Sponsored content (or native advertising) is becoming a smoother and less intrusive way for digital publishers to make revenue without relying on display ads. Major sites like BuzzFeed, Forbes, The Huffington Post and Gawker all offer native advertising. And ethics aside, this model seems to be working. According to AdWeek:

“In the wake of a Pew report that sponsorship advertising was up 40 percent in 2012, Forbes Media is touting the growth of its own revenues—thanks, in part, to its success with native ads.”

But when you consider a medium like print, advertorials are typically frowned upon by readers and the writing staff. Especially in newspapers, advertising and editorial are viewed almost like church and state. Even if you clearly label something as advertising, many print readers get angry.

Is that about to change?

ESPN: The Magazine announced that in its upcoming 15th anniversary issue, it will run an editorial sidebar with the words "Cold Hard Facts presented by Coors Light" on the page, according to AdWeek. Unlike the online native advertising model where the advertiser manages the content, ESPN will have complete control over the sidebars. MillerCoors won’t even get to see the content before publication.

That may sound a tad dicey for an advertiser, but when you consider the fact that ESPN and MillerCoors have a long-standing relationship in broadcast-sponsored content, it’s really not a big risk. If you watch SportsCenter, you’ll often see segments called “Coors Cold Hard Facts." During these segments, the anchor asks a sports analyst six questions, alluding to a six pack of Coors. Again, MillerCoors doesn’t control the content. They’re simply paying to be tied to ESPN and content that they believe will be interesting to their target audience.

So is this case really an advertorial? I don’t think so. It’s an interesting take on sponsored content but because Miller isn’t producing the content I have a hard time labeling it an advertorial. This isn’t purely pay-to-play. It’s pay to be mentioned as a sponsor and be associated with our high-quality content. And that’s OK with me.

Do you place different values on digital, broadcast and print sponsored content?

(image source)

Only Don Draper would choose "Dante's Inferno" as a beach-read while in paradise. The book’s opening line – "In the middle of the journey of our life I found myself within a forest dark, for the straightforward pathway had been lost" – sums up Don and the entire cast in this episode of Mad Men. The episode was all over the place and bear with me as this recap may be as well.

We begin the episode around Christmas with Don and Megan on a work junket at the Royal Hawaiian hotel. Blue drinks on white sand, a luau, leis; who could ask for anything more? Yet Don still seems a little morose as he heads to the hotel bar in the wee hours of the morning. He meets Pfc. Dinkins, a drunken soldier on leave and about to be married, who notices their matching army-issued Zippos and strikes up a conversation. Pfc. Dinkins persuades Don to give the bride at the wedding away as she has no family in Hawaii. Don reluctantly agrees after the young soldier says in a pay-it-forward style, "One day I'll be the man who can't sleep and talks to strangers." Did anyone else notice we were almost 10 minutes into the show before Don spoke his first line and it was in conversation with a total stranger?

Meanwhile, back in New York, the offices of SCDP are decked out in garland, snowflakes and Christmas decor that just looks sad and tired. There is false cheeriness about. It's the week between Christmas and New Year’s and it’s very busy. Specifically, the new team is working on creative for Dow Chemical and Don also has to create an ad for the Royal Hawaiian. 

On to Roger, who is seeing a shrink. Time will tell how helpful that will be. Roger’s beloved mother has died and the funeral scene is both funny and not. His mother's friends dote on him, his ex-wife shows  up with her new husband, an upstart from the agency sends oodles of unwanted food Roger, and a drunken Don throws up in the corner of the deceased's opulent home. Distressed Roger throws everyone out, while classic Roger makes a move on ex-wife, Mona, who wisely pushes him off. The next day, Roger walks in the office and finds a shoe shine kit left to him. He learns that his shoe shiner died and because Roger was the only person asking about him, the kit was brought to him. Alone in his office, holding the shoe brush, Roger bursts into tears. Now, Roger didn't even cry when his mother died. I have to believe the overwhelming grief stems from more than just this death, but rather his personal regrets.

Needless to say, all of this gloom impacts the SCDP creative team. The ad they create for Royal Hawaiian includes a suit coat, tie and shoes on the beach with foot prints leading into the water. The tag line reads "Leave it All Behind." The client is underwhelmed and quite put off by the implied suicidal messaging. "Where's our hotel? Where's Diamond head?" he asks. Don's reply: "Anyone can do that. This is thought-provoking advertising." Yes, thoughts of death. Don honestly seemed surprised by the negative reaction. It appears death is going to be a predominant theme this season.

Peggy is now at her new shop in crisis mode. The ad she and her team created for KOSS headphones includes a play on Shakespeare with the tag line "Lend Me Your Ears". Clever, but like today's campaigns, sometimes current events can transform your ad  from incredible to insensitive. In this case, there was a comment from a comedian about American GI's in Vietnam cutting off the enemy’s ears and making necklaces of them. A more recent example is the controversial Tibetan Groupon Super Bowl ad from a few years ago.  Understandably, the client is up in arms, as is Peggy's manager. But Peggy keeps her cool for the most part. She does seem a trifle power-hungry and bossy though.

On a different note, I was struck by how times have changed when Peggy was unable to reach the top boss Ted. Today he'd be reachable via cell phone, texting or email no matter where he was. At any rate, on NYE she and her team work to resolve the issue at hand. Ted comes into the office to see who could possibly be working on NYE. He slightly chastises Peggy for keeping the team when she has developed a brilliant solution. There’s a big difference in Ted and Don as managers, in that Ted had no problem complimenting Peggy. Clearly, the move from SCDP has been beneficial to her.

Betty is another lost soul. She can't relate to Sally at all anymore; although most of that is due to Sally's teenage angst. I still don't know who Sandy is but she seems to represent Betty's youth. She's a 15-year-old girl, staying at the Francis house and set to go to Juilliard to study violin. However, she wasn't accepted to the school after all. She and Betty have quite the conversation where she tells Betty she would rather go live in "the Village" in an abandoned house with others who are just doing their thing. I also liked her line to Betty, "Why don't you just be the way you are," when Betty mentions watching her weight.

It seems Sandy just wants to be herself so she runs away to the Village. Betty searches for Sandy in a decrepit, rat-infested shamble and finds several guys, making goulash and living in filth. She hangs around long enough to discover Sandy had been there. She sold her violin for $10 to one of the guys who has some choice words for up-tight "Blondie." Betty returns to her established home and acts like nothing happened. She continues to provoke Henry, this time by initiating a rather disturbing conversation. There's bound to be trouble ahead for these two.

Speaking of trouble and love, Don is back to his old tricks. A while back, Don, Megan, Dr. Rosen and his wife are coming in from separate evenings out when the doorman has a heart attack. The doctor saves his life and the two couples become friends. Don invites the doctor into SCDP and is very curious about what it's like to have the power to save a life. Don tells him that he hopes Rosen conducts the first heart transplant in the States. New Year’s Eve finds those four and others celebrating at the Draper’s penthouse. There's a snowstorm raging outside when Dr. Rosen gets a call and must go into the hospital. He and Don go to storage to locate a pair of skis so Rosen can get into work. While the good doctor is off saving lives, Don sneaks into bed with Mrs. Rosen.

Yes, as Dante says, the forest is dark and in this case, the straight forward path Don had been on is lost. There's no turning back and more doors to open.

 

• Click here to listen and subscribe for free in iTunes (Featured by Apple as a "New and Noteworthy" podcast!)
• Click here to download the mp3 of this episode
• Click below to listen in your browser

About Tim Bingaman

About The Media Mic

The Media Mic is an interview series from Kantar Media SRDS with leaders in the media business about the roads they’ve taken, and the stories and people that make up our vibrant industry. Bandwidth and hosting for The Media Mic is provided by Wizzard Media and Libsyn.

Throughout college, the majority of the sports news I consumed was from the Chicago Tribune (my daily newspaper), ESPN (both TV and Web) and closer to graduation, Deadspin.com. The paper provided me with short and quick updates on my favorite local teams, ESPN gave me the big, national picture and Deadspin popped out offbeat anecdotes, sometimes controversial rumors and entertaining commentaries.

In the last two years, another media property has been added to my favorites list because it fills a void missed by the other three: long-form sports articles that are not only informative, but highly entertaining.

Grantland.com was launched in 2011 by ESPN’s “Sports Guy” columnist Bill Simmons. The articles range from intense “30 for 30”-type pieces to the latest pop culture news. Grantland pieces are original, thought-provoking and witty. Just like director Christopher Nolan challenges his audience with complicated movies filled with twists and turns, Grantland expects quite a bit from its readers. A grain of salt, an appreciation for sarcasm, maturity and a sense of humor.

What’s most telling about this site is that it’s been very successful. According to Compete, the site has more than 600,000 unique monthly visitors.  

This brings me to my larger point. Even though almost anyone can be a publisher these days, not all of these publishers will be successful, have loyal followings and make money.

Among the countless sports websites on the Web, Grantland has set itself apart because of its high-quality content—Simmons is an outstanding writer. Consequently all of the other elements for publisher success have fallen into place: like advertising, content expansion onto new platforms (apps, tablets, print, etc.), enhanced site design and specialized sponsors.

Still, it hasn’t been a cake walk. Grantland’s ad sales team works hard to make money in a challenging environment. Eric Johnson, ESPN Executive VP-Multimedia Sales, tackled that topic in an Ad Age interview:

“We started with presenting sponsors, such as Subway, that have a customized integration into the site. Now we're looking at selling flighted sponsorships around events, so you might see us sell one around the Super Bowl or the NBA Draft. We don't have the desire to just sell display rotational ads. They don't fill a need and it's more profitable this way.

And in some ways, Grantland is like a Hollywood studio that creates different pieces of content, like some of the podcasts, that we can use outside of Grantland but carry the brand with them. One of the deals we have done recently is having Blue Moon sponsor "30 for 30 Shorts."”

Again, because Grantland has strong and diverse editorial content, high-quality advertising breaks have come a bit easier.

I don’t think success based on high-quality content is limited to online sports publishing. Any media company that has expertise on niche topics has a major opportunity if it can be unique, offer a fresh voice and appeal to a core loyal audience.

Grantland publisher David Cho isn’t ready to take a breather and rest on his laurels just yet. He told Ad Age:

 “We're fans of the New York magazine model, where they have the blogs Vulture, The Cut, Daily Intel. That's sort of what we want to do: create destination pages that are stronger and feel like products of their own. We felt like we are putting out some good stuff that's getting lost because we were relying on the home page.”

Online publishers should take note of Grantland’s approach and emphasis on content as they get their sites off the ground.

Media buyers/planners and media companies are increasingly promoting the efficiency of the video media kit. In the SRDS planning platform,  you may have noticed that we’ve added more video media kits in the past few months. Here’s why.

Media buyers are often too busy to meet face-to-face with media companies and don’t want to request and read through pages of media kits. A two-minute video media kit trumps a 25-page print media kit every time.

On the media side, companies are increasingly using videos to deliver a consistent, focused message in an engaging and dynamic medium. Brand portfolios are more complex now than ever. Most media brands have multiple formats. There’s a website, an app, a tablet publication and the list goes on and on. With a video media kit, publishers can give a quick topline overview of all their advertising and marketing opportunities. It’s like bringing an editor and publisher on every sales call.

SRDS Video Media Kits work by pulling a media brand’s existing video into a simple interface that appears in their SRDS listing and search results. A brand’s SRDS Video Media Kit can even be used on the brand’s own website and social media channels.

Here are five of our newest video media kits:

1. WNBC NYC
2. Campus Media Group
3. BH&G
4. CRN
5. RMI Direct

Media Companies: Do you have a good video aimed at media buyers you want in your SRDS listing?

If you’re interested in adding this service or other SRDS Marketing Services to your SRDS profile, contact Tara Clifford.

Mark and David discuss his pioneering work using database-driven marketing for ad sales and his experience launching the first b-to-b site for professional travel. Along the way they talk about the importance of giving web users what they want, the vital importance of using and understanding third-party web audience metrics and the return of relationship selling.

• Click here to listen and subscribe for free in iTunes (Featured by Apple as a "New and Noteworthy" podcast!)
• Click here to download the mp3 of this episode
• Click below to listen in your browser:.

About Mark Browning

Mark Browning, has 30+ years travel marketing experience, traveling extensively in 45 states, Europe, the Caribbean and attending over 200 travel industry shows. From 1977-1992 Mark's firm represented the South for 13 successful publication launches by major New York and New England based publishers.

In 1993 he launched TRIPsouth, the start of TRIPmedia Group, Inc. He has addressed dozens of groups on travel marketing, and has worked through the U.S. Travel & Tourism Administration to promote inbound tourism to the U.S.A. Mark holds a degree in marketing from Vanderbilt University, was inducted into Who's Who in Advertising in 1990, and was honored with the STS Spirit of Southeast Tourism award in 2000.

He serves on the Board of Directors of the 900-member Southeast Tourism Society, with the House Corporation of his college fraternity, is president of his neighborhood community association, and has co-hosted an annual reunion of Vanderbilt alumni since 2005. Mark lives with his wife of 27+ years in their native North Atlanta. Not surprisingly Mark & Sheala greatly enjoy traveling, especially with their two grown children.

About The Media Mic

The Media Mic is an interview series from Kantar Media SRDS with leaders in the media business about the roads they’ve taken, and the stories and people that make up our vibrant industry. Bandwidth and hosting for The Media Mic is provided by Wizzard Media and Libsyn.

Marketers and agencies must drastically transform their mobile advertising strategy in 2013 if they want to succeed.

According to a new study from Forrester, seven out of ten mobile users say that automatically served in-app advertisements are disruptive. Two-thirds of respondents label these ads as annoying and 88% say they aren’t engaging.

This study is one of many I’ve seen this year confirming that mobile ads aren’t resonating with consumers. Most of these reports call out mobile ads for not being relevant, interesting or valuable to the user. For example, in November, we posted about an Adobe survey, which found that 45% of respondents prefer to see an ad in their favorite print magazine versus the 0% that prefers to see an ad in a mobile app.

For agencies and marketers, effectively using mobile advertising is both a major challenge and an opportunity in 2013. Mobile cannot be overlooked. Each brand needs a unique approach on this channel for many reasons, but for starters because it’s here to stay.

Here’s what you need to know to convince execs that a mobile strategy is no longer optional: 

Mobile has quickly become the media platform of choice for Millennials. Smartphones allow us to stay in constant contact with friends and family, have ready access to data and information and be able to be productive or relax at any given moment. If you’re looking to reach Millennials, mobile is the way to do it.

Consumers now use mobile phones to purchase products more than ever. This Cyber Monday, mobile transactions accounted for 22% of online sales, an increase of 100% over last year. Retailers cannot overlook this trend.

The good news is that at the very least, most companies are considering a mobile marketing strategy. Some have actually done a phenomenal job using apps, mobile-optimized websites and smartphone deals to reach consumers. But there’s still a long way to go.

According to the TNS Mobile Life study for 2012, many Chief Marketing Officers say it’s no longer OK for companies and marketers to just watch and wait. Experimentation is central to the mobile approach for many brands, with an emphasis on ‘learning by doing’ across marketing and business operations. Urgency is the keyword here.

In order to stay relevant and reach consumers, marketers and agencies must research, plan, develop and execute on their mobile strategies. And after it’s all said and done, they must find a way to serve users ads that aren’t annoying, obtrusive or irrelevant. It may be tough, but it’s necessary.

Another key point from the Forrester study for marketers/agencies to know is that:

“A significant portion of mobile users were open to mobile ad targeting based upon their personal interests (49%) and current location (43%).”

Consumers tolerate ads that have some sort of tie-in to where they live or what interests them. But with the rise of “Do Not Track” and Ad Choices, which allow users to opt out of behavioral targeting, it might be time for marketers to go back to the drawing board.

One idea, which is already being used at Google (no surprise!), is to treat consumer data as a currency and offer incentives for it. The company Enliken is trying to give users the ability to edit, control and prioritize the data they want advertisers to see, making the data richer and more valuable. If an ad is more relevant to the consumer, it’s not as annoying and can supply the user with information he/she is actually interested in.

But targeted ads still need to look good! Ten years ago, banner ads faced a similar dilemma. They had to back out of the scam-like ads offering free trips to the Bahamas, and start incorporating strong creative, interactive visuals and unique storytelling. Advertisers and marketers should take note.

Those three features, coupled with targeted content, can help elevate mobile to a new level of advertising in the coming years.

How will your mobile strategy evolve in 2013?

"Out with the old, in with the new." 

"New year, new you."

We hear these clichés often this time of year. I have been trying to come up with a saying to summarize what’s ahead for media planning in 2013 and, quite frankly, am stumped. The best I can think of is this: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

I think media planning in 2013 will consist of innovations and opportunities mixed with the everyday challenges we’re all accustomed to. Needless to say, it’s going to be an interesting ride. Here are some recommendations:

1. In 2013, media planners must focus on the best way to embrace and use the latest and greatest "big thing," namely online videos, mobile messaging and content marketing. Those will be the game changers of the year. Media planners and marketers that can execute on those three will be primed for success.
2. Media planners must work with the rest of the advertising department along with team members in marketing, PR and communications to determine who will be responsible for each of the three buckets listed above. Accountability and execution are key.
3. Media planners must develop metrics to track results and improve. Metrics should guide you as you revise and update your plans.

Even though the year will undoubtedly be filled with challenges, I recommend that you not overlook the basics. Here are three important considerations to keep in mind:

1. Focus on your audience. You could have the best campaign in the world, but if you're not getting the message to the right demographic and targeted consumer your client will not be happy.
2. Keep in mind the current picture of the consumer you need to reach and create your plan according to his/her media consumption habits. Want to reach seniors? Don't underestimate the number of seniors utilizing their laptops, tablets and cell phones. Integration is the key because these same seniors still rely on their printed newspaper, radio and tvs for news and information. Want to reach males ages 18-35? You might want to consider in-game messaging in the plan. 
3. Don’t overlook the power of the message. Creative content is necessary to get and keep attention in this era of efficiency. 

In short, while you can’t forget about digital components, audience, message and channel will continue to be the essentials of media planning. Sounds like everything old is new again.

Here at Kantar Media SRDS, it’s no secret that we love media. You could even say that we're obsessed. Since 1919, our very existence has revolved around the media and advertising industry, spanning print, radio, TV and of course digital.

To help spread some holiday (and media!) cheer this season, we polled our employees, asking them to send in links to their all-time favorite holiday commercials. They responded and we’ve got well over a dozen ads to share with you. Some are classics, others are newbies, many are hilarious, others are sentimental, and most importantly, they’re all memorable.

View our full YouTube playlist here, or pick and choose from the list below.

1. 1993 Coca-Cola Polar Bear Commercial
2. M&Ms (he is real!)
3. Hershey’s Kisses Play a Song
4. Campbell’s Snowman
5. Budweiser Clydesdale Snowball Fight
6. Norelco Christmas 1986
7. GameStop 2010
8. Budweiser Clydesdale Kiss
9. Folger's Coffee Peter Comes Home For Christmas
10. Kay: Baby's First Christmas
11. Santa Chevy TV ad - St. Nick's Beard
12. Crazy Target Lady Montage
13. eBay Holiday Pony
14. Gap Holiday Dance Ad
15. Chevy Santa Casual Friday
16. T-Mobile Home for the Holidays Surprise
17. Coca-Cola Polar Bears 2012
18. Mercedes Benz 2012

Did we miss any? Share your favorite holiday commercials in the comments section or tweet us @SRDS!

(image source)

For years, mega-sized advertising agencies beat out their smaller counterparts 9 times out of 10 because they could access large-scale media buys for a better price. But Matt Murphy, Founder and Executive Director of fusion92, believes that this trend may be slowing, as hyper-local advertising allows “mid-sized and smaller firms with broad regional knowledge and full-service advertising capabilities that include digital expertise” to gain a clear advantage.

Hyper-local advertising targets individuals at the neighborhood or ZIP code level and delivers timely, relevant ads that often have a local component in the creative or messaging. Consumers are inundated daily with ads on every media channel, with most being ignored because they don’t have any relevance to the user. But hyper-local advertisers can create smarter, more targeted approaches that vary by location.

Agencies already use SRDS.com to reach targeted markets by DMA. They have access to media planning data for local websites, print magazines, newspapers, radio, TV and out of home.

But just because these agencies are tailoring their campaigns for local markets doesn’t mean they are ditching large national campaigns. On the contrary, it’s more about using data and technology to customize a large campaign so that it is better matches the targeted audience.

It makes sense that a message incorporating something about your neighborhood (a free appetizer at the Chili’s down your street, for example) has a greater chance of resonating. And not just for you, for everyone in your ZIP code. For users in Chicago, Chicago Bulls imagery or a sound clip from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra might make strike a personal (and memorable) note.

Another reason agencies should consider hyper-local advertising is that it’s cost-effective. Digital technology such as Foursquare encourages users to share location information, making it easy for advertisers to reach their target markets, both through traditional methods and digital channels. According to Murphy:

“Advertisers can segment target audiences to ZIP-code levels, build customizable creative for local components of national campaigns and use digital and traditional advertising channels to distribute hyper-local ads and generate market share gains across multiple regions.”

The ad industry is only going to get more competitive, but if smaller agencies can take the bull by the horns and become more agile, then they have a big opportunity. Plus, the technology and data is already there, so why not use it? 

A few weeks ago, we wrote about tablet commerce and how publishers are trying to find new ways to make money while offering readers a more interactive experience through e-commerce offerings.

Thanks to Esquire Magazine, we now have a real-world example of this taking place. The December issue of Esquire uses the iPhone app, Netpage, to convert paper print magazine pages into ones that are digitally interactive on your smart phone.

According to an article on Internet Retailer:

“Readers can use the Netpage app to interact with the print edition of Esquire and do things such as purchase items in ads, play videos, and digitally clip and save any article, photo or ad and share it via e-mail, text, Facebook, Twitter and other social networks.”

And this isn’t just a test run for Esquire. All forthcoming issues will function digitally using the app. Hearst Corp., Esquire’s publisher, also announced that its other magazines (Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and Elle) will use Netpage in the future.

How Netpage Works:

When a reader hovers over the print magazine pages with a smartphone, the app recognizes each page and sends a digital replica of the page to the reader’s mobile screen. As the reader moves the phone over the page, the app tracks it, and then sends instructions to its web servers on what to show the reader based on how the app interacts with magazine pages.

What Readers Can Do With Netpage:

In this issue of Esquire, for example, a user can watch a video of actor Bradley Cooper, buy featured items from internet retailer MadeMovement, share a recipe on Pinterest and save articles to read later on a smartphone.

Advertisers also benefit from interactive publications like Esquire’s in that they can make their ads interactive and flashy. Lexus is the big winner in this issue. The magazine includes a two-page ad spread for a new Lexus sports car. When readers scan the ad using the Netpage app, it’s almost like you’re emerging from the darkness into the light. The scene begins to animate on your iPhone, the car’s headlights flash on and then the screen morphs into a 30-second video ad.

This may be the first instance of a publisher pushing the digital envelope to enhance print reader experience and drive revenue, but it won’t be the last.

What will be interesting though is whether or not Hearst’s competitors will end up with a digital publication/e-commerce model similar to this or one that is radically and creatively different.  

What do you think?

(image source)

Do you think TV commercials are more effective than online advertisements?

Marketers and consumers don’t completely agree on the answer, according to the recent survey conducted by Adobe. The survey said that U.S. marketers rated online ads as more effective than TV ads, but only slightly (51%). On the consumer side, two-thirds of (marketers? Consumers?) believe that TV commercials are more effective.

Moreover, respondents considered traditional media (newspapers/TV) the best buy for marketing and advertising, but indicated that might be true just because consumers are accustomed to it. It’s hard to say.

Respondents said they would rather see an ad in their favorite print magazine (45%) or while watching their favorite TV show (23%) versus on social media (3%) or in an app (0%).

Again, that might just be because we’ve been conditioned into thinking traditional media automatically comes with advertising. Digital is newer and it didn’t always come with pop-ups, banner ads and “enter your email address to see this page.”

Both consumers and marketers feel online advertising is effective, but the majority of consumers (68%) responding did not have positive perceptions of it. They frequently used words like “annoying,” “distracting” and “all over the place.”  

While respondents consider advertising created by professionals to be the most effective form of advertising, a little more than a fourth of marketers (as well as consumers) believe that user-generated content is the best form of online advertising.

So what do consumers want to see in advertising? They want the ad to “tell a unique story, not just try to sell” and the majority prefers videos and user product reviews.

 Ann Lewnes, Adobe chief marketing officer, says:

“This study is a wakeup call for marketers. We know there’s a tremendous opportunity – online, on mobile, in social – in terms of where consumers are spending their time and money. But as marketers we’ve yet to really break through. Serving customers relevant content, delivering experiences that are engaging instead of intrusive and, just as importantly, measuring what’s working and what isn’t so that we can improve our marketing are all critical. When marketers begin to master these things we’ll turn the corner – consumers will start to notice and we’ll start to capitalize.”

Do you think TV or online ads are more effective, or do you recommend integrated campaigns?

(image source)

As more publishers and media companies create tablet editions of their magazines and newspapers, they must start thinking about innovative ways to monetize this strategy. Selling ads is one strategy.

The SRDS Tablet Media Library includes more than 600 apps that accept advertising, including apps for iOS, Android, Zinio and Nook. Clearly there are companies already making money off of tablet ads, but e-commerce is a fresh way for them to obtain some much-needed returns.

eMedia Vitals editor Rob O'Regan touts online shopping opportunities within tablet publications in his article, “Can tablet commerce help publishers break free of the magazine paradigm?”

"The promising future of 'couch commerce,' driven by the tablet’s rising status as an at-home, lean-back leisure device, should grab the attention of media companies looking to expand their digital business models."

It makes sense. Increasingly, people want to sit back, relax and do as much as they can from their La-Z-Boys. We can deposit checks, purchase a new pair of jeans and order a movie all from the comfort of our homes.

So, publishers need to get creative too and develop multichannel e-commerce offerings to satisfy their consumers, but perhaps even more importantly, drive revenue.  

O’Regan uses the following stat to support his point and it’s quite telling.

"comScore says 39% of tablet owners purchased items in the past month, compared with 18% of smartphone owners. Tablet owners appear more engaged as well: 43% have researched items and 42% have compared product prices in the past month, compared to 21% and 22%, respectively, for smartphones."

While there isn’t a golden strategy as to how to make tablet commerce work, it’s apparent that media companies and publishers would likely have to mix editorial and advertising in a way that they may not have been comfortable with 20 years ago.

Sure, it’s a slippery slope, but print publications have been hit hard in the last decade, so if they can create a way for their readers to purchase the products or services in their articles, they might be able to successfully walk this tightrope, make money and enhance reader engagement.

For example, Facebook is one social platform that added e-commerce to its offerings this year. Through Facebook Real Gifts, users can buy real-world presents for friends, such as cupcakes, toys and digital gift cards. This is another fantastic way for Facebook to make money, appease investors and offer a valuable service to users.  Plus, Real Gifts is mobile optimized so users don’t have to be at a computer to buy gifts.

It’ll be interesting in the coming months to see if media companies and publishers begin to offer something similar.

(Image Source)

In only two days, ad:tech will take place in New York City. If you haven’t heard, ad:tech is one of the best digital marketing events around and it’s worldwide.

Our Kantar Media SRDS team will be there at Booth 1803 along with team members from Kantar Media Intelligence, Audiences and Compete. We’d love to see you, so if you’re at the show stop by to introduc yourself.

We love media and all things digital, so the ad:tech conference program looks full of excellent topics. Here are some of the sessions we’re most excited about:

1. Follow the Money: Investors Place Their Bets on the Future of Advertising - Will the digital advertising bubble pop? Depending on who you ask, we’re already seeing it happen. This session will include a discussion about the future of advertising from the perspective of the people that fund it. They’ll talk about the new products, services and technologies that they’re backing – the startups they think will change the ad business moving forward – as well as how the financial performance of industry darlings post-IPO has shifted their thinking.
2. Cross-Platform Media Strategy: Advanced Reach & Targeting - There are real challenges when it comes to buying different types of media and integrating them into a single plan – but when it’s done right, a cross-platform campaign can be one of the most effective tools in digital marketer’s toolbox. The session will include examples of how to bundle search and social with TV, radio and print for maximum reach and engagement, and they’ll also explain how to measure the effectiveness of each disparate medium.
3. Mobile Marketing: Best Practices for Cracking Today’s Most Intimate Channel - According to a recent study by Ericsson ConsumerLab, more than 1/3 of smartphone users get online before even getting out of bed. So how do marketers engage these mobile consumers on a meaningful level? Senior marketers will bring you up to speed on mobile, relate it to other topics like search and social, and explore ways to take advantage of today’s technologies to extend the platform and engage consumers.
4. New Marketing Platforms: Wearable Devices, Advanced TV & More! - Google and Apple are both working on wearable devices, nearly 40 percent of American households have at least one TV connected to the internet, and location-aware mobile apps can track shoppers and send precision-targeted ads when they’re within a certain radius of a store. The “future” of advertising is now. In this session, you’ll get a first look at the cutting-edge platforms marketers have begun adding to the mix – some at scale – as well as glimpses into the products and services coming down the pike in the next 12 months.
5. Publishers and Tablets: New Strategies for Monetizing and Creating Content - Is the love affair between publishers and tablets fading? No, but is because a more mature relationship. We’ve lost the breathless headlines about new tablet apps, and feverish pushes to buy tablet-specific ads. Now the focus is on creating sustainable tablet revenue streams, including figuring out subscription models that entice print subscribers, as well as developing unique tablet content in a cost-effective manner. This session will present some of the newest strategies for creating and monetizing tablet content and audiences.

[Note: be sure to check out the SRDS Tablet Media Library to see some of the best apps from business, consumer and newspaper publishers.]

6. Next-Gen Ad Attribution: Make the Most of Effective Accountable Measurement - Click-through rates, post clicks, impressions, tracking mechanisms and site analytics all serve their purpose, but don’t always accurately account for the various influences along the purchasing path. Today’s marketers must analyze how various channels interact to determine where attribution makes sense. Much has been said about different ad attribution models. What is the best way to measure and should marketers restrict themselves to these pre-determined models? Leading brand and technology experts will share insight into today’s ad attribution and where marketers should look next.

Sensing a pattern here? All of these sessions involve some aspect of digital advertising or online marketing, two topics that we’re always trying stay at the forefront of.

What sessions look the most intriguing to you?

Click here to see the full ad:tech NY schedule.

New research from the Media Behavior Institute bolsters what many of us have long suspected: that we—the media and advertising pros who claim to best understand consumer behavior—are rather different than the consumers we often represent. As reported in MediaPost:

While the data is based on a small sample, the findings are striking, because the media pros reporting were so dramatically different than average consumers, especially when it came to their use of Internet-connected computers and mobile devices.

Amazingly, the media pros spent 53% of their waking day interacting with email, vs. 20% for the general population, and they spent 28% accessing the Internet vs. 15% for average consumers.

Their use of mobile apps and social networks were similarly distorted, which may go a long way toward explaining Madison Avenue’s obsession with those media platforms.

Ninety-two percent of the media pros utilized mobile apps, and they used them for 11% of their waking day, on average. Only 25% of consumers utilize mobile apps, and use them for 6% of their waking time on average.

Exactly half of the media pros used a social network and accessed it for 19% of their waking time vs. 19% of consumers who used it for 7% of their waking time.

Also notable was the finding that, "When it comes to 'traditional media,' consumers utilize all forms—especially radio—more than industry pros with the exception of print."

The research was presented by the Media Behavior Institute during MPG’s Collaborative Alliance session during Advertising Week.

(Note: Kevin Moeller, Executive Director of Research & Analytics for the Media Behavior Institute is a speaker at the fall 2012 Chicago and New York Media Mixology events.)

• Click here to listen and subscribe for free in iTunes (Featured by Apple as a "New and Noteworthy" podcast!)
• Click here to download the mp3 of this episode
• Click below to listen in your browser:

About Gabrielle Austin

Until July 2012, Gabrielle was the Vice President of New Business Development at Valassis. Gabrielle joined Valassis in March 2010 and was responsible for leading the Valassis sales team focused on the acquisition of new customers in both well established market segments as well as new customer verticals. 

Prior to joining Valassis, Gabrielle was President of Ethnic Print Media Group, a boutique Multicultural agency, where she was charged with new business growth, relationship management, and corporate development.

Gabrielle’s professional experience includes ten years with NSAMedia, a general market newspaper planning and buying agency. As the President of Strategic Print Marketing, a division of NSAMedia in Atlanta, she spearhead media research, analysis, and strategy development for large entrenched major US retail brands. Gabrielle managed in excess of $630 million of her clients mass print advertising expenditure. She was instrumental in obtaining and retaining the following full stewardship accounts for NSA; The Home Depot,  Toys R Us, Golfsmith, Eye Care Centers of America and Bed Bath & Beyond / CTS.

Gabrielle's mass print media experience includes several newspaper advertising sales management positions with Knight Ridder and Gannett newspapers. She is also well versed in magazine publishing from her experience as the Midwest Director for Essence Magazine.

Gabrielle lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband Wayne and the youngest of her three sons, Tyler.

About The Media Mic

The Media Mic is an interview series from Kantar Media SRDS with leaders in the media business about the roads they’ve taken, and the stories and people that make up our vibrant industry. Bandwidth and hosting for The Media Mic is provided by Wizzard Media and Libsyn.

We weren't kidding when we mentioned a couple weeks ago that we've been around for awhile. Below is a cover from our business-to-business media product from January 1937.

Things sure were different 75 years ago...

Back then there were 12 SRDS industry classifications; today we organize b-to-b media into more than 190 market classifications.

Back then, we collected info on just business publication advertising. Today, our Business Media Advertising Source includes:

• 9,000+ print media listings
• 5,000+ digital media listings
• 25,000+ direct marketing lists
• 60+ media brands with iPad and tablet apps at the SRDS Tablet Media Library

I wonder what media information we'll provide you in 2087?

Have a terrific weekend, friends!

Greetings my friends,

I have not posted in awhile, but loads of travel and having my wisdom teeth taken from me have kept me from my desk. Making a huge assumption that i have been missed, I promise to be around a bit more than I have.

My bruised ego (and jaws) aside, I wanted to share with you a cool application that recently dropped in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette recently launched Plus, offering an augmented reality, QR-Code-like experience for newspaper content, but without the QR codes. The Democrat-Gazette joins The Philadelphia Inquirer as the second publication in the US to use this app technology, developed by Aurasma (a division of  HP).

While the application demo in the article shows news-related photos, the article also cites great applications for unique advertising opportunities. Walter E. Hussman Jr., publisher of the Democrat-Gazette, explained the benefits for local advertising: “It allows advertisements to tell more than they can do in print alone. The newspaper can become a guide to a lot more information.”

Pretty cool, huh? Give the article a read, check out a demo of the application and let me know what you think.

(And don't forget to explore other newspaper apps at the SRDS Tablet Media Library!) 

Newspaper ads continue to be at the heart of local market media plans. SRDS has two services that compliment your current newspaper planning solutions and may make your local market planning a little easier: Circulation 2013 and our Digital Media database.

Which market to choose?

Use SRDS Circulation 2013 (available October 2012) to find the best markets for newspaper advertising. This annual print resource shows you which newspapers have the best reach in your target markets.

• Over 1,300 dailies, 169 newspaper groups, 25 consumer magazines and 4 national supplements — make comparisons easily so you can make the best decisions. Now includes free dailies!
• Listings organized by metro, state and television viewing areas — research quickly using convenient organization to find your best options fast

Ready to move local ads online?

Find and compare all local media websites within a DMA(s) with the SRDS Digital database. You’ll find everything from newspaper, TV, radio websites as well as local online-only ad opportunities.

The SRDS Digital Media database gives you access to planning data on almost 23,000 national consumer, b-to-b and local websites, including:

• 11,300+ local sites in all 210 DMAs, including 1,400+ local online-only sites
• 4,800+ consumer sites in 80+ standard industry categories
• 5,100+ b-to-b sites in 190+ standard industry categories
• 130+ online networks

Ready to get started? Give us a call at 800.851.7737!

Over at Business 2 Community, Eric Wittlake has a post aimed at helping address the challenges of marketers trying to reach business-to-business audiences. He offers "Six Free Ways to Find the Best B2B Advertising Opportunities." In short, they include:

1. Google
2. Free list research tools
3. Google Ad Planner
4. Media Kits and Research
5. Twitter and Content Curators
6. Delicious

It's a pretty good list, especially if you are heavily constrained by budget to the point of only using free resources.

Of course, sometimes you get what you pay for, and what you don't invest in dollars will cost you double in time. That's where SRDS comes in, with our Business Publication Media database.

While it isn't free, it is the single best place online to find the entire universe of business publication advertising options, including print journals, websites and direct marketing lists.

No detective work required:

• 9,000+ print media listings
• 5,000+ digital media listings
• 25,000+ direct marketing lists
• 60+ media brands with iPad and tablet apps at the SRDS Tablet Media Library
• Over 190 market classifications

In fact, the detailed media listings on SRDS.com also include most of the same information Wittlake mentions, including Google Ad Planner Profiles (plus audience metrics from Kantar Media Compete), links to media kits, and third-party or publisher research.

Here's a video showing the Business Publication Media database in action.

If you like what you see, learn more here.

What about you? How do you find B2B advertising options?