As a recent college graduate, I’m always interested in career-related articles, like “the top-paying jobs for people in their 20s” or “the most popular majors for Generation Y.” So when I saw iMedia Connection’s list of the 5 hottest job opportunities in digital marketing, curiosity struck and I clicked.

Good news for SRDS.com users. Digital media planner made the list!

According to the article, “While the traditional media planner of yesteryear is somewhat of a one-person department (or even merely a name on a list of approved outsource vendors), the digital media planner and buyer might be part of a department in the making.”

But while digital media planner is a hot career, that doesn’t necessarily make the industry any easier to break into. Read on for 7 things you need to read to help you get the digital media planner job of your dreams.

1. What is Media Planning? – Walk before you run. Let us give you the basics on media planning. Simply put, it’s one of the four key disciplines within advertising, along with account management, brand planning and developing creative. Typically media planning is a role that falls to an outside agency, but some companies choose to keep it in-house. More >>
2. Digital Media Planning Guidelines – Last year, our friends at Milward Brown analyzed the evidence from several of their studies to create straightforward, evidenced-based guidelines for marketers who want to make the most effective use of digital media as part of an integrated campaign. It’s a must-read for any on in the online advertising space. More >>
3. 7 Best Practices for Digital Media Planning - There’s no reason to fear digital if you’ve done your homework, says Ginny Ewing, one of our in-house digital experts. Smart planning, smart targeting, as well as relevant and powerful creative are your best tools to fight the fear. More >>
4. Top 5 Marketable Skills for New Media Planners and Buyers – It’s nice to hear that digital media planner is one of the hottest jobs right now, but do you have the skills needed to land the role? We asked SRDS.com users, “What advice would you give to new graduates looking for a media job at an agency?” More >>
5. Our 40 Favorite Websites on Media, Advertising & More – When you’re in the business of loving media, staying up-to-date with industry news, tips and trends isn’t just optional, it’s a necessary obsession – and a fun one at that! Check out the favorite industry newsletters/sites of Kantar Media SRDS employees at the link.
6. Media Planning in 2013 – At the end of 2012, Jacki Premak shared her predictions for what the changing world of media planning would be like this year as well as recommendations and considerations to keep in mind. Her main takeaway: Media planning in 2013 will consist of innovations and opportunities mixed with the everyday challenges we’re all accustomed to. More >>
7. How To Find the Best Digital Advertising Opportunities - Ad pros know that time is money when you’re crafting a campaign. While Google can be great for basic information, it can be frustrating to use when you’re looking for advertising opportunities for your plan. Simply put, website ad rates are hard to find through a search engine. Find out how to easily get the right information on digital ad opportunities here.

Have a question about the role Kantar Media SRDS has in the digital advertising world? Let us know.

Ad network Jun Group understands that advertisers often have a difficult time trusting networks and publishers. That’s why it’s now offering a money-back guarantee if it delivers undesirable ad types, including pop-under ads, autoplay videos, phony impressions and ads on ghost sites.

The Jun Group campaign, “Clarity,” promises advertisers total transparency and control to see where your ads are running.

Jun Group isn’t a tiny player in the game either. The network distributes videos on premium content, apps, music/entertainment platforms and social games. Its clients include Microsoft, Allstate, Jim Bean and Cadillac. The publishers in the company’s portfolio include Disney, Forbes, Food Network and others.

According to AdWeek:

“Besides promising clients that nothing bad will happen with their ads, Jun's new pledge (100 percent viewable, 100 percent opt-in, 100 percent guaranteed) is tied to the release of a new analytics product.”

The product allows advertisers to look up where each of their ads is running or has run. It also gives them the ability to allocate their budgets toward desired sites.

Jun Group isn’t the first network to guarantee high-quality placements. In 2008, Undertone Networks began a program in which it promised advertisers a refund of up to $50,000 if ads didn’t appear on high quality digital publishers.

Undertone Networks don’t state how many of these refunds have actually been delivered, but you have to think that it must be pretty tough for an agency or advertiser to find their ad running on “poor-quality” sites. It’s not like those are the sites they visit on a daily basis or that they have the time to surf for them.

So while it’s unclear how effective these pledges and guarantees are or will be in the future, they do seem to offer some measure of clarity that’s not easy to find among many networks.

Advertisers/Marketers: Does a pledge like this make you more willing to work with an ad network?

As the merger of SCDP and CGC transitions, I'm reminded of "Yours, Mine and Ours" with each staff member vying for attention, affection and affirmation from the partners. The give and take conversations about which employees would survive the merger reminded me of a divorce; you get the pool table, so I get the piano. There was plenty of give and take in this episode of Mad Men.

Since Don is the man with the plan, let's start with him as he channels his inner Christian Grey. He overhears an argument between Arnold and Sylvia, ending with Arnie leaving or getting tossed out. That depends on how you look at it. Sylvia calls and needs Don; nothing else will do. In the midst of the first day post-merger, Don takes off for a few hours to meet Sylvia at a hotel. He tells her to bring him his shoes. Actually, he says to "crawl on all fours." She places them on his feet and he tells her to undress and return to the bed. He then orders her to remain there until whenever he decides to show up. Don later sends her a package: a beautiful scarlet (as in Scarlet Letter) dress. Sylvia delightedly adorns the dress and anxiously waits for Don. When he arrives, he commands her to take off the dress and get back in bed. She's there for his pleasure. 

Back at the office, Don, Ted and the creative team work on the newly acquired "Ted-Don love child" Fleishman Margarine account. Ted and Peggy meet with the creative teams to "rap about margarine" while Don is M.I.A. Really though, Ted using words like "groovy" and "let's rap" cracked me up. He's too square to be hip. The brainstorming session is a spot-on look at how some of the best ad and marketing ideas are formed. In fact, some of the phrases tossed about eventually do find their way into the ads and commercials in later years. However, having each team member write ten things about margarine seemed a little elementary. I much rather enjoyed the conversation between an inebriated Ted and not-so-drunk Don, likening the margarine brands to the cast of Gilligan's Island. Blue Bonnet is Mary Ann, Ginger is Parkay, etc. The bantering suggests the two reach a middle ground. Naturally, Don wins this particular round of the power struggle, because as Peggy points out, few men can out-drink Don and he shouldn't have gotten Ted drunk the first day. It all evens out when Ted flies himself and Don on his private plane to see the Mohawk airlines client. Don looks frightened and slightly ill as they fly through torrential rains. Ted smugly smiles when Don points out that it doesn’t matter what Don said in the meeting. Ted is the one with the plane. Score one for Ted.

Speaking of keeping track of every little thing, Pete acts like a spoiled brat the entire episode. He clearly feels threatened by the merger and when he is late for the first partner meeting, there is no chair for him. Ever the gentlemen, he stands there whining until Moira, Ted's secretary, offers her seat. Ted then gallantly gives up his own seat for Moira, making Pete look even more child-like. Unfortunately for Pete, his mother has dementia. She disrupts his life by showing up on his doorstep. The tragedy of dementia is there are moments of lucidity interwoven with fragments of past memories. When his mother’s mind is in the present, her comments about Pete, Trudy and their marriage are deadly accurate.

Pete was originally slated to accompany Don and Ted for the Mohawk meeting as it is Pete's account, but because he is dealing with his mother they go without him. The resulting tantrum he throws, yelling at his secretary, pouting and shouting is fun to watch. He is quickly unraveling and will soon need the therapists’ couch in Roger's office.

Peggy clearly has mixed emotions about being back in the SCDP offices. She and Joan are glad to be working together again but she's still a little wary of Don. I thought her description of her and Abe's living arrangement was very telling: "We bought a building together to live in. We bought a building to live in together.” Honey, if you can't define the relationship, do you really want to be in it? Anyway, I'm glad she's back in the mix at the office because she always makes things more interesting.

Joan has a medical emergency so newbie Bob takes her to the hospital and concocts a story so that she is seen quickly. Bob is "last hired, first fired" on the staff cutting board. But Joan points out that since Bob works closely with Ken Cosgrove, who is in Detroit with the Chevy account, he might be one to keep on board. The others agree and Bob is spared. Score for SCDP as they cut one of the account managers from CGC instead.

All good things must come to an end and Sylvia decides to finally end it with Don. End the affair – not just the hotel room charade, which lasted several days. Sylvia determines it’s time to go home to Arnold. In the end, Don is the one pleading. Once again, someone he cares deeply about walks away from Don, leaving him wondering why and what has he done or hasn’t done to make her not want him. Don returns home to Megan, who truly does love him, and completely tunes her out. We've seen this gray side of Don before, and the fact that he is completely unmoved by the death of Bobby Kennedy the next morning leads me to believe he is in for some darker times indeed.

What did you think of this week’s episode?

While digging around in our archives, we spotted a first-ever pocket-sized edition of SRDS released in November 1922. Though the book is more than 90 years old, it's in pretty good shape and packed with all of the data that media buyers and planners needed on newspapers. Take a look at this blast from the past!

Here's what the up-front says:

"In this first issue of the new Standard Rate & Data Service in Pocket Size (covering newspapers only) will be ound a surprising amount of important information pertaining to the display rates of ALL daily newsappers throughout the United States and the circulation of such papers.

The study, investigation and analysis which preceded the publication of the first issue, and the exceptional care exercised in its preparation and compilation, enables us to put forth this latest accomplishment with a conviction of the greatest confidence as to its practicality, accuracy and ease of reference.

Here is a Pocket Service serving a distinct purpose--a service containing all of the vital information necessary where our more complete Portfolio size is not imperative, yet a service sufficiently abridged as to avoid bulkiness.

Reference to a few of the listings will prove more convincing than anything we might say. Notice the clean-cut typographical arrangement, the logical order in which the inforamtion is given, the style of type contrast in the names of the state, city and paper.

At a glance, you know exactly the meaning of each figure--no guess work--no confusion! The same uniformity is carried out from Alabama to Wyoming.

You'll find it a pleasure to use this handy "pocket" service and when it's in the pocket, for all its size and weight, you'll never know it's there!"

While we no longer offer pocket-editions at Kantar Media SRDS, it's pretty remarkable to see one from the roarin' 20s!

Our data team strives to provide users with the most updated media planning data within SRDS.com. In April, the team made a total of 8,501 updates to the SRDS.com databases with the largest chunk of updates coming from the business publication database. Here's the full breakdown:

• 1,921 newspaper updates
• 54 out-of-home updates
• 409 TV & cable updates
• 717 radio updates
• 1,207 digital updates
• 3,343 business publications updates
• 850 consumer magazine updates

We know that current data matters, so log in and check out some of the changes!

This week's episode of Mad Men begins with a potential IPO and ends with a merger, proving once again that you never know what will happen. One thing for certain is that there are many secrets.

To begin with, Bert, Pete and Joan secretly meet with a banker to take SCDP public. They are positively giddy at the thought of becoming millionaires, especially Pete, who imagines winning back Trudy with his new-found wealth. Trudy continues to string him along and make him pay for his past transgressions. Pete goes to the nearby brothel with one of the new guys to celebrate the impending IPO,  and sees his father-in-law trailing a half-clothed prostitute. They lock eyes and mumble hello. Nothing good can come from this encounter.

In other news, Pete, Don and Roger plan to have dinner with the Jaguar client, Herb. Roger tells Pete the meeting is canceled and persuades Don to bring Megan and her visiting mother, Marie, along. The dinner is a delicious disaster. Don is late; Megan and Marie are bored to tears and Marie insults the wife. Thank goodness for subtitles, although even I could pick up the word "idiot" in French. When Don finally arrives, the men get down to business.

Herb has a young guy, Chris, at one of his dealerships who helps write flyers. When Herb brings Chris up, Don thinks Herb is asking about a job for Chris. Don decides he’ll at least go through the pretense of an interview. But no, Herb wants Don to allow Chris to review all of the SCDP ad work on the Jaguar campaign to make sure it's okay. Don's incredulous look is priceless. Things go downhill pretty quickly after that and SCDP ends up quitting the account. The dinner is over before it started. And Roger is a complete no-show.

So what has he been up to? Roger, always ready to work any possible angle, convinces his stewardess girlfriend to keep him posted on the comings and goings of hotshot execs at the airport. While the Jaguar account is running of the road, Roger is working his magic with a top dog at Chevy. Mikey, the Chevy guy, is complaining that he couldn't find a decent NY ad agency for their new concept car so he’s heading back to Detroit. Roger skips the Jaguar dinner, flies to Detroit and returnslater that night with the opportunity to pitch Chevy.

The next morning at the office, Don announces he quit the Jaguar account. Pete flies off the handle (and down the stairs!) and starts yelling at Don in the middle of the office, ranting about taking the company public and how this will ruin everything. Joan herds the team into the conference room while everyone else watches through the glass. Don is caught off guard about the IPO and says Herb should have been dealt with months ago. Joan is furious; if they weren't going to hang on to the account, it made her acts worthless. If she could deal with Herb so could Don. It was awesome to watch Joan in action, seething and sharp-tongued. After she storms out, Roger announces they have the opportunity to pitch Chevy - in three days. As they leave the room, the other employees scurry out of their way like mice. Don rounds up the creative team and is thrilled to discover they’re working on a concept car to compete with the Ford Mustang.

Over at Peggy's shop, Ted and his partners are also working on the Chevy account. Ted is stressed because one of the partners has pancreatic cancer and he's tired of being the nice guy. They let the Alfa Romeo account go and he's second-guessing that decision. Then he kisses Peggy. It must have been some kiss because Peggy couldn't get it out of her mind for the rest of the episode. She pictures Ted when kissing her boyfriend, Abe. She thinks about the kiss and powders her nose before going to Ted's office later. Oh yes, Peggy thought about that kiss a lot. She and Abe purchase a crummy apartment that needs tons of work in a so-so neighborhood, just as Abe wanted. Peggy, now, is not so sure about the decision and is perhaps wondering what could be with Ted.

On to Motor City for the pitch. At the airport, one of the pompous ad guys from a bigger shop comes over to banter with Don and Roger. Word spreads quickly up and down Madison Avenue. It seems like everyone but S and D knows about Vicks pulling their account from SCDP. The head of the Vicks account is none other than Trudy's dad, Pete's father-in-law. He is enraged at Pete for visiting the bordello, never mind that he was there as well. His daughter is a princess and Pete is a no-good low life. So that quickly became another loss for SCDP. Gotta love Roger though, he manages to have the airline lose the competitor's luggage.  

Don and Ted commiserate at the hotel bar. Two little shops competing with two big shops means they'll steal the creative ideas from the little shops and give the business to one of the larger agencies. They present their pitches to each other and they are quite similar. Don, who probably is still annoyed with the others for wanting to take SCDP public without telling him first, suggest the two shops merge and go in as a larger shop. Ted is intrigued, especially since one of his partners is dying, and what Don is saying makes sense. The next morning Roger, Don, Ted and Harry Hamlin's character go in to make the pitch. I love Harry Hamlin and his line, "Just so we’re clear, unless this works I'm against it," made me laugh. Such a typical boss-like thing to say. Well it works. They get the Chevy business and come back to NYC to merge.

Peggy is the first to find out when she is called into Ted's office, hoping to be kissed again and instead seeing Don there.  She has all kinds of unanswered and unasked questions but they assure her everything will be fine. I couldn't tell if Don was more excited about landing the account, merging or shutting the others out of a major decision for SCDP.  I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure it will be anything but an easy ride. So do you think the concept car is the Camaro or the Chevelle?

Are digital campaigns the best way to market to millennials? It sure seems like many marketers think so. If you haven’t noticed it across industry headlines, there’s been an uptick in brands committing major resources to getting in front of Generation Y digitally.

Take Coca Cola. The company just released its first-ever digital-only campaign to teens called the “The AHH Effect.” Mobile platforms are the medium of choice for the campaign with most of the content primed for quick hits, including mini-games, videos and multimedia content. There are 17 digital experiences, starting at ahh.com. Adding an “h” to the URL allows visitors to access a new experience. Going forward, Coke plans to use paid and owned media on Facebook and Twitter to encourage teens to create their own experiences for the brand. Coke will select and include 25 users experiences in the campaign.

Retailer Nordstrom is launching a campaign promoting the concept of “Youphoria,” according to the New York Times. Tactics include videos featuring young adults involved in various outdoor activities like chopping wood. Naturally, these millennials are dressed to impress in Nordstrom gear.  It’s meant to show that everyone can find an affordable style at Nordstrom that fits their character. The videos are available on YouTube and promoted via Twitter, Facebook and the Nordstrom website.

Other companies, like Budweiser, are opting to reach millennials through a product change supported digitally. The company’s newly designed bow-tie beer-can will be released this spring, hoping to take advantage of the hip fashion trend of wearing bow-ties, according to MediaBistro. The can will be marketed directly to younger beer drinkers with a multimedia campaign that spans digital, print, and TV promotions.

As these brands jump on the millennial bandwagon, they'd also be advised to study some of the brands that this generation already loves. According to iMedia Connection, these include Coachella, Nike and Pretzel Crisps.

Are you using a digital campaign to reach your target millennials?

Did you know that srds.com helps agencies and marketers keep pace with all types of Latino-targeted multimedia? Our Hispanic Media and Market Source™ print service offers everything media planners and buyers need to develop an integrated marketing campaign to communicate with this market effectively.

That’s why when we saw this just-released infographic from Scarborough, we had to share it. Based on a custom study commissioned by AHAA and AARP, the image identifies the different business opportunities within the generationally diverse Hispanic population. Specifically, it highlights how marketers and ad agencies can effectively reach Hispanic millennials, Generation Xers and Baby Boomers by recognizes cross-generational differences and cultural orientation.

Here are three interesting tidbits.

1. Hispanic consumers are more likely to travel abroad than non-Hispanics. Hispanic Baby Boomers are 22% more likely than Hispanic Millennials to travel outside the U.S.
2. Hispanic consumers are 77% more likely than non-Hispanics to plan to switch wireless providers in the next twelve months.
3. Hispanic Baby Boomers are 73% more likely than their Hispanic Millennial counterparts to have life insurance policies.

Download the full report here or take a look at top-level findings in the infographic below.

Paid search is hot and competitive market, but can you guess which retailers were the top players in 2012? AdGooroo’s new infographic offer details on last year’s top 10 spending retail categories in paid search along with the top retailers in each category by impressions.

When taken together, retailers spent over $2 billion for paid search in 2012. Amazon took the top spot among mass retailers when looking at U.S. Google Adwords impressions. That’s not too surprising considering it’s the only one on the mass retailers list that is purely digital. Target, Wal-Mart, JCPenney and Macys all have brick and mortal store-fronts.

Check out the infographic below to get a sneak peak of the paid search retail universe and then get the full report here.

Full disclosure: AdGooroo, like SRDS, is part of Kantar Media.

Leave it to Mad Men to insert a historical moment like the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. to establish time period and provide an emotional backdrop. And what an emotional episode, “The Flood” was. All of the NYC agencies gather for the Ad Club of New York awards and both Peggy and Megan are part of the team nominated for the Heinz Bean campaign. Ironically, neither of them still works for SCDP nor is Heinz Beans still a client.

That's how quickly things change in the advertising world. As Paul Newman gives his politically infused speech—celebs pontificated their beliefs at awards back then too—news breaks out of the Martin Luther King Jr. assassination. Amid much dismay, disbelieve and distress, the program goes on as planned, but everything changes thereafter.

Riots break out around the U.S., including in NYC and Washington D.C. In case you didn't catch it, Sylvia and Dr. Rosen are in D.C. for a conference. Don is borderline frantic hoping to hear that his mistress is safe. The next day, no one expects the African American secretaries to work. Peggy's heartfelt conversation and hug showed she really does understand and value her secretary. On the other hand, the stiff hug Joan gives Dawn is almost unbearable to watch because it seemed so contrived.

Speaking of changes, who knew that Pete had a heart? Pete goes ballistic when Harry whines about his clients expecting make-goods because the breaking news interrupted network programming. I honestly thought I'd never agree with Pete on anything but his accusation of Harry being selfishly worried about his commission seemed spot on. I thought it was going to be another fight fest. Thankfully Bert steps in and forces them to shake hands and apologize. However, those were the most pathetic “apologies” ever.

Pete, feeling bad about the assassination and Dr. King’s family, reaches out to Trudy to make sure she and Tammy are OK. Trudy is still unwilling to welcome Pete home. So there Pete is, in his dark, dreary bachelor pad in a one-sided conversation with the delivery guy. A tragedy like this puts everything into perspective and Pete once again realizes the serious mistakes he’s made.

Betty, looking very Joan Crawford with her dark hair, is in full-blown mommy dearest mode. She chastises Bobby for picking at the uneven wallpaper in his room. As if the wallpaper itself isn’t enough to give him nightmares, the uneven edges just beg to be ripped. Betty is at her best when she's raking Don over the coals, this time for forgetting to pick up the kids for his weekend. Don heads through the rioting neighborhoods to bring the kids safely to the city. While the children are away, Betty and Henry have a heart-to-heart about his political aspirations, where Henry decides to run for state senator. Betty is thrilled, until he mentions he can't wait for everyone to meet her. You can see it in her eyes; the distress of having to wear something other than a robe. Glad to see she's still vain. I'm hoping Betty will return to her blonde roots soon and January Jones will dump the fat suit.

Back at the Draper penthouse, Megan decides to take Sally and Gene to a MLK memorial in Central Park while Don and Bobby hang back. Bobby is grounded from TV and since Don doesn't know how to spend time with his son they go see "Planet of the Apes." Like father like son, they watch the movie.

Bobby's comment to the porter, "We come to the movies when we're sad" triggers an unexpected emotion from Don. In a tortured monologue with Megan by his side, he confesses he’s faked loving his son since his birth. It was Bobby's comment to a stranger that makes Don feel love for his son. He truly didn't know what to do with this emotion. This was Emmy-worthy acting by Jon Hamm.

Again, this emotionally charged episode found Peggy and Abe, mostly Peggy, searching for an apartment to buy. Peggy finds one on the Upper East Side and Abe is extremely non-committal. He reminds her it’s her money to spend. He goes on to say,  he "always imagined them raising their children around other types of people." That’s all Peggy needs to hear. She finally realizes all of her dreams are within reach: a great career and a great guy who wants to be with her for the long haul. She looks pleased as punch as he pounded out the story of his career.

Because it's Mad Men, there's always something disturbing, right? This episode it's Rogers’ creepy insurance contact. He tries to communicate by not talking, which is never effective. His idea for an ad includes a Molotov cocktail. In today's world, can you imagine anything so preposterous? Actually, it was pretty ridiculous in the 60s as well. His words, "This is an opportunity. The heavens are telling us to change" are prophetic but he's still too far out there for the likes of SCDP.

So what's next?

Have you seen the AdWeek story from last month about the latest online advertising blunder? A banner ad for a criminal lawyer’s firm appeared on the same page as his DUI mug shot. Ouch! While this is a relatively small-scale mistake, take a look at the McDonald’s ad screenshot above. It’s definitely not a PR nightmare but it certainly doesn’t do the fast food chain any favors.

With all of the targeting capabilities, keyword analysis and advanced data systems that marketers have access to, it’s surprising that so many mistakes like this still happen with online ads. There’s even a Pinterest board featuring some of the biggest digital gaffes.

As more small businesses and local companies begin to explore online ads, they still need to be equipped with the basics so slipups like this don’t happen. With the Internet, even the tiniest error can be blown out of proportion for the whole world to see.

We’re currently working on a white paper that covers the basics of online media planning, including best practices for marketers so that you can cut down on the chances of making mistakes like these. You can also visit iMedia Connection for some good information on how quality, brand safety and advertiser category data can protect you from an online ad fail.

“Before the iPhone, cyberspace was something you went to your desk to visit. Now cyberspace is something you carry in your pocket.” - Paul Saffo

It's true, mobile and specifically smartphones have changed everything. But it's still not as easy as it seems for marketers and agencies to develop extremely effective mobile promotion plans and strategies. Retailers are expected to invest $55 billion annually in mobile by 2015, according to a new study from Juniper Research. With high stakes both in terms of investment and consumer demands, companies want to know which steps to take in order to create a successful mobile strategy.

I'd like to share the steps I think can help get the ball rolling.

1. Objectives: Identifying goals and objectives for the mobile channel.

It goes without saying that mobile goals and objectives should be related to the overall business objectives of the company. To help with the process, think about how a mobile channel can help you meet your business objectives. Many brands could have avoided developing mobile apps for download that were abandoned shortly thereafter by asking these questions:

• What do you want your mobile app to accomplish?
• Would you like to drive traffic to a store?
• Would you like customers to have any channel for support?
• At customer need can you meet that helps to achieve your business objective?

Tiffany & Co’s ”Find your Engagement Ring” mobile app is a perfect example of execution based on extensive, well-formulated research on the target audience and clearly defined business objectives. It clearly targets men who have a problem identifying the ring size for women they would like to propose to. It still showcases the product, but it solves the major hurdle in the purchasing process.

2. People: Defining the profile of the target audience.

Existing customers, new customers, what do you know about your target? Social media can be the hero and provide a wealth of knowledge about your different segments, especially smartphone users. The more marketers know about social media and mobile usage, the clearer it becomes that mobile and social experiences are interconnected and inseparable. According to OnSite Consulting’s 2011 report, 56 percent of connected smartphone users follow a brand on social media. By listening to the conversation on social networks and identifying what is being said about your brand and product, you can also identify specific problems and pain points to address with your mobile app and inform the direction of your strategy.

It is also helpful to look at the “Customer Hourglass,” Altimeter’ social model of purchase. The funnel looks at the entire customer experience pre- and post-sale. Incorporating the customer hourglass and understanding how to engage with your target consumer at each step will provide you with invaluable insight into their specific needs, which then could be satisfied by a mobile app.

3. Strategy: Determining the right approach for meeting said objectives.

Once you have identified your target audience and set your objectives for the mobile channel, choosing the right mobile development strategy becomes easier. It is important to keep in mind that your strategy is more than an appropriate technology, but it is also about reaching the right people with the right features required to meet the objectives you’ve set. Effective mobile solutions require unique and specific planning, tactics, integration and implementation. Use scenarios to establish interaction models. Scenarios must be realistic and in-context. If a feature doesn’t work within a realistic user scenario, cut it. Mobile users demand two main things when it comes to mobile experiences: content and convenience. At this stage, you should have a close to complete idea of your mobile application, functionality, features, usage scenarios, support system and operating systems.

4. Technology: Choosing the development technology that fits the strategy.

There are many development options available, and the development space is undergoing changes. This stage will be handled primarily by your technical team or a vendor, but it is important to establish right amount of cross-functional rapport to understand the process. In the perfect scenario you should have a team consisting of marketing, user experience, strategy and it members available through the entire process When choosing the development option, try to stay up to date with trends and general developments of the mobile space. In conclusion, remember that customers are increasingly looking for a full experience. To stand out in a sea of choices, your app must not only to draw attention initially, but withstand the test of time by delivering the promised value quickly and providing an incentive for continued engagement.

Marketers/Agencies: What are your best practices for creating a mobile strategy?

If the chart above is any indication, the digital music space is overflowing with options for anyone looking to stream some tunes. From music video site Vevo, to free music streaming service Songza, to the interactive Internet radio service Slacker, the digital music options are truly unlimited.

But according to Kantar Media SRDS employees, there’s a clear favorite among the pack.

Pandora is the most used Internet music service among our employees with iTunes trailing as a far second. Pandora is a top automated music recommendation service that has been around and digital for more than a decade. Its top perk is that when you listen to your favorite song or band, the site mines through its Music Genome Project database to find songs with musical similarities to your choice. Pandora offers users two subscription plans: free/ad-supported and fee-based/no ads.

Even though the online radio business is crowded, that isn’t stopping social networks and other digital companies from trying to grab some market share. Last week, Twitter made an announcement that it’s launching an iPhone app that helps users find music that's trending on Twitter and songs based on the artists/bands you follow. Whether the app will make a big splash remains to be seen, but it doesn’t look like any online radio service will top Pandora anytime soon for those working at Kantar Media SRDS.

How do you listen to music digitally?

One of my co-workers forwarded me this article, and if you haven’t read it yet, here’s the point:

Mashable reports that Android Police discovered code in YouTube’s most recent app update that suggests that Google may be developing pay-to-view YouTube channels. Specifically, the code alludes to subscribing and unsubscribing from paid YouTube channels, but only on the web version of the site. No subscription info in apps on the horizon, yet.

The idea that “high-quality” video content producers would charge their users to view videos is a tricky subject. Right off the bet there the question of what constitutes a channel that you’d have to pay to view? I don’t know that I would pay to watch any YouTube channel, but then again, I know many people that surf YouTube more than they use Google. They want to see how to cut a pomegranate rather than read about it. Tutorials and how-to’s might be prime for this time of payment model, but the real question is, will users pay?

Time will certainly tell. The other most logical channels that would charge would be TV show channels and those that are tied to musical performers. Whether or not this is just another rumor, it’s hard to ignore.

Publishers: Do you think it’s worth charging fees for users to view videos on your brand’s YouTube channel?

“Cheat or be cheated” should have been the title of this delicious episode of Mad Men. It seemed like every character, except for Dawn, was secretly out to make themselves look better or at the very least, make the other guy look worse.

A secret meeting between Don, Pete and the Heinz Ketchup guy, Timmy, sets the tone of the episode. Don is clearly uncomfortable with creating a pitch as he had promised their Heinz Beans client, Ray, that SCDP would not pursue the Ketchup account. However, Don, Pete and Stan decide to move forward with an exploratory mission dubbed “Project K.” They are the only ones on this assignment so naturally, the other creatives are curious about the secret project. Nothing in an office setting draws attention more than blocked windows, whispers and one-on-one meetings.

Meanwhile, Harry Crane and Ken Cosgrove discuss the Dow Chemical account. As you’ll recall, Ken’s father-in-law is the Dow contact. He is disturbed with the bad press the company is getting because of the war. So Harry comes up with a great idea for a TV variety show to be sponsored by Dow, called “Broadway Joe on Broadway,” featuring Joe Namath and 15 of his friends. The client loves the idea. This is a much-needed $150,000 win for Harry and SCDP. Harry is buoyed by this success and storms into a partners meeting later that day, demanding he be named a partner as well. Harry looks right at Joan and says something to the effect of, at least his business is transacted in the daylight. He sounded like a bratty kid at the playground demanding his turn on the swings. As you can imagine, no one appreciated this reminder. Bert and Roger give Harry a commission check for $23,500 and send him on his way. He won’t be made a partner anytime soon.

Joan receives a visit from Kate, a high school friend, who is a sales director for Mary Kay and in town for a job interview. Kate is clearly jealous of Joan’s success and I have the feeling these two have been “frenemies” for a long time. Everything is a competition for Kate: jewelry, jobs, even meeting men later at the bar. The next morning Kate confides she only came to New York because she is envious of Joan’s success. Joan tells Kate she still feels treated like a secretary. Later at the office, Joan gives Dawn the keys to the timecards and the supply room. Dawn, who covered for a co-worker by punching the other girls’ time card previously, is shocked and honored by the new responsibility.  

On the set of “To Have and To Hold,” actress Megan finds out she will be filming a love scene with one of the main characters. She is reluctant to tell Don, so the lead actress invites her and Don to dinner with her and husband/show-writer, Mel. Honest Megan can’t keep anything from Don for very long and tells him about the love scene. Typically, Don is not thrilled. At dinner, the other couple invites Don and Megan back to their house for late-night shenanigans. The Drapers decline.

Finally, the day of the secret pitch to Timmy (“Ketchup”) arrives. The SCDP team has a clean presentation and the tagline “Pass the Heinz” speaks for itself. Don tells Timmy that “Heinz is ketchup” so there’s no need for a picture of the bottle. As Don, Pete and Stan leave the room they see Ted and Peggy waiting for their turn to pitch Heinz. Stan is seething as he realizes Peggy shared their conversation and that’s why they are there.

Don eavesdrops on the presentation and hears Peggy steal his line, “If you don’t like what’s being said, change the conversation.” Peggy’s campaign wasn’t extraordinary and in the end, the only winner is Timmy. He gives the ketchup business to JWT. Even worse news is on the way for SCDP. Ray, the Heinz Beans client, finds out about the secret meeting and promptly fires SCDP.

Don, who is already in a foul mood, then heads over to the set of the soap opera just in time to watch Megan film the love scene. It’s only a kiss but he is still mad about it. Don’t you think that’s rich coming from the man who is having a real life love affair of his own with his neighbors’ wife?

Anyway, after Don gives Megan a hard time, he shows up on Sylvia’s doorstep and falls in her arms in the exact same position across the bed as Megan’s love scene. Double-standard Don has an obscure sense of loyalty. He wanted to be loyal to Ray, but was swayed by the prestige of landing the ketchup account. He wants Megan to be loyal to him but doesn’t feel the need to be loyal to her. At least he can be content knowing Sylvia is keeping him in her prayers. Ah the irony of it all!

What did you think of this week’s episode?

Only a short time ago, it would have seemed unimaginable that paywalls would be the accepted norm for media sites. But surprisingly, they have finally become accepted as the normal payment model for print publishers looking to make some money on their online content. Readers still complain about them of course, but we understand why they’re there. After all, media companies have to earn revenue off of their digital versions, and paywalls, though not perfect, are the method of choice.

Big newspaper media like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal already charge readers after they’ve viewed a certain amount of articles and The Washington Post and the San Francisco Chronicle recently said they will charge readers for online content as well. Smaller papers are joining the ranks too.

But is the paywall the best way to for media companies to profit on digital? It’s certainly not the only way. Several third-party companies have begun offering online media passes in an attempt to find a different slant on the paywall model, but so far, few are making a big splash. Online media passes allow users to manage multiple digital subscriptions in one place and can offer a new way for media companies to gain revenue from their digital readers, according to Press+, which works with about 400 publishers.

Press+ argues that online media passes offer a way for a publisher to launch a metered subscription model, package web, mobile and tablet content into a single subscription package, boost circulation revenue by offering discounted digital access to print subscribers. Plus, it’s outsourced and doesn’t require the internal IT team’s time and effort.

Though Press+ is seeing some success, goliath Google didn’t fare so well. The company’s One Pass product only lasted about a year and only had two publishers join. In an article on EContent.com, author Alan Mutter said he believes Google’s product didn’t catch on because media companies were worried about what Google could do with their customer data.

However, Press+ argues that its model offers a win for publishers because it opens up new ways to turn a profit while preserving existing advertising revenue and online readers.

Similarly, blogger Andrew Sullivan made a big splash with his move into monthly passes, now offering access to his blog, The Dish, for $2 a month versus just a $20-a-year option. He uses TinyPass, another small company that that helps publishers sell content online. Clearly, online media passes demonstrate that they offer value, but will it be enough to take over paywalls?

Do you think online media passes will ever successfully surpass the paywall model?

Scarborough's newest infographic is particularly useful for digitally-minded yet location-specific media companies and marketers. Specifically, it tells the local story of how online media consumption has evolved over the past few years by identifying the top markets in key areas of online media to paint a picture of national trends.

One interesting nugget of info: Atlanta, Austin, San Francisco and Washington, DC are almost always in the top 10 for every online media activity in every year measured.

The infographic can help media and marketers narrow their focus, using layers of data to reach digital audiences and consumers more efficiently. Download the full infographic here.

Did any of the data surprise you?

Foursquare’s CEO Dennis Crowley announced that the company will try to make money outside of its app via check-in data, according to an article from AdAge. The company’s strategy involves a new ad product that uses the app’s location and psychographic data to contextualize ads on other platforms, giving advertisers the ability to use the data to target ads that are bought through ad exchanges or networks even when the individual isn’t using Foursquare.

From a revenue standpoint it makes a lot of sense for Foursquare to go this route but it’s a little surprising that it hasn’t happened sooner. Already Facebook and Twitter offer similar location-targeting ads and smartphones can be geo-located by apps and ads without Foursquare data. So the question is whether or not agencies and other marketers consider this data to be valuable enough to pay for it. That’s the real make or break for Foursquare.

Do you think that the ad world will respond well to this strategy?

We’ve added updated Scarborough Newspaper Penetration reports to the new Local Market Info link in SRDS.com. DMA Profiles & Maps will also be housed in this drop-down menu, which can be accessed by all SRDS.com users.

The reports offer valuable media planning data for local newspapers and their e-editions, including daily average reach and percent reach as well as Sunday average reach and percent reach. Log in now, explore the data and let us know what you think.

What a fitting title "The Collaborators" is for this episode of Mad Men as every character collaborates with someone on some level.  

Let's start with the extremely insensitive Pete. He and a neighbor’s wife have a tryst in his NYC apartment. She is fonder of Pete than he of her and suggests several secret signals to let him know she is thinking about him. He clearly wants none of it. Later that evening when she shows up beaten and bloody at the Campbell home, Pete knows he is busted. He tries to rush her off to a hotel and callously offers to call a cab for her. He’s less than thrilled when Trudy drives her. Women talk and sure enough by the time she returns home, Trudy knows all about the affair. Trudy goes on to prove that she is no shrinking violet. She reads Pete the riot act and throws him out of the house the next morning. Pete can't win at the office either as he and Don don't see eye-to-eye on the Jaguar account.

Unforgettable Herb, the local Jaguar dealership owner who played a key role in SCDP landing the coveted Jaguar account, still thinks he's all that. He makes a pathetic come-on to Joan, saying "I know deep down there's a part of you that's happy to see me." Her quip, "And I know there's a part of you, you haven't seen in years," was one of my favorite lines of the show.

At SCDP, Herb tries to throw his weight around to alter the Jaguar buy from national to more locally-focused. Herb pitches Don and Pete an idea for radio spots, touting his dealership over the national campaign, even though everyone (including Herb) has already signed off on national. Naturally, the men at SCDP will increase the campaign for more money. But that’s not what’s going on here. It would just be a shifting of dollars.

Don is masterful in the meeting with Herb and the British gentlemen representing Jaguar. Herb tries to push the idea of a local focus as that of SCDP. Pete is jovial as he's onboard with Herb's idea. Then Don begins his pitch as only he can. His tone, demeanor and smooth presentation make it sound like going local is the best thing for the client – a witty and effective use of reverse psychology. Anyone can afford a Jaguar. The guy driving a truck should just go down the road and get a new Jag. He says it so earnestly you almost believe he wants this campaign switched. Everyone at that table, with the exception of the two individuals that matter, knows what he is doing and is powerless to stop it. Naturally, Don and the Brits won and the campaign remains national as intended.

Later in the episode, the Heinz folks "Beans" and "Ketchup," make a “non-visit” to SCDP. Ketchup is curious about the increase in sales of beans since that division signed on with SCDP. The Ketchup division’s upstart is happy with his current agency, DDB, but wants to see what Don and his team can develop. As soon as "Ketchup" leaves the room, their client "Beans" stresses that this meeting did not happen. He emphatically insists SCDP forget this meeting as he doesn’t want the Ketchup division to be even more successful than it already is. So Don tells them to back off from Heinz Ketchup even though, "Ketchup is the Coca-Cola of condiments."

Stan relays this humorous story to Peggy on one of their late-night calls. Peggy then tells Ted about it because she thinks it's funny. Surprise! The next morning Ted insists she go after the Heinz Ketchup account since they're shopping around for a new creative agency. I must admit, I was very excited about all of the advertising discussions this episode. I have no doubt there are still some closed door dealings and client loyalty issues going on today.

Speaking of Peggy, she's still navigating her way through the good ol' boys way of doing business. There aren't many women creative directors and she's uncertain how to manage her mostly male team. She doesn't want to seem too bossy or shrew or motherly. Her little pep talk doesn’t incite any excitement among the team because it seems flat and false. The team in turn plays a practical joke on her to not-so-subtly highlight her overly-critical tendencies.

Viewers were also treated to some flashbacks into Don's earlier life this episode. Since his formative years were spent living in a brothel, it's little wonder why he treats women the way he does. To offer Sylvia money (whose husband is a surgeon) is very insulting. Even more disappointing was that she happily took it. Their relationship is interesting and though Sylvia may not realize it yet, she has the upper hand. The restaurant scene between those two was ripe with subtext and undertones. Sylvia later expresses a fear, saying they can't fall in love. But I'm afraid it's too late for Don. Sylvia is his drug of choice and lucky for him she's only a floor away.

Mistress and wife meet in the laundry room and Megan has an emotional breakdown. The two ladies have a heart-to-heart conversation as Megan shares she recently had a miscarriage. She is upset and feels guilty because she wasn't sure she wanted the baby and hadn't even told Don. She finally tells Don and he of course wants what she wants. I'm sure what she really wants is for him to be faithful. Don is a playboy and being faithful isn’t in his nature. So yes, we had collaborations of all sorts this episode.

In the world at large, the Vietnam War is definitely heating up. Did you notice any time there was a TV or radio in the background the news was about the war? It'll also be interesting to watch how that major event is woven into the storyline. 

Until next week!