Today's column is about spyware, and today, I'm naming names.

Is the future of marketing control of content? Do the internet, DVRs, and the abundance of content choices really leave us in a state of more control than media consumers once were? I would argue no.

According to a 2003 study from Arbitron, the American movie audience is very receptive to in-theatre advertising. This audience is young, affluent and largely un-tapped by American advertising. This audience would appear to overlap nicely with the most active, valuable portion of the Internet audience, making it seem like a missed opportunity for advertisers in today's cluttered, A.A.D.D. market.

No, this isn't a column about magic mushrooms. Rather, it's a column about the influence of former Howard Dean Campaign Manager, Joe Trippi, on the political sphere's view of online marketing.

The fact that Latin America's low-income consumers represent an annual purchasing power of $120M (USD) may seem like a shock to some of you. Not only is it true, but it's also an attractive opportunity for advertisers and brand marketers to pay close attention to.

Sometimes, I encounter Web businesses that are so fun and imaginative that they almost seem like they HAVE to have been started online. Giantmicrobes, Inc., is one of those businesses. I wish all Internet-based viruses were like these guys.

I've long advocated a move to buying and selling something more determinate and tangible than a bag full of magic beans... uh, I mean, impressions. The reason for this is that though the impression continues to serve as the 'atom' of the material advertising universe, it is not, ultimately, what marketers and their media should be concerned with.

All the recent backlash against spam has caused a serious downturn in my recommendation of email as a useful marketing tool for our clients, and I'm sure that many other agencies are feeling the same way. "Opt-in email" has become almost a dirty word.

David Cohen's guest Spin on Friday made some valid points, but I think a merger of the online and traditional media editions of Media Magazine doesn't make sense. At least it doesn't right now.

Anti-US Foreign Policy and anti-American sentiments have grown since 9/11. What have brands done about it? Some have been as bold as ever. Others have scaled back, and several are just plain confused. I am happy to say that branding isn't politics... necessarily. There have been several recent studies on the most successful global brands. According to Business Week magazine, consumers in other countries tend to separate political beliefs from brand favorability.