“Channel proliferation.  Massive fragmentation.  Rapidly shifting consumption patterns.  Engagements above impressions.  This is the fast-paced media landscape of today, and there are no signs of it slowing down anytime soon.   So what does it mean for the future of the industry?  First, consider where we were.  Back in those days before the Internet (I know, it’s truly hard to imagine), with more traditional channels, media’s job was understood-- generate awareness, communicate a value proposition, and establish position in the marketplace.   Sexist office politics and risqué extracurricular behavior aside, Mad Men reminds us of that pivotal role a campaign played in …

Marketers say, “you had me at hello” when the conversation is about complexity in the marketplace. No one doubts that there is more diversity among consumers, more fragmentation in media consumption behavior, more marketing choices and more ways to buy. And, no one doubts that the pace of change is accelerating. How has the media industry responded? Publishers are busy scrambling to find business models that work. Agencies and brands divided their attention, but they didn’t conquer. On the digital side, agencies and brands make mad dashes from one popular site de jour to the next and embrace a …

We live in a digital world today of increasingly information clutter. We've moved from hundred's of branded TV channels on TV to millions of websites and it's growing at an explosive rate.  With this influx of global information, our consumption patterns are also changing and we're engaging now at a more rapid pace, from multiple web-connected devices where we snack on content in a never-ending buffet line. Everyone is a publisher now -- blogging, tweeting, commenting, sharing.  While the access to real-time information, diverse opinions and rapid commentary provides an almost endless feed of information for any …

It doesn’t have to be this hard. It’s possible, right now, to deliver massive amounts of video to highly targeted groups of consumers and track and report on every view in real time. Metrics can be meaningful, not menacing. Results can be timely and specific; value can be tangible and learning can be immediately actionable. We don’t have to settle for sample site lists, sagging completion rates, poll-based targeting, or videos running on piracy sites and in offer walls.The technology to do away with all this is already here—in fact, it’s been around for some time. The barriers …

In considering the future of media, attention must be paid to the much ballyhooed and often maligned concept of video convergence.  Finally, it seems video convergence is becoming a reality. Surprisingly though, it is being driven as much by a growing cadre of Hollywood progressives as it is by anyone in Silicon Valley. “Hollywood?” you may ask skeptically. Truly, Tinsel Town is leading the revolution. One that allows for new forms of compelling content distributed in novel ways, which will surely mark the end of an era that has existed since the dawn of cinema, ushering in a new era with video …

Long ago, when everything about the web was shiny and new, there was a sense of excitement; of mystery. Even the people who practiced the dark arts of the Internet were enigmatic. On the agency side, there were pros from the ‘print’ world trying to apply their old marketing tricks the new media, and young bucks who had grown up using Commodore 64s to explore Archie, Gopher and USENET.  And then there were clients. …

Media and technology has changed so much in five years that saying anything other than something radical seems naive.  Who would have predicted five years ago that Apple would be the most valuable company on earth and that the iPhone would have the largest share of any smart phone on the market?  Saying such a thing ten years ago would have people calling you absolutely crazy.   My firm belief is that banner advertising is the past, and so the boldest form of my prediction and one that is likely to only be partially correct is:   There will be …

A steady stream of recent data illustrates continued torrid growth of video advertising relative to TV advertising, the difficulty of reaching certain demographic segments (particularly younger demos) viaTV as they choose to consume their video content online, and the resulting importance of developing unified plans and buys for video and TV advertising.Media industry forecaster Magna Global Intelligence recently projected that digital video advertising will grow 28 percent this year, a rate six times faster than the growth of the total US advertising market.Programmatic buying of digital advertising is growing at an even faster growth rate of …

Not that long ago, the presumed foundation of any successful advertising campaign was based on the principles of reach and frequency – namely, get a message in front of as many people as you can as often as possible and your work was done. These mass media campaigns focus on bombarding consumers with brand message at all turns in order to get brand awareness and market exposure.  While reach and frequency focused campaigns may be effective for some branding efforts, the “shotgun” approach they employ is generally wasteful in terms of time, resources and money because, apart from reaching consumers …