Creating a Life Changing Experience
Last week I came home from the most amazing experience of my life. It all started with a commitment to fund a water well in Africa. After deciding to go there with three of my children for the dedication, I got more out of the investment than I ever expected. It’s one thing to buy […]
‘Aspirationals’ Care About Brands’ Higher Values
Experienced marketers all instinctively know that consumers are attracted to brands that embody and actualize values beyond their mere products and services. The evidence is broad and proven through the study of successful companies, but until now there was no way to measure this phenomenon. Now a gauge has come along that describes people whose […]
10 Trends After TV
This week’s cover of Advertising Age declared the end of TV. OK, we all get it. Digital streaming video will steal all of the eyes and advertising dollars from broadcast TV over time. But, what’s changed? Won’t we still watch all our favorite shows on our TVs – just without the costly TV subscription service? In fact, EVERYTHING will change. Just consider the advertising agencies, […]
Xbox Studios
Well, it was just a matter of time. Now, Xbox has joined the game for original content with Xbox Studios. Like water always runs down hill, the drive of distribution is always toward building content. Microsoft stands the most to gain by leading this charge toward entertainment. They already lead the device category. If you […]
The line between advertising and entertainment is officially blurred
This week Amazon announced the launch of the Fire TV. It’s the box that will deliver Amazon Prime and Amazon Studio content to your living room, as well as Netflix, Hulu among others. This completes the ecosystem for the next movie studio of the future. The launch event in Manhattan highlighted Amazon Studios’ original shows, […]
Give Your Way to The Top
Advertising is an exchange. Let’s not fool ourselves. People don’t line up to hear about products and services. People line up to get something of value. In advertising, we offer what they want most. We give them entertainment, aesthetics or a gift in exchange for their attention or consideration. The best ads give the audience […]
Sappy Super Bowl Ads
Although this year’s game was a blowout, the Super Bowl was a big win for advertisers. The average $4-million tab purchased a record viewing audience for any television event in U.S. history. As a regional advertiser, I was just glad we placed our clients (including Hungry Howie’s Pizza and Henry Ford Health System) in the […]
10 Things Every CEO Expects from a CMO (Part B)
I work with a lot of CEOs and CMOs, and I’ve learned a lot from my clients over the years. I have also had both responsibilities within my own business. So, starting last week, I am posting a list of ten expectations that might not be on your job description, but might better equip you […]
10 Things Every CEO Expects from a CMO (Part A)
CEOs CAN BE A REAL PAIN… I apologize on behalf of all of us who have driven you mad. As a CEO of an advertising agency, I understand that it’s hard to meet our expectations. We want increased ROI on decreased budgets. We want to build the future while increasing what we did in the […]
Can Your Company Afford Not to Give to Your Community?
CEOs CAN BE A REAL PAIN… I apologize on behalf of all of us who have driven you mad. As a CEO of an advertising agency, I understand that it’s hard to meet our expectations. We want increased ROI on decreased budgets. We want to build the future while increasing what we did in the […]