of usage is,  how to interpret time spent, why using percentages is dangerous since universe numbers vary, how to account for duplication and on and on.  As Erwin Ephron once said, media folks were always the nano-technologists...the ones that get down to the nitty-gritty.  Right now at the local level, everyone "does digital" and finds ways to execute.  Very few can design a solid integrated plan that grows a client's business.  I would focus on knowledge first if someone wants to be in demand.   Thanks for hearing me out on this.