Brand Central Station

This whole “news releases are dead” meme is dizzying (and, I think, a bit ridiculous). Leave it to my buddy Mike Driehorst to write one of the best summary posts on this subject this week.

When Mike makes a point, he really makes it well.

Be sure to read Mike’s response to Amy Grahan’s comments on this post, as well. More good stuff.

File this one under “Must Read.”

UPDATE: Kami Huyse, over at the Communication Overtones blog has provided another great summary on this issue that’s definitely worth the read, as well.

Technorati Tags: Public Relations, PR, News Releases, News Releases Are Dead, Mike Driehorst

More good advertising and design from the Advertising/Design Goodness blog.

Technorati Tags: Marketing, Advertising, Creative, Art Direction, Graphic Design

The TellTail Signs blog reports that Dan Gillmor has surrendered on his latest citizen journalism project, Bayosphere. This post on the TellTail Signs blog provides a summary of the lesson learned.

My question is this (as I posted on the site):

“Is ‘citizen journalism’ an paradoxical idea? I’m starting to think that maybe social media (e.g. blogs, et al) have just lowered the barrier to entry for a number of us who already like to write and share our opinions – but the vast majority of the “public” are less interested in engaging in a conversation and more interested in reading, watching and chatting among themselves (in relative safety).”

Are we developing two tiers of consumers? Those who blog and otherwise interact online and those who don’t? And if the majority of consumers don’t or won’t participate in a broader, online discussion, how do we expect to engage them down the road?

Just a few thoughts to get you going on a Thursday morning.

Technorati Tags: Blog, Blogging, Citizen Journalism, Bayosphere, Writing, Reporting, Editing, Newspapers

Whether it’s for use on the web or not, the Copyblogger blog provides some great advice on writing persuasive copy – part of a series on effective writing (you can read the whole Copywriting 101 series by clicking here).

Good stuff.

Technorati Tags: Marketing, Advertising, Copywriting

According to that clever “How Much Is Your Blog Worth” ad on my page and my (obviously) broken Technorati counter, my blog is worth a whoppin’ $11,290.80. Of course, that’s all funny money – no one in their right mind would ever pay that for my blog. Not even my mom.

So when Communication Overtones blog author Kami Huyse posted this evaluation of her blog’s value I was intrigued. You see, Kami asked a much more relevant question: “Is this blog worth the effort I put into it?”

Kami figures that in a typical week, she puts in about twelve hours on her blog and related social media activities. For me, that may be a bit low (I count myself closer to 20 hours a week). That number times my hourly rate would mean I have approximately $12,000 invested in blogging and related activities so far this year.

On the revenues side, my total AdSense income this year-to-date equals $1.31.

Wow. At that rate, it looks like I’m caught up on content through the year 2764 (not counting for inflation). Nothing like working ahead.

I guess it’s time to justify the blogging experience in terms of “intangibles” – at least until further notice.

Technorati Tags: Blog, Blogging, AdSense, ROI, Marketing ROI, Blogging ROI

For graphic design junkies, here’s a great site featuring the latest in book cover design.

This is one to bookmark and re-visit from time to time. And, if you’re a graphic designer, you can submit your own book cover design here.

Technorati Tags: Graphic Design, Book Cover, Publishing

Paul Holmes has a series of posts about the rash of payola problems infecting the PR profession lately. But it was this blog post from Sunday that broaches the subject Richard Edelman and Scott Baradell have both brought up recently: the licensing PR firms and practitioners.

It seems to me that the cure for payola is cash. Cash from clients who will only retain PR firms and practitioners who follow the ethical guidelines set forth by the industry. But who will watch, judge and tell?

Well, that’s another problem altogether, isn’t it?

Technorati Tags: Public Relations, PR, Ethics, Payola, Licensing

What is Yahoo! thinking?

CFO Susan Decker’s recent comments that Yahoo! would be very happy “to maintain our market share” in the search engine space is bizzare, to say the least. And, of course, the blogosphere is a-buzzin’.

Micro Persuasion‘s Steve Rubel is leading the assult on the concept of concession as a business strategy. And so is Peter Davis, the SEO Speedwagon blog, Brian Oberkirch and a bunch of others.

Yahoo! is mounting a response (of sorts). But is it too little too late.

Technorati Tags: Yahoo!, Search Engine Marketing, Google, Surrender

This whole “what’s the future of PR” conversation can be a bit dizzying (then again, maybe it’s the meds). To me, a relative newcomer to the whole PR-thing, it seems like a lot of narcissistic hand-wringing.

But every now and then I find a post that does a good job of pulling a bunch of the threads together like this piece by Jeremy Peppers. Be sure to read the comments, too.

Technorati Tags: Public Relations, PR, Future of PR

Monday, the Winterberry Group issued a news release reporting the findings of their latest study (commissioned by the V12 Group) which quantifies the shift in spending from above-the-line to below-the-line marketing channels. The results are interesting as an indicator of the growing importance of marketing activities intended to generate measurable activity.

But some of the statements in the analysis show a fundamental bias that is disconcerting.

Traditional above-the-line activities like television and radio advertising, outdoor, print, etc. are generally seen as reinforcing brands and communicating general product information or inspiring emotional responses. In many marketing circles, these activities are still considered “branding” activities and are often used with terms like “warm and fuzzy” or “generic.”

Below-the-line activities, on the other hand, are often tied to various performance metrics – some meaningful and some not-so-meaningful. Unfortunately, below-the-line marketing’s heritage of sales promotion and couponing gives it a less glamorous aura than above-the-line activities. As a result, the term “branding” is rarely uttered in the same conversations concerning most below-the-line marketing projects.

And that’s wrong.

Above- and below-the-line marketing are old, out-dated terms that referred to a 1970′s view and approach to marketing. The fact is, today, there is NO line. Almost every media channel can be turned into a two-way, response/activity-generating medium. All creative work (whether it’s for an ad or a coupon) needs to build on the brand’s promise.

Keeping score of marketing spend in these terms makes little sense to me – other than justifying the services offered by companies like V12 and Winterberry.

Technorati Tags: Marketing, Advertising, Budgeting, Budget Forecasts, Above-the-line Advertising, Below-the-line Advertising, V12 Group, Winterberry Group

The Mouse is at it again. Yesterday, Walt Disney Company launched a new online subscription service based around their Playhouse Disney sub-brand. iMedia Connection‘s Jodi Harris filed this report yesteday and actually quotes a Disney official as he tips the company’s long-term, brand strategy:

“This is all part of our age-banded strategy where we are looking to follow the consumer through all their age levels and have something for them at every age.”

Reassuring, isn’t it? Disney’s corporate news release can be found here.

Technorati Tags: Marketing, Brand, Branding, Brand Loyalty, Disney, Playhouse Disney

How do you agree to include this in a news release, or even worse, let your spokesperson actually say this to the media:

“With time shifted data, there have been occurrences when demographic projections (in units) for ‘live plus same day’ are lower than for ‘live’ projections (units) … This difference can be attributed to the imputed VCR record activity which is calculated from household tuning activity that includes VCR record and household tuning that excludes VCR record. The VCR adjustment factor is applied to each building block emographic at the quarter-hour level for both programs and time periods.”

Steve Hall and the Adrants blog takes a swing at Nielson in this post and, quite frankly, they deserve it. Back when we didn’t have DVR’s, the Internet or a scad of other technological advancements that allowed for real-time, absolute tracking of audiences or advertising effectiveness, Nielson’s “best estimates” were accepted as good numbers. Entire business plans were built on their methodology and reports.

We don’t have to keep doing business that way, do we?

We count clicks off of ads on Web sites, opens on e-mails, responses off of direct mail pieces – why do we have to accept this kind of blather from Nielson as “good enough” effort? It’s not.

A big part of the problem, I suspect, is that half of the advertising and PR world is still fixated on “audience delivery” as the most important measurement when that’s not what really matters, anyway. “Absolute metrics” count the transactions that matter, not the feel good numbers used to justify jobs (ad equivalencies, GRP’s, pass-along circulation, etc.).

Technorati Tags: Marketing, Advertising, Television Advertising, DVR, TiVO, Nielson, GRP, TRP, Circulation, Pass-along, Absolute Metrics