Mitch Joel's Blog: Six Pixels of Separation, page 312

September 6, 2012

Fighting Cancer... Again

It has been a crazy year of cancer.



Maybe I am getting older or maybe cancer is just getting more intense, but I can't remember another time in my life when so many people that I know have come down with so many different forms of cancer. I'm lucky, all of these people are dealing with it and cancer has not gotten the best of them.



A deeply, personal story...



It was beautiful and perfect sunny day on August 25th, 2010. I was flying from Montreal to Toronto for a business pitch (ironically, it was the Canadian Cancer Society). I was happy with life - family, business and community were all going along great. I remember looking out of the plane window into the clear blue horizon and thinking, "life is good. I am very lucky." I was looking forward to landing because I was about to call my best friend to let him know that my family was expecting a new baby. I've known this person for my whole life. I can't remember them not being a part of my life or a friend. He was the first call outside of my immediate family with the good news. He always is. When the flight landed, I received a phone call from him. I was smiling to myself thinking, "this is perfect! He's calling me!"



That's when my world collapsed.



He told me that his beautiful, young daughter, Leah (who was five years old), had cancer... leukemia. How could that be? A few weeks prior she was at my kid's Birthday party, laughing, playing... perfect. Now... Leukemia? It was - without a question - the hardest moment of my life... trying to understand and take in what my best friend was telling me about his daughter... who I would treat as my own daughter in terms of love and care.



It makes no sense.



The stress, tears and worry since that day has been non-stop, persistent and draining. Leah's courage throughout this nightmare is what pulled everyone through - family and friends. If there were ever a definition for "survivor" it is Leah. After a lengthy and hard battle, she is - thankfully - in remission and back home where she belongs: with her family and friends. Two years ago, she was diagnosed and a year after that, she was in remission (and remains there).



She's lucky, but many, many kids are not this lucky.



Now, it's our turn to make a difference. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada's Light The Night Walk is a night to pay tribute and bring hope to all those affected by blood cancer. On October 13th, I will be joining thousands of people walking in twilight carrying illuminated balloons to fight this dreaded disease for the second year in a row. I'm doing this as a part of Leah's team. I'll be walking with Leah and her family. Leah didn't deserve cancer of the blood... nobody does.



I'm asking you to do something for me.



This will be my tenth year of blogging. I do my best to put out six blog posts and one audio podcast every week (yes, I have some catch-up to do this week). This makes it over three thousand entries over the years. In all of that time, I have only asked for something twice: The first time, it was to help spread the word about my business book, Six Pixels of Separation (for which everyone responded in a humbling and kind way). The second, was over a year ago in conjunction with the launch of the End Malaria book (of which I was one of over sixty contributors) as a part of Seth Godin's The Domino Project (the book did great! It hit #2 on Amazon and raised tons of money to buy mosquito nets for those in need). This will be the third time. In a perfect world, I'd prefer to not ask for help (those who know me, personally, can attest that I struggle with asking for help). In all instances, I try to make the ask something that has more value to the person actually taking action. Meaning, I prefer when the value of the ask is balanced not towards the person asking, but to those who participate. I'm confident that on all three occasions, this has been the outcome. This isn't about me raising money. It's about our kids and the randomness and cruelty that is leukemia and because none of us are safe. Leah got leukemia with no family history of the problem. Nothing. Now, Leah (who is in remission) will have to deal with this for the rest of her life.



Please help.



I set a goal of $2000 to raise from friends and family. The truth is that I would love to crack the $10,000 mark. I do realize that times are tough and many of us are watching our wallets just a little bit closer than we usually have, but please consider giving something. You know the saying, "every dollar counts." If over the years, any of my content has struck a chord with you, made you smile, made you see your business world in a different way, I hope that you will consider this ask as the "tip jar" for my thoughts. Please help me. Please sponsor my walk. Please give generously. Please.



If you can find it in your heart to give, please do so right here: Light The Night Walk.



A little something in return.



As a "thank you," here's what I am offering:




Whoever gives the most money gets me for a one-hour get-together. It can be via video Skype, phone or in-person (meaning, if you're in Montreal or if I happen to be travelling to wherever it is that you live). It will be a social meeting, but you can feel free to ask me anything. Lunch is on me. I'll also include a signed copy of Six Pixels of Separation and when the next book, CTRL ALT DEL, comes out (May 2013), you will be one of the first to get a signed edition.

Whoever comes in next gets two signed copies of my first book, Six Pixels of Separation, and two signed copies of the next one, CTRL ALT DEL, when it comes out.

Whoever comes in third gets one signed copy of both Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT DEL.


Please help out. Please help me spread the good word. Thank you.





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Published on September 06, 2012 17:34

September 3, 2012

The Resurrection Of Podcasting

Does anyone listen to podcasts anymore? Does anyone even care?



This past week, I published episode #321 of my weekly audio podcast (Six Pixels of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast). Each week I have a conversation with someone interesting in the media, marketing, advertising, business book or personal development space. I've been at it since 2006, and I have no idea if anyone listens or cares about it. iTunes will tell me that it's popular (it ranks high on their Management and Marketing chart), but I don't look at my analytics. I consider the podcast my guilty pleasure. It's a chance to corner someone I like, respect and/or am interested in and ask them anything and everything that I am curious about. Beyond that, it's a bit of a lab for me as well - a place to experiment with audio content and create the kind of audio you can't typically hear on the radio. The social media by-product is that I freely publish the conversation (unedited) for all to hear, share, comment and connect with.



Podcasting was supposed to be "the next big thing."



Podcasting (both audio and video) came hot on the heels of blogging. It seemed like podcasting could do to radio what blogging was doing to print (namely, creating an entirely new genre with an even more impressive roster of new thinkers). It hasn't happened. Some will blame the fact that it's called "podcasting," while others will claim that it's still not intuitive or easy to find and download the content. Everyone will agree that it hasn't exploded in popularity like blogging has, and that it's even harder to figure out where the money is when it comes to podcasting.



That could all change.



I have no data to back up this thought. There are no statistics to quantify my thinking, but it feels like podcasting is about to turn a corner. There are a handful of podcasts that are acting as a key leading indicator that consumers have an appetite for longer, in-depth and content rich audio programming. In short, everything that you thought the Internet wasn't about in a world of 140 character tweets, Facebook status updates and YouTube viral video sensations. These deep and rich treasure troves of content are also gaining mainstream attention, and it all seems to be drawing more and more energy towards podcasting: a medium that many have already written off.



Five podcasts that could resurrect the medium (in alphabetical order): 




Foundation with Kevin Rose. He co-founded Digg, Pownce, Revision3 and sold his latest start-up, Milk, to Google where he is currently working on their venture fund. This video podcast features Rose in conversation with other start-up founders and soon-to-be icons of Silicon Valley. The conversations are all personal and profoundly powerful as the show provides a live commentary on how business - as we have known it - is changing. This podcast is documenting the fast rate of change.

Here's The Thing with Alec Baldwin. Did you know that award-winning actor, Alec Baldwin, had a podcast? I didn't. Music pundit, Bob Lefsetz, turned me on to this audio podcast. A new episode comes out every two weeks, and if his episodes with Billy Joel and David Letterman are any indicator of success, this podcast is going to become massively popular. Turns out that Mr. Baldwin doesn't have to just stick to his day job. He's a great podcast host.

Nerdist Podcast with Chris Hardwick . With over 1.6 million followers on Twitter, Chris Hardwick is riding the wave of Geek Culture. Along with being an actor and stand-up comic, Hardwick's eclectic podcast brings interviews and conversations with everyone from Ozzy Osbourne to Tina Fey. It's a great show that also features some of his friends, improv madness and more. It's a beacon for creative ways to use audio. And yes, this is the kind of stuff you will never hear on radio.

Pursuit of Spark with Julie Burstein . I became a major fan of Julie Burstein after reading her book, Spark - How Creativity Works (which she co-wrote with Kurt Anderson and was based on her award-winning radio show, Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen for Public Radio International). You can imagine how amazing it is for someone with that kind of depth in radio to make the move over to podcasting, and Burstein does not disappoint. With this podcast, the discussion is with people from all walks of life who are pursuing their ideas with creativity, and are willing to discuss the challenges and passion of living a life fulfilled.

WTF with Marc Maron . Where did Marc Maron come from? How is it that almost every name in comedy is ready to line-up and be a part of his podcast? If you dig a little bit, you'll uncover a rich career of stand-up comedy and acting, but these deep dives into the lives of comedians (and now entertainers and musicians) is one of the best regular pieces of audio content you will find anywhere (podcasts ad beyond). Maron makes each show deeply personal and you feel like you are, literally, sitting there on the couch right next to him as some of the world's funniest entertainers talk serious about their craft.


It's getting better every day.



Are more people listening? Maybe not. But, with content this strong (and more and more people entering the fray with niche content), perhaps we're about to see the first time - in the history of the Internet - where "build it and they will come" becomes a truism rather than a cautionary tale.



Do you listen to podcasts? Which podcasts have captivated your attention? 



The above posting is my twice-monthly column for The Huffington Post called, Media Hacker. I cross-post it here with all the links and tags for your reading pleasure, but you can check out the original version online here:




The Huffington Post - Is Podcasting Poised For a Comeback?




Tags:

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alec baldwin

audio content

audio podcast

audio programming

billy joel

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creativity

david letterman

digg

entertainment

facebook

foundation

geek culture

google

google ventures

heres the thing

improv

itunes

julie burstein

kevin rose

kurt anderson

management and marketing podcast

marc maron

marketing

media

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mile

nerdist podcast

niche content

ozzy osbourne

personal development

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pownce

public radio international

publishing

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radio

revision3

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social media

spark

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startup

studio 360

the huffington post

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Published on September 03, 2012 11:16

September 2, 2012

Marketing's Identity Crisis

Episode #321 of Six Pixels of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to.



Welcome to episode #321 of Six Pixels Of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast. This is also episode #23.20 of Across The Sound. Joseph Jaffe is widely regarded as one of the top Marketing Bloggers (Jaffe Juice) and Podcasters (both Jaffe Juice in audio and Jaffe Juice TV in video). He is the author of three excellent books (Life After The 30-Second Spot, Join The Conversation and Flip The Funnel) and his latest business venture is, Evol8tion. A long-time friend (and one of the main inspirations behind the Six Pixels of Separation Blog and Podcast), we've decided to hold semi-monthly conversations, debates and back-and-forths that will dive a little deeper into the Digital Marketing and Social Media landscape. This is our 23rd conversation (or, as I like to affectionately call it, Across The Sound 23.20). In this episode, we discuss the changing landscape of marketing, how we use definitions and the struggle of advertising to find a home in the new media landscape. Enjoy the conversation...



You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via iTunes): Six Pixels of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast #321.





Tags:

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jaffe juice tv

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Published on September 02, 2012 06:02

August 31, 2012

Six Links Worthy Of Your Attention #115

Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?



My friends: Alistair Croll (BitCurrent, Year One Labs, GigaOM, Human 2.0, the author of Complete Web Monitoring and Managing Bandwidth: Deploying QOS in Enterprise Networks), Hugh McGuire (The Book Oven, LibriVox, iambik, PressBooks, Media Hacks) and I decided that every week or so the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person "must see".



Check out these six links that we're recommending to one another:




Savile Row . "In London, there's a row of shops that make the finest suits in the world. Saville Row clothed the aristocracy of an empire on whom the sun never set, and this documentary -- which I started watching, but still need to get through -- talks about how bespoke tailoring is changing in the modern world." (Alistair for Hugh).

How Hollywood Is Encouraging Online Piracy - Scientific American . "Tech author David Pogue weighs in a fairly mainstream publication -- Scientific American -- on the death of the DVD. The article makes the usual points about Hollywood's inability to embrace online licensing, delaying -- or simply not releasing -- a swath of the most popular titles. But as with many articles these days, the comments raise the most interesting (albeit not convincing) arguments: much of our frustration with Hollywood's behavior is because we have an upper-middle-class, North American bias to a global problem; the DVD extras don't help; you can't bequeath a license to your offspring." (Alistair for Mitch).

Voice of the New Global Elite - The National Interest . "As old media giants wither (that is:... whither Time , Newsweek , U.S. News & World Report [what?]), The Economist has quietly grown to become perhaps the most influential media entity of our time. How? Why?" (Hugh for Alistair).

Our New Shrines - Contents Magazine . "Here's the typical progress for anyone starting a new content business these days: build a website, drive traffic, build a community. Craig Mod thinks that might be backwards. First, use existing infrastructure custom-built for community: Facebook. Get a gazillion followers who actually care about what you are doing. Then consider building a website. Go from there. Facebook's shares have taken a beating since the big IPO, largely because their advertising business hasn't been as great as some thought it might be. But, what if Facebook's long game is transactional? The best marketing is unmarketing: someone you trust tells you that something is great, and so you buy it. Facebook is the kind of place where people spend a hell of a lot of time telling each other what they think is great... how far are we from having a 'buy' button next to each of those votes of confidence?" (Hugh for Mitch).

Why Twitter Will Live And Facebook Will Die - Forbes . "You would think a title like that would be relegated for a blogger with a knack for writing linkbait, but... you would be wrong. Yes, this is what Forbes is pumping out these days. The crux of Forbes' thinking: 'You might not know it yet or use it as such, but Twitter is the modern day version of the newspaper. And it will sustain.' Facebook? Just a parlor trick like MySpace ? Hardly. People are too quick to write off Facebook. It is still early days (yes, even with one billion connected people on it). Is Facebook panacea? No. Will it struggle to maintain relevance and find substantive revenue? Yes. It's going to be an interesting few years, but it's still way too early to write either of them off. Still, an interesting read and perspective." (Mitch for Alistair).

Brand writer is a brand not a writer - The Globe And Mail . "The truth takes time. Is it at all surprising that authors and publishers are paying people to post positive book reviews? That was the news that had the publishing industry all freaking out this week. The original piece appeared in The New York Times (here: The Best Book Reviews Money Can Buy ), and this op ed piece asks some tough questions, including: is this a big deal? Does anybody really care? Bigger than that: why must the writer be the marketer too? It's a fair point (and I can appreciate both sides), but it's a little unrealistic. Is a musician's sole purpose to record music or are they responsible for selling the art as well? It seems like we can't separate the creation from the marketing and selling of it anymore, can we?" (Mitch for Hugh).


Now it's your turn: in the comment section below pick one thing that you saw this week that inspired you and share it.







Tags:

alistair croll

bitcurrent

complete web monitoring

contents magazine

craig mod

david pogue

facebook

forbes

gigaom

hugh mcguire

human 20

iambik

librivox

link exchange

linkbait

managing bandwidth

media hacks

myspace

newsweek

pressbooks

savile row

scientific american

story

the book oven

the economist

the globe and mail

the national interest

the new york times

time

twitter

unmarketing

us news and world report

year one labs

youtube



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Published on August 31, 2012 18:09

The Problem With Time Spent

How long do people engage with your media and content?



This is the question that publishers must answer to media companies. Why? The longer people spend with a media property, the better it is for the brand, right? Not always. Long before Google existed, I worked for a search engine selling Internet advertising. We got asked the "time spent" question all of the time, and our results were pitiful. People were spending no amount of time on our site. We were sunk.



Not so.



The Internet is not a traditional media channel (no new news here). In fact, we had such a strong search engine algorithm, that our users were finding the right results faster (remember, this was pre-Google days). Our search worked better than other search engines (at the time), and the reward for this was getting people in and out as quickly as possible. Funny enough, not much has changed. Google's search is all about speed and accuracy.



Comparing apples to apples.



Yesterday, I was asked by a media outlet to comment on this this infographic: The Power of Facebook Advertising (if you read French, you can find it here: Facebook en quête de nouveaux revenus). The first section of this infographic tells the tale. The average person spends 6:35 hours per month on Facebook, but they spend 3:20 hours on Google. In this scenario, it makes Facebook look like a much more superior advertising, doesn't it? But it doesn't tell the tale. Are you the same person on Facebook as you are on Google? Do you have the same intent? On Google, you're doing fast searches and looking for answers. On Facebook, you're connecting to friends and socializing. Yes, that's a generalization but I'm sure if someone had the hardcore data, it would tell a similar tale.



What this means.



Sometimes, the more time you spend, the worse the user experience is. Sometimes the more time you spend in a media channel, the less open you are to advertising. We have to be extremely vigilant in these times when making our media planning and purchasing decisions. This is a new world, where advertising is not generic (and, if you're not up-to-speed on the concept of "native ads" please read this: Investors, startups: Here's what you need to know about native ads). Trying to pump up your media metrics by saying that consumers spend more time on your property when compared to a property that is driven by results and speed may look good to a traditional advertising professional, but it's not a universal truism. Don't cry for Facebook, they're doing just great when it comes to advertising (read this: Reduced Estimate for Facebook Revenues, but don't be fooled by the provocative title. Revenues for Facebook will reach $4.23 billion this year, which is a 34.1% increase over 2011).



This is not about Google vs. Facebook vs. Yahoo vs. Microsoft.



Yes, these brands may be fighting for the same advertising dollar, but make no mistake about it, each media channel offers a very different kind of advertising to a very different type of user. This is another reason why we're going to start seeing demographics and psychographics take their place next to media intent: what the consumer's needs are when they're engrossed in a specific media platform. For my dollar, I would argue that the Mitch Joel on Twitter is nothing like the Mitch Joel on Facebook who is nothing like the Mitch Joel on YouTube.



So, start putting on your thinking caps... what will become some of the better metrics we can use to make better comparisons?





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Published on August 31, 2012 10:31

August 30, 2012

12 Great Business Books Coming Your Way

Looking forward to reading about what's next?



It turns out that there are a slew of new business books heading our way. In scanning through the Amazon Kindle store, I just spent a small fortune ordering some new books from some of my favorite thinkers. Here's a list (in alphabetical order).



I'll wait, go get your credit cards...




Amazing Things Will Happen by C.C. Chapman. My good friend, C.C. Chapman (who co-authored Content Rules with Ann Handley) is back with his first solo effort. Is success and happiness something attainable? C.C. thinks so, and he's going to map it out in this book> It comes out in December 2012.

Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. The man who brought us the The Black Swan and Fooled By Randomness is back with a book about how some things actually benefit from disorder. Sounds like chaos is good. This one comes out in November 2012.

Can't Buy Me Like by Bob Garfield and Doug Levy. Doug is a friend of mine (he's the founder of imc2 - now called MEplusYOU), and when he told me that he is co-authoring a book with famed ad critic, Bob Garfield, my jaw dropped to the floor. I'm a huge Garfield fan (check out The Chaos Scenario) and this is sure to be a great read. Authenticity in marketing? Yes, these two are tackling it head-on. This book is coming out in March 2013.

The Commitment Engine by John Jantsch. The man behind Duct Tape Marketing is back with his latest book. It's a gem. In this day and age, if you can't get a commitment from customers, what will the future hold? John has some amazing perspective. So, if you like Duct Tape Marketing and The Referral Engine, this one will be right up your alley. This book comes out in October 2012.

 The Fate of Power and the Future of Dignity by Jaron Lanier. One of the original thinkers around virtual reality, Lanier caused a stir with his last book, You Are Not A Gadget. This one sounds just as meaty. This book is coming out in March 2013.

Future Perfect by Steven Johnson. The latest from the mind that brought us Where Good Ideas Come From, The Invention of Air, Everything Bad Is Good For You and more. In two words: can't wait! Can the political system change and adapt not because of technology but as a by-product of the change? Johnson thinks so. This book comes out in September 2012.

The Icarus Deception by Seth Godin . I devour everything Seth puts out. This book is already a massive hit based on his Kickstarter project (check it out here: Kickstarter - The Icarus Deception). Is your work the art that you were meant to create? That's the topic of this business book, and I can't wait to deep dive into it! This book comes out in December 2012.

The Impact Equation by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith. My two close friends (and the guys behind Trust Agents) are back from their solo book writing ventures with this one. I've had a sneak peak and, just like Trust Agent, this one is going to turn some heads and rocket to the top of the bestsellers' charts. Getting ideas to spread is one thing. Getting ideas to stick is another. This book comes out in October 2012.

The Launch Pad by Randall Stross. I've been fascinated with Y Combinator for a long while. This book is a peek behind the magic of this Silicon Valley startup incubator. This book comes out in September 2012.

Makers by Chris Anderson. Wired Magazine's main man and author of The Long Tail and Free is back with this new book about the future of manufacturing and the creation of products in a very different world. This book will be out in October 2012.

The Power of Why by Amanda Lang. Amanda is one of the smartest pundits when it comes to business think. She can (and does!) go toe-to-toe with the best of them. Where does success come from? According to Amanda's upcoming book, it's as simple as getting good at asking "why?" This book comes out in October 2012.

To Sell Is Human by Dan Pink. I had no idea that Dan had another book coming out, so this one put a massive smile on my face. Like Seth Godin, I devour everything Dan does. His previous books, Drive, A Whole New Mind and Free Agent Nation are among my personal favorites. This book comes out in December 2012.


Some gems... I know. What books are you looking forward to reading?





Tags:

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amanda lang

amazing things will happen

amazon

ann handley

antifragile

bob garfield

business book

cant buy me like

cc chapman

chris anderson

chris brogan

content rules

dan pink

doug levy

drive

duct tape marketing

everything bad is good for you

fooled by randomness

free

free agent nation

future perfect

imc2

jaron lanier

john jantsch

julien smith

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kindle

makers

meplusyou

nassim nicholas taleb

randall stross

seth godin

steven johnson

the black swan

the chaos scenario

the commitement engine

the fate of power and the future of dignity

the icarus deception

the impact equation

the invention of air

the launch pad

the long tail

the power of why

the referral engine

to sell is human

trust agents

where good ideas come from

wired magazine

y combinator

you are not a gadget



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Published on August 30, 2012 18:00

The Misery Of Monetization

Do you know which brands struggle with monetization?



It's not a trick question and the answer is pretty obvious: any brand that was created without thinking about how or why people would either pay for it or truly engage with an advertising supported model. Kickstarter was built to make money. So was Square. Twitter wasn't. Neither was Facebook. You could argue that while Google wasn't created that way, they are one of the few brands that was able to turn it around in a spectacular fashion (thank you, Google AdWords). Look at what YouTube is doing to try and figure out if people like ads before watching an online video clip (TrueView is some interesting stuff).



There is no struggle with monetization.



Trying to figure out where the money is going to come from after you have launched something and people connect to it is near-impossible. I say this not to state the obvious, but because the default position - when all else fails - is to bring in the advertisers. The brands figure out what a pageview is worth (and this can be on a website or mobile device) and let the media companies go and do their bidding. Alternately, brands that have something to sell can learn - in short order - what people are willing to pay for (and how much). It's somewhat astonishing how self-regulating the Internet can be when it comes to testing price variables and more (btw, don't kid yourself into thinking that everyone pays the same price, either. Start snooping around Amazon to see how creative they can be with their pricing).



Value and the user experience.



It's all going to come to a head... and it's going to happen fairly soon. This isn't about inflating advertising dollars by bulking up user numbers (or the creation of fake accounts and users). As advertising shifts from a scarcity model to one of abundance, the brands that are struggling with a true monetization strategy are going to have to figure out how much disruption their consumers are going to accept in terms of advertising before they start heading for the unfollow button.



A personal story...



Not too long ago, I started noticing more and more pieces of "branded content" showing up in my feeds (across a few online social networks). Some were interesting, while the majority were bland. I started to unfollow and unfriend some brands to see if that would change my user experience (the ignore buttons don't always do the trick). It didn't stop. It seemed like I could not control it. "I'm fine with that," I thought to myself, "I'm not paying for these services... looking at ads is the price of admission." There's a bigger question here: do you think that consumers are as forgiving as a professional marketer?



Making money.



There are too many articles and blog posts that have come out in the past few days that are debating the future of platforms that are struggling with monetization (look no further than this one: Twitter to Target Ads Based on Interests). Do we really think that it's about how targeted the ads are (or about how big they are)? I'm willing to bet that marketing efficacy would be based less on those areas of concerns and much more on what the user experience is, and whether or not the marketing adds value (a compliment to it) instead of acting as an interference.



It's funny how that works, isn't it?



Stuffing advertising on top of something that people like, used to be the right strategy. But that's increasingly becoming a challenging business model to capitalize on. That's a hard nut to swallow when you're in the advertising game, but it's true. We're still running impressions based on CPM models against a media channel that is becoming highly personalized and very finicky. On top of that, adding in content (which is, ultimately, thinly veiled advertising) is only going to ruffle more feathers. The solution: build the financial business model before you launch... don't scramble to figure it out after people have a set level of user experience expectation.



Is it too late for social media? It could be if the focus remains on advertising as a last resort.





Tags:

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adwords

amazon

brand

branded content

business model

facebook

google

internet

kickstarter

media

media company

mobile device

monetization

online media

online social network

online video

pageview

professional marketing

square

targeted advertising

trueview

twitter

user experience

wall street journal

website

youtube



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Published on August 30, 2012 12:18

August 29, 2012

A Confederacy Of Patent Dunces

Things are about to get a whole lot more stupid.



There was a lot of online chatter when Google acquired Motorola for $12.5 billion. With Apple and Microsoft developing mobile devices (smartphones and tablets), it made perfect sense for Google to follow suit (and they struggled with their own iterations of Android devices). Others figured that the acquisition had much more to do with the patents that Motorola owned. This way, should Apple (or another brand) ever take a legal swing at them, Google could do the old Muhammad Ali rope-a-dope with those patents. We live in the day and age of patent trolls and lawsuits (just look at the billion-dollar-plus verdict Apple was awarded over Samsung last week). Even the most geek-aware struggle to understand the full force of litigation that is now taking place over technology-based patents.



Stealing is stealing.



Should a brand have a right to copy and use another brand's intellectual property and merely shrug their shoulders if they get called on it? Absolutely not. Then again, Robert Scoble noted in an online post: the price of admission could be worth it. Samsung will pay a billion dollars in fines, but their moves made them a prime smartphone manufacturer. It cost Microsoft $8.5 billion to buy Skype. What did that get them in relative terms? Personally, I see no issue with brands defending their IP. That being said, we're seeing more and more cases where individuals and companies have secured patents that could - in all seriousness - bring a brand to its knees.



The end of mobile marketing (before it even gets started).



My jaw hit the floor today while reading the article, Mobile patent fees a 'tax for being on the Internet', which was featured in the The Globe And Mail's law page. It turns out that if your brand sends out a text message with a Web link in it to a mobile device, you are sunk. That "technology" is a patent owned by Richard Helferich since 1997. He has several patents in and around that method of message delivery. So, guess what that means? Yup... he's suing. "Since 2008, his company, Helferich Patent Licensing, has filed 23 suits against companies ranging from Best Buy Co. Inc. to the National Basketball Association, claiming they are infringing on his intellectual property."



But wait, it gets even crazier...



The article goes on to say that his company offers these patent infringers a one-time fee of $750,000 to settle. And, guess what has happened? Yes, about one hundred companies (like Apple, Disney and McDonalds) have happily settled. The argument is that businesses have no right to use the intellectual property of Helferich who earned it, so instead of litigation, brands are paying this as a sort of "cost of doing business." The article goes on to discuss a lawsuit (which is being led by The New York Times) to put an end to this. Yes, The New York Times (and many other brands) have stolen IP from HPL if they have ever sent a text message with a link to a website in it.



Ouch!



Patents and maintaining one's intellectual property is a critical component of any democratic and capitalistic society. While patent systems were established to protect our rights and, as the article says, "views its role as vital to the growth of the U.S. economy," it's also important for all of us - as part of the democratic process - to rise up when companies are capturing patents without providing any services or producing any products. But I'm not sure (call me a flip-flopper). If you have a unique idea and you patent it, do you have to actively use the patent or should you be allowed to leave them dormant for as long as you like?



It's fascinating. It's frightening.



Did you know that if you send a text message with a text link in it that your brand could be sued? I didn't. How many other marketing processes might you be engaging in that may - in some way - be an illegal use of someone else's intellectual property? The New York Times-led lawsuit is not going to be settled any time soon (the article says that the lawsuit will go on until the middle of next year), and we're not even talking about appeals and the like. As always, you can imagine the many patent lawsuits that are still ongoing, and the ones that are just around the corner.



Over to you: is this stuff stupid, scary or something we all need to pay a lot more attention to?





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Published on August 29, 2012 16:48

August 28, 2012

The Mailbox Re-Invented And Brought To You By Amazon

"Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these courageous couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."



About 2500 years ago, Greek historian Herodotus said this during the war between the Greeks and Persians when observing the Persian postal couriers. He was impressed. Many think that an adapted turn of the phrase is the official motto of the United States Postal Service. It isn't. Yes, it remains a badge of honor that is worn by postal workers around the world, but our world has changed. Dramatically. Digital delivery of everything from our utility bills to the music we listen to and the movies that we watch has impacted the postal service and forced it to regroup, adjust and shrink in a world where our dependence on getting something through the traditional mail channel is evolving.



The end of mail. The end of packages?



Hardly. Beyond the challenge of reaching the more rural regions and having internet access shift from a luxury item into a utility and basic human right (countries like Finland and France have already done this, and in July of this year, the United Nations also ruled Internet access as a basic human right), people still need to get physical mail. While the USPS posted a net loss of $5.2 billion for its third fiscal quarter that ended in June 2012, and as Canada Post looks into new methods of delivery (something they're calling, "postal transformation"), both organizations are seeing more positive signs of revenue in the package shipping business. But with these changes towards efficiency comes consumer complaints that mail is now arriving later in the afternoon, that there are slowdowns in delivery and a general suffering of service.



Primed for disruption.



Looking to the United States and the UK, Amazon is making moves to not only disrupt this traditional business model but to disintermediate it. In the past few weeks, residents of San Francisco, Seattle, New York, Washington and London may have noticed these modern looking vending machines popping up in different locations. The Amazon Locker is a self-service pick-up station located in neighborhoods for people to be able to ship their purchases and pick them up at a more convenient time. As with everything, the Amazon Locker is backed up by over eighteen years of Amazon's developing technology and financial wherewithal to makes these kinds of investments. When your package has arrived, the customer is sent via email a unique pick-up code. Once you the code is entered at the Amazon Locker, the appropriate box door is opened. While this project is still in its nascent phase, imagine the ability for Amazon to sell access to these types of installations to other vendors and beyond.



When the new Amazon PO Box isn't enough.



The biggest challenge e-commerce continues to face is their ability to get the product to the customer as fast and efficiently as possible. Companies like Amazon and eBay are currently testing same-day delivery as a mechanism to compete with local retail. According to the Slate article, I Want It Today, "... Amazon has a new game. Now that it has agreed to collect sales taxes, the company can legally set up warehouses right inside some of the largest metropolitan areas in the nation. Why would it want to do that? Because Amazon's new goal is to get stuff to you immediately--as soon as a few hours after you hit Buy... It's hard to overstate how thoroughly this move will shake up the retail industry."



It's happening now.



We live in the "now" economy. Consumers expectations are that everything will happen in the palm of their hands and at a click of their smartphone's buttons. As the lines continue to blur between buying digital goods and physical goods, brands - and the products that they ship to physical locations - will have to meet (or exceed) these demands for everything to happen now. We may love this fast-paced speed of business or lament it, but it's real, it's happening and it is now. Now, we just need to update the old adage to, "Neither snow, nor rain, nor gloom of night, nor credit card hackers, nor in-store pickups stays these courageous digital bits and bytes from the immediate completion of their appointed rounds."



The above post is my twice-monthly column for the Montreal Gazette and Vancouver Sun newspapers called, New Business - Six Pixels of Separation . I cross-post it here with all the links and tags for your reading pleasure.





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Published on August 28, 2012 07:39

August 26, 2012

The Pioneers Of Online Advertising

Episode #320 of Six Pixels of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to.



Banner advertising took hold in 1994. By 1998, I was deeply involved in the online advertising space. If you thought selling digital marketing through to the c-suite is hard in 2012, imagine what it was like back in 1998. It's hard to believe that it was 14 years ago. While I was active in the digital marketing space prior to getting involved in online media, it was fascinating trying to sell those banner ads back in the day. I remember people like Bryan Eisenberg, Joseph Jaffe, Tom Hespos and Cory Treffiletti being active back then too. Cory is currently the SVP of Marketing at BlueKai and a weekly contributor to MediaPost. More recently, Cory published his first book, Internet Ad Pioneers: The Stories Of The Unsung People Behind The Birth And Growth Of The Internet Ad Industry (Volume 1). I was honored that he asked me to be a part of this business book, and it's a great read for those of us who remember that time like it as yesterday. I was surprised that Cory hasn't been on the podcast before, and I'm thrilled that he agreed to play along this time. Enjoy the conversation...



You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via iTunes): Six Pixels of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast #320.





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Published on August 26, 2012 11:39

Six Pixels of Separation

Mitch Joel
Insights on brands, consumers and technology. A focus on business books and non-fiction authors.
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