Category Archives: General

Facebook Leads Display Market, but Not for Long

According to a report published by eMarketer (February 23, 2012), Facebook “eked out a win over Google in 2011, with 14% of total US online display ad revenues, compared to Google’s 13.8%. But by 2013, Google’s share of the display ad market will shoot ahead to nearly 20%; Facebook’s share will likewise continue to rise,Continue reading “Facebook Leads Display Market, but Not for Long”

Laughter’s the Best Medicine

So a dyslexic man walks into a bra. Everyone loves a good joke, right? Humor has been used to varying degrees of success in the ad business. But highlighting the campaigns that have used it successfully – and those that haven’t – is not the purpose of this post (but might very well be inContinue reading “Laughter’s the Best Medicine”

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Have you ever heard of the online video series, Foundation? If you haven’t, it’s an interview series moderated by Kevin Rose, “angel investor and serial entrepreneur” who is probably most known for founding Digg. Kevin is a fascinating guy who interviews fascinating people – primarily other successful entrepreneurs who have made a name for themselvesContinue reading “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words”

Context Matters, Just a Bit Differently Than You Might Have Thought

Interesting findings from a Bravo/Neuro-Insight study that finds the theme of an ad matters more than the product it’s selling. “Marketers get better retention if the category doesn’t match, and the theme does. The study calls these ads “neo-contextual,” and their advantages are considerable. The former will get a 15 percent advantage over an adContinue reading “Context Matters, Just a Bit Differently Than You Might Have Thought”

Online Upfront. Really?

I certainly understand why they’re doing it but I can’t help but grin. For years, many of us have scratched our heads as big media agencies get together with big media companies to trade in TV inventory that continues to rise in price as the audience goes elsewhere (i.e., digital.) It simply doesn’t make anyContinue reading “Online Upfront. Really?”

Old habits…

The New York Times published a really interesting piece yesterday, the overall theme of which was habits, how we form them and how difficult they are once formed to break. Nothing earth-shattering there – anyone who has vowed to get in shape after the new year gets this. But it is a really good reminderContinue reading “Old habits…”

Mark of the Spider-Man Lets Fans Walk a Mile in Parker’s Shoes

Having worked at the agency (McKinney) that created Audi’s Art of the H3ist alternate reality game, I have always had a particular fascination with the genre. There is so much talk these days about engaging consumers in deep interactive experiences but few campaigns can actually deliver on that like a well-executed, entertaining ARG. I planContinue reading “Mark of the Spider-Man Lets Fans Walk a Mile in Parker’s Shoes”

The appeal of TV’s broad reach is irresistible…to some maybe.

I saw two articles yesterday that seemed to be in direct contrast to each other. The first, posted yesterday on CNNMoney (originally published coincidentally in Fortune Magazine) discussed Nike’s aggressive move into the digital space. “Gone is the reliance on top-down campaigns celebrating a single hit — whether a star like Tiger Woods, a signatureContinue reading “The appeal of TV’s broad reach is irresistible…to some maybe.”

Burt’s Bees Launches Gud, Aimed At Gen Y

This is a really interesting move by Burt’s Bees to expand the franchise to a younger consumer who is probably more concerned with how it makes her feel and smell than she is with the product’s all-natural, earth-friendly ingredients. Moves like this always carry some risk but I’d be surprised if there’s any real backlashContinue reading “Burt’s Bees Launches Gud, Aimed At Gen Y”