Changing Media Eco-System Finally Paying Off For Brand Advertisers

Digital advertising; it's blessing are also it's curses. Data, reporting, accountability, these are the reasons people advertise online. ROI, CTR, Conversions. These are the performance metrics that drove brands online in the first place, yet its always hampered brand advertisers because sometimes, there is no ROI. I can't always tell you how many people saw your ad or what they did after it (yes this sounds a lot like the TV ad experience). But with the advent of in banner video, brand studies, interactive rich media units, we are getting there. Bring content to your audiences. Bring them an ad experience where they can enjoy themselves and engage with information they care about. This is happening all over the place, and brands are doing it. But more importantly, the publishing side is providing the services to do so.

What is the easiest question for a media planner to answer? "Do you want me to put your brand in a beautiful creative unit that compliments the brand image and is chalk full of cool content?" Yes, of course.

I'm thinking about this today because I was working on putting an extremely dull brand into a branded entertainment package where 5 years ago it would have no place.

Great article in AdAge on a similar topic:
http://adage.com/digitalnext/post?article_id=141569

Let's All Make Fun Of Twitter

Because I just starting twittering, tweeting, or whatever the hell the verb is, I thought it a good chance to make fun of it. Here's my two cents on Twitter:

As a brand/company/artist, this is a great way to speak directly to your brand loyalists. They've chosen to follow your brand more intimately and what a tool to speak to them directly.

As an individual, this puts narcissism into a whole new category.

Live From JFK Airport….Americans Are Rude To Foreigners?

So the title sort of gives away my whole live on the road update, but I figured I’d share a quick anecdote with you…

I’m at McDonalds in the International terminal, and this is clearly the Mecca for all foreigners across the world. Being one of the most well known worldwide brands, McDonalds clearly provides a level of comfort to someone in a foreign land, as an experience they can identify with and feel warmth towards. I lived in Romania for awhile, and I honestly identified McDonalds as a safe haven; people are comfortable with what they know. Anyway, I’m in line and like watching cattle go to slaughter, one foreigner after the next stumbles through their English to place an order, and each cashier shows nothing but contempt and an unwillingness to help these people out. You are working in the international terminal at the most popular restaurant, and you don’t have the decency to show some patience and gratitude to someone visiting our country who is clearly confused? It was honestly sad to watch these travelers get totally demoralized

Moral of the story, (I have to have something here or this is a complete waste of all our time), people identify with brands because it makes them feel something. Comfort, security, familiarity, vanity. Whatever. McDonalds is a commonality throughout the world, hence its popularity, hence its success. People everywhere can recognize the brand and the experience it provides. But a brand is only as good as the foot soldiers making the wheels turn. Like it or not, the minimum wage burger flipper represents the brand, probably more so than any big- dick executive.

Maybe no moral, but a telling social experience about the interaction of people with brands they trust. And Americans are assholes.

DONE!