C, F, C, G. To some readers, these may seem like four disconnected consonants in search of a few good vowels. But to those trained to read music, they are actually notes in a scale -- C major, to be precise -- which, when played with the right tempo, will produce a sound so recognizable it has come to represent one of the world's most powerful brands. Need a hint? Think of the "Intel Inside" chimes. Humming along now?

When we re-launched MEDIA nearly a year ago, we made a secret promise to our readers that we would strive to define the concept of media in a broader and more liberal way than industry publications historically have. Yes, we write about the Big 6 -- TV, newspapers, magazines, radio, the Internet, and out-of-home -- but hopefully not in the conventional sense. At least not too often. There are plenty of places for that, and more and more by the online minute. You don't need another magazine for that. And certainly not a monthly. When we write …

In the past quarter, on-demand content finally cemented itself as a meaningful part of the media economy. The torrent of news regarding the availability of significant quantities of legal, grade-A, on-demand content for consumers was nothing short of stunning, given the preceding years of delays. In short, the dam finally burst.

Given the amount of discussion in the trade press and at conferences, it would seem that the whole marketing world has bought into the idea of accountability for measurable return on investment. But surprisingly, the sponsorship and events segment remains one area of marketing that hasn't embraced the cause.

Do you hear that sound, echoing from somewhere out in the ether of the media world? It's author Malcolm Gladwell letting out a great big "Ugh!" Why do I suppose Mr. Gladwell is giving a bemused sigh? Because the best-selling author of The Tipping Point and Blink seems to understand the challenge I face, along with my colleagues in other agencies, as we begin the process of creating dashboards for our clients.

We usually dedicate this column to the topic of aperture moments -- those times and places when consumers are open to receiving a message. Aperture planning (a.k.a. communication planning or relevancy planning) is what we and other leading-edge media agencies are practicing. This month we look at the "dark side" of aperture planning: commercial avoidance.

Dear Santa Claus: Thank you so much for all my gifts this year. I promise to keep my computer clean of cookies. I haven't seen or thought of a pop-up ad since Christmas, when you gave me such easy tools to use on my new Mac.

Change delivers two equally challenging realities: uncertainty and opportunity. For today's agency, publishing, and marketing professionals, the pace of change in the media marketplace is astounding. How the uncertainty and opportunity are managed will impact all of our businesses in the future.