Marketing Hipster

Let’s file this one under “It’s About Time”. Yesterday, Yahoo! announced that CEO Terry Semel will be stepping down and will be replaced with founder Jerry Yang. This comes as no surprise as Semel has been on the hot seat for some time as Yahoo! continues to flounder with no real direction or purpose.

What I found interesting was there were a number of articles that discussed how Semel bet on content while Google focused on technology and many authors believed Semel’s bet was a failure. I disagree. I think Semel’s plan was actually the right one. Yahoo! was never going to be able to compete with Google from a technology aspect, but because of the great number of properties and partnerships Yahoo! has, they could compete from a content perspective.

Semel’s problem was not his formula, but his execution. Semel is a Hollywood veteran and I just don’t think he ever truly understood that you cannot run an Internet company the same way he ran a movie studio. As most of you know, the internet moves at much greater speeds than areas in the offline world. If you want to compete, you need a great sense of urgency and the ability to understand what users want and give it to them the first time, on-time and correctly.

I have never seen under Semel’s reign any kind of urgency from Yahoo! across all of their properties. We can look at numerous examples including the much delayed release of Panama, the slow and incredibly poor launches and integrations of Yahoo! Mail, Flickr and most recently MyBlogLog.

I still do not think it is too late for Yahoo! They still have a stable of great properties, they just need a real leader to get the company and personnel back on track again.

One last thing, Jerry Yang posted a letter on the Yahoo! blog.  I particularly liked this line, ” A Yahoo! that executes with speed, clarity and discipline.”  I guess we will see.

Technorati Tags: Yahoo!, Terry Semel, Jerry Yang, Google

This was an interesting tidbit on TechCrunch. eBay does not allow Google Checkout, Google decides to throw a “Google Checkout Freedom Party” during eBay Live in Boston. eBay in return announces that they will be pulling all US advertising off of Google. Google caves like a house of cards and cancels the party. I guess Google chose the wrong company to have a game of chicken with, huh?

Technorati Tags: eBay, Google Checkout, Google

According to the Wall Street Journal, Walt Disney‘s two networks, ABC and ESPN will be offering free Video on Demand of their top shows and sporting events on the Cox Communications Cable Network. Here’s the twist, the only way that Disney would agree to this was if Cox disabled the fast forward capability so users will have to watch the commercials.

Let me try to break this down, ABC and ESPN are going to offer shows and sporting events that have ALREADY aired and are being replayed on Cox’s video on demand, but I can’t fast forward so ABC and ESPN can charge ad rates for second, third and fourth viewings? The commercials already ran live and everyone watching the program live already watched your commercials, but now you want to try to double and triple dip on me, huh?

Hmmm. Well the good news is that I do not have Cox Cable because if I did, I would remove this channel from my favorites to ensure that I never landed on it even by accident. Oh Disney, when will you guys learn? I know you guys are stuck making the 437th version of Cinderella, but let me give you a little hint on what is going on in today’s world.

If I want to watch a show or sporting event of yours, there are numerous ways that I can do that. Can I take a second and walk you through them? Gee, thanks.

1. The most obvious, if I am around, I can watch it live which means I will watch your commercials. Not really though, as when commercials are on, I tend to be looking at my computer. Too bad.

2. If I am not around or doing something else, I can DVR it. Which means even if you are offering this on VOD, I can still fast forward through the commercials using my own DVR recording.

3. Let’s say for one reason or another, I forgot to set my DVR, if I wanted to view highlights of a sporting event, I can go to one of numerous web sites to see the best highlights of the game. That includes video sites like YouTube and the numerous sports sites even yours, ESPN.com.

4. If I missed a show on ABC, I could choose to see if it was available for download legally at iTunes or I could find it at a million p2p sites and download it illegally.

Very simply put, you cannot control your content, no matter how many things you disable. You are a content owner, but because of technology, you are no longer in control of the distribution of your content. When will marketers and content owners learn that trying to force the people who matter most to them; their customers, to do something they do not want to do, will not work. It will only force users to find others ways to get what they want, when they want it and will show just how irrelevant these networks and content owners truly are.

Technorati Tags: Wall Street Journal, Walt Disney, ABC, ESPN, Video on Demand, Cox Communications

My ex-employer Dell Computer Corporation has run into a load of problems recently. To try to rectify it, Dell launched a web site called IdeaStorm where people could make suggestions on what Dell can do to satisfy its customers. The most popular suggestion was that Dell start shipping computers with Linux an open source OS on it. A week ago, Dell announced that it had listened to the feedback and yes, they would begin shipping Dell computers with Linux on it. Hear the crowd cheer!

Fast forward a week later and hear the boos and people throwing things. Dell announced today a deal with Microsoft and Novell to promote their version of Linux. So why are people so unhappy? Well, to a Linux supporter, buying a computer with a Microsoft supported OS is like Hitler becoming the head of the United Nations. To many open source fans, Microsoft is the Anti-Christ and supporting anything that Microsoft is involved with will just never happen.

I think this is great example of listening to your customers, but not truly understanding them. Yes, Dell heard the feedback that users wanted Linux on Dell computers, but they failed to take into consideration who these people were and what they were really wanting and requesting.

Technorati Tags: Dell, IdeaStorm, Linux, Microsoft, Novell

For people located in or around the Triangle area in North Carolina, the company I work for, Capstrat, is looking to hire some great copywriters with varying degrees of experience.  If you live in the area or are considering moving here and would like to work for a great company with fabulous people, please don’t hesitate to drop me your resume at cord.silverstein AT gmail.com.  (Please insert @ instead of AT.)  If you would like to learn more about the job, I have included a description below.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  Thanks.

The Copywriter will contribute big ideas and imaginative thinking to a wide variety of projects, including collateral, print and broadcast advertising, direct mail, dynamic media and Web. Under close supervision, the Copywriter will assist Senior Copywriters as needed in researching, brainstorming, concepting, writing and proofreading. This position offers the opportunity for expanded responsibilities and client involvement. This person will be expected to work toward handling projects with minimal oversight.

The ideal candidate will be able to learn quickly, juggle different projects at once, and keep up with an accelerated pace of work. This person will be comfortable with the group creative process, working collaboratively with Designers, Senior Designers and Creative Director as well as the Client Services team. While most projects fall in the categories of marketing and advertising, familiarity with public relations and public affairs is helpful.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree; a major in advertising, communications or journalism is preferred.
• 1-5 years’ writing experience (advertising or marketing) is preferred.
• A portfolio of your best writing samples will be reviewed. Please be prepared to show a range of writing skills, including conceptual thinking as well as long-form copy.
• Attention to detail and strong time management skills.
• Excellent proofreading skills are a plus.

Recently I have been totally stumped on several fronts in regard to how the television networks program their shows. My biggest question was why do they take hot and popular shows right in the middle of the season and put them on hiatus? I always thought this seemed to be contradictory to common sense. If you have built an audience and they are coming back week in and week out to view your show, why when there is such immense competition out there, would you all of a sudden pull the show for several weeks or months?

I was reading an article tonight on CNN which answered that question for me. The article discusses how bad NBC is doing in the ratings, but toward the end of the article it said something very interesting:

“NBC notes that TV viewership in general is lower, with all of the broadcast networks down 10 percent from last year over the past three weeks, and that the network has been airing several reruns to hoard original series episodes for the May ratings sweeps.”

So, in other words, the reason NBC chose to take their hit show Heroes off the air not once, but twice for weeks at a time was to save episodes until May sweeps which based on those ratings determines what the networks can charge for their ad rates. I never understood “sweeps”. Why can a network charge a certain ad rate based on such a small period of time? Why don’t they charge based on an entire season instead of a couple of weeks? It kind of reminds me of how boxing does their weigh-ins. A boxer is weighed in the day before his fight when he has to be a certain weight. After that the boxer can go to town and weigh anything he wants for the actual fight itself. I love when I hear the announcer of a fight say something like, “he weighed in at 155 yesterday and he is 173 coming into the fight tonight.”

The networks are saying to advertisers that the Thursday night 9-10 pm time slot gets on average of 2 million viewers, but for May sweeps when we ran our best programming, we garnered 6 million viewers so that is what we are going to charge you whether it is sweeps or not.

Am I missing something? Can someone set me straight?

Technorati Tags: television networks, CNN, NBC, May sweeps

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about my disagreement to Tim O’Reilly’s Blogger Code of Conduct. I have not changed my opinion on this at all, but over the last couple of weeks I have felt that creating a new code of conduct might be necessary. In some of the my most recent campaigns, I have been working with some outside marketing agencies and companies. I have been doing this either by request of my client or to fulfill a part of the campaign that my company does not do. I have been amazed and confused over the last several weeks at how some of these agencies operate their business.

I thought I would put together my own Agency Code of Conduct. So here it goes:

1. We live in a fast paced world where an hour could cost our clients a great deal of money. When you receive an email or call, responding the next day is unacceptable. All emails and calls should be returned within an hour of receiving them.

2. I am not sure if you noticed but the web is open 24/7. That means so are you. Nights/weekends, they do not matter. If something goes wrong you need to be available and be able to react no matter when or what time it is.

3. Here’s a shocker, the client is going to change their mind several times before and after a campaign launches. If you don’t like fast changes or pressure situations get a job at the DMV. In this world, you should be prepared for changes and understand that you probably will have very tight deadlines to get them done.

4. The client is NOT always right. It is absolutely acceptable and even expected for you to disagree with the client. You are the expert, they are not. If they had all the answers they would of never hired you in the first place. Get a backbone and let the client know your thoughts and opinions. If they decide not to follow them, document it so when it blows up in their face, you can say, “I told you so and it is YOUR fault.”

5. Be honest. Don’t promise something that you cannot deliver. It’s not all about closing the deal. You need to remember that you are putting your own name and reputation on the line. This industry is smaller than you think and I can guarantee you that it will come back to bite you in the behind down the road.

6. Control your emotions. No campaign is going to go perfectly. There is going to be bumps in the road, deal with them. When you lose your cool, you accomplish nothing other than putting other people on the defensive and they will be less willing to help you. In other words, suck it up!

7. Don’t even think about coping an attitude with me. You’re unhappy, call Jerry Lewis and maybe he will put together a telethon for you. Right now, we have issues that need to be resolved and your attitude does nothing to help that situation.

8. Don’t be afraid to fail. The only people who never fail are people who never try. To achieve greatness, you have to be willing to fail and fail big time.

What do you think? Let me know your thoughts and if there are other points that I should add to this list.

Technorati Tags: Blogger Code of Conduct, marketing agencies, Agency Code of Conduct

I just read a great article on Younggogetter.com called The Devil and Online Advertising.  It’s a very well written article on online advertising and the issues and challenges that come with it.  Definitely give it a read if you have any interest in online advertising.

First off, I wanted to apologize for the lack of posts and comment responses last week. I have been under a deadline on a couple of campaigns launching this week and just have not had a lot of time or brainpower to write. I am hoping this week will be better.

Back to the news… Nike took out a full page ad in yesterday’s New York Times to thank Imus for his ignorance. Even though the ad did not say Imus by name, it’s point was quite obvious. A picture of the ad is here, but it is not very clear to read. The ad says,

Thank you, ignorance.
Thank you for starting the conversation.
Thank you for making an entire nation listen to the Rutgers team’s story. And for making us wonder what other great stories we’ve missed. Thank you for reminding us to think before we speak.
Thank you for showing us how strong and poised 18 and 20-year-old women can be.
Thank you for reminding us that another basketball tournament goes on in March.
Thank you for showing us that sport includes more than the time spent on the court.
Thank you for unintentionally moving women’s sport forward.
And thank you for making all of us realize that we still have a long way to go.
Next season starts 11.16.07.

According to AdAge, this week digital banners will begin running using this premise on Flip.com, Cosmogirl.com, Seventeen.com, ESPN.com, FoxSports.com and NikeWomen.com.

Nike is saying that they were “inspired” by the Rutgers women’s basketball team which is why they are doing this campaign. I think anyone in this business knows that the real reason they are doing this campaign is to piggyback this campaign on a still big news story and get a whole lot of free publicity. Good idea if it works, but my feeling is that most people are kind of tired of this whole Imus thing and would just like it to go away. I don’t know if you really want your brand associated with that.

What do you think?

Technorati Tags: Nike, New York Times, Imus, Rutgers

My man Sean Howard has a short and sweet post on BMA about Edelman’s new video site Edelmanfilms.com. He raises two great questions:

1. Why would they brand this Edelman instead of using a vanity URL that would promote their clients and provide some transparency for themselves?
2. Who in their right mind would take the word of a public relations agency?

I think this is a great example of when a company starts to believe they are bigger than the game itself. A PR company’s sole responsibility is to promote the company they work for, not promote themselves. How does this video site help their clients at all? Who would actually watch these videos when they are obviously totally self serving?

When I was thinking about this, I thought that this had similar overtones to the great deal of discussions that we have had here as well as across the blogosphere recently on A-List Bloggers. A number of articles and comments have discussed how when a blogger hits the elite of the A-List, at times there seems to be a tendency that the blogger forgets what got him or her to the A-List and now it becomes all about them. Is it me or do you get the same impression from Edelman’s site?

Technorati Tags: Sean Howard, BMA, Edelman, public relations