There's a heated debate going on between 4A's President Nancy Hill and Association of National Advertisers' Bob Liodice. Hill penned a piece for "The Wall Street Journal" column CMO Today on why ad agencies are starved for talent in which she argued that agency pay is much lower -- particularly for entry-level positions -- because clients don't pay enough. Liodice shot back, claiming it's the inefficient agency business model that's causing the problem.

Hmm. It seems BuzzFeed's decision to up the level of their editorial from idiotic listicles to content with actual merit was well timed. At least as it applies to Australia, where the country's IAB and Media Federation have formed a new group to determine what, exactly, shall be deemed "premium content." Heading up the new group is GroupM Chief Investment and Intelligence Officer Danny Bass --who, in a not so subtle jab at BuzzFeed-esque native advertising, said: "There is also the question of what can we as an industry do to protect journalism. That's the thing I really want us …

Yo, creatives. And account people. And media people. And, yeah, agency founders. You're just not that important to the ongoing well being of your agency. A new study from University of Texas Assistant Professor Sekou Bermiss made an interesting discovery. It's the Joan Hollands of the ad world that keep things afloat. Speaking to Harvard Business Review, Bermiss explains: "We separated the executives into two groups -- internally facing people in charge of things like production, HR, and finance, and externally facing people like account executives and creative directors. Then we measured the effect of their departures on firm survival. …

Will Miller Lite bring back "Tastes Great...Less Filling"? If the fact that the brewer is having an agency review and if we can read between the lines of what MillerCoors CMO Andy England said -- "I think the original retro can and our learnings about why that has resonated so well have clearly informed our strategy" -- then yeah, maybe they will. After having parted ways with FCB in 2012 to begin working with Saatchi & Saatchi New York and then in April, working with some WPP shops, the brand is holding a formal review and has invited Leo Burnett, …

So the LA Clippers hired Boston-based agency search firm Pile & Company to find the organization a new ad agency in the wake of the Donald Sterling scandal and a $2 billion bid for the team from former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. It's quite clear that the organization needs some help, but one LA industry source has a big problem with the Clippers looking outside LA for help. Our source tells us: "As a big L.A. basketball fan, I find this whole thing fascinatingly moronic! From a business perspective, you have consultants in Los Angeles who know this market intimately …

Looks like Wednesday night was the time to be an intern in the advertising and media business. Horizon Media hosted the industry's first intern reception at its New York headquarters. The Media and Advertising Intern Reception was created in partnership with MyersBizNet, a community of more than 200 corporate members. The event gathered more than 300 summer interns from across various media agencies, creative agencies, television networks, media sales and other ad industry workplaces. Of the event, Horizon Media Chief Talent Officer (didn't these people just used to be called HR Directors?) Eileen Benwitt said: "Every summer, carefully selected future …

This you may recall. Five years ago, Burger King ran an ad in Singapore which has since become known as the "blowjob ad." The ad included an image of a woman with her mouth open across from an image of the BK Super Seven Incher. It appears she is about to give the seven incher a...well, we don't really have to say, especially when the large headline read, "It'll Blow Your Mind Away." This week, the woman in the ad -- who claims she just found out about her image being used (without her permission) in the ad last year …

You have to see this! Once again, HBO's John Oliver has gone on a rant. This time he takes on native advertising. In this well-researched, well-cited 12-minute video, Oliver examines the integrity of news and its infiltration by native advertising. He takes on Buzzfeed and Jonah Peretti, whose face he describes as "successful, appealing and yet, somehow, you want to punch it." He also cites the IAB study, which found that less than half of people exposed to native advertising realized the material was advertising. And he skewers Time's CEO for referring to the editorial separation of church and state …

Is using the word "groovy" actually groovy? As in cool? As in not lame and anachronistic? Well, according to Lauren Rivers, president of Chapel Hill ad agency Rivers Agency, the word is perfectly, well, groovy. In fact, it's groovy enough to use to describe her agency's new office space, the ground floor of a condo complex in the area. While there may, in fact, be some bit of groovy to that, I think the agency's previous home -- a 10-bedroom sorority house -- deserves the descriptor "groovy" far more than a condo complex. Whether or not you like the word …

Wyoming-based Taco John's loved its agency contact so much, it hired her away and gave her the title of CMO. After five years as VP of insights and media at Sioux Falls-based Lawrence & Schiller, Billie Jo Waara has joined the Mexican-themed fast food restaurant to focus on growing the chain's awareness in the area. Of the hire, Taco John's CEO Jeff Linville said: "I hired Billie Jo because of her proven results and impressive experience growing sales and transactions. I believe she will play a lead role in helping us achieve both our short and long-term growth goals here …