Many great innovations never really take off or are just too fiddly to ever gain consumer acceptance. A great idea is not always the next big thing. However, some lead industries and products into new areas that completely redefine the way we view the world. I have been wondering of late which one Augmented Reality (AR) falls into.
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Augmented Reality: Gimmick or the future of advertising?
Posted by Dale Carr on May 4th, 2012 at 11:53 am
Tags: augmented, augmented reality, mobile advertising, reality
Posted in Ad Networks, Ad Serving, Opinions | 3 Comments »
Mmmmm – Marketing Dark Chocolate
Posted by Neal Leavitt on March 22nd, 2012 at 6:07 pm
To paraphrase that famous cartoon philosopher, H. Simpson: “Mmmmmm. Chocolate.”
I’m sure my hypothalamus is hardwired for chocolate – that old adage, “out of sight, out of mind” may work for some folks – not me. If there’s chocolate in the upper reaches of the pantry or it’s buried two-feet deep behind various foodstuffs in the fridge, my brain immediately sends out tracking signals – a cranial GPS (Godiva Positioning System), I reckon.
So not surprisingly, as a self-confessed ‘chocoholic’, I was thrilled a few years ago when I started reading reports about how dark chocolate – eaten in moderation (inhaled is more accurate for me) – may be good for the heart.
Some dark chocolate confections even contain various vitamins, nutrients and probiotics; research has also shown that flavonoids – antioxidants found in cocoa beans – may help lower blood pressure and LDL (think ‘Lousy’ – it’s the bad acronym) cholesterol, and also improve blood vessel function.
In fact, noted Joy Dubost, a nutritionist and spokesperson for the Washington, DC-based Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, “the higher the percentage of cocoa, the higher the flavanol content, the higher the antioxidant content and thus we believe the greater positive health benefit.”
All of... Read more
Posted in Ad Serving, Creative Best Practices, Entertainment, Opinions, Search, Social Media, Targeting, Websites, Wireless, Word of Mouth | 1 Comment »
What does oil scarcity have to do with ad technology innovation?
Posted by Dave Hendricks on March 22nd, 2012 at 9:08 am
Americans are despondent over our dependence on foreign sources of energy. While America has recoverable oil, there’snot nearly enough to fuel its 20 million barrel per day habit. We've found ways to fill the gap between our demand and our domestic supply, including moving to abundant and cheaper natural gas, solar, and wind, but some of these new sources just aren’t as good as oil.
As the price of oil rises, it’s become economical to invest in new technologies thatrecover previously expensive sources of natural gas and oil. Two techniques - natural gas 'fracking' and shale oil extraction –have emerged as viable alternatives that.Both approaches require new technology, place a premium on available inventory and are disruptive to existing producers. These are not methods you use when oil is cheap and plentiful.
Oil isn’t cheap and plentiful like it used to be. 30 years ago China and India weren’t growing at 10% a year and the internet was nothing more than an academic and military communications tool.
The parallels between the energyeconomy to the current ad technology ecosystem are not obvious at first. But when you take a look at the ad ecosystem - and Terry Kawaja’sLumascape - the parallels are stunning. As... Read more
Posted in Ad Networks, Ad Serving, Email, Emerging Platforms, Media Planning & Buying, Opinions, Social Media, Targeting | No Comments »
Digital RFP Does Not = “Real Frustrating Process”
Posted by Joy Baer on March 19th, 2012 at 7:26 am
Digital has become an important element for agencies to include during advertising campaigns. For the past four years, STRATA has been conducting surveys with media buying executives on important issues affecting the industry, one of which has always been Digital and how to get clients on board. Our stats show that the industry has mostly moved past education and adoption issues, to now agree on the fact that the current Digital RFP process has become a nightmare.
Definitely worth a read on some of the major issues, Namely’s CEO, Matt Straz pointed out in a bold MediaPost article, “People who work at agencies are frustrated because RFPs are still largely managed through email. A single RFP sent to a dozen publishers can result in hundreds of emails going back and forth among the parties.” Clearly, the process is tedious and lets be honest – it can be maddening.
A special poll recently conducted by STRATA (with agencies of varying sizes that are on a wide spectrum of buying systems) turned up some alarming information, mainly that many people have thrown their hands in the air when it comes to the Digital RFP process. While 27% say they plan to purchase a platform... Read more
Tags: advertising, digital, rfp
Posted in Ad Networks, Ad Serving, Media Planning & Buying, Social Media, Websites | No Comments »
The Ever-Changing Landscape of Ads
Posted by Jeff Hirsch on March 13th, 2012 at 1:30 pm
Continuing the conversation around optimization and the need for combining both art and science, today’s blog focuses on the effects of content (environment) on your campaign’s results.
Instead of discussing well-worn topics, such as the value of contextual placements and contextual targeting, I’d like to touch briefly on another effect of content dynamics. You see, the content of a website changes. It changes all the time.
Dynamic content implies that the environment in which your ad displays is constantly shifting. In turn, that means that the level of distraction around your ad is constantly in flux. Does this detract from the delivery of your message? What about a poorly written article? What is the affect on your advertising of a highly engaging writer? Does this lead the consumer to be more likely wooed by your message?
I am not touting the presence of unique technology to solve for this problem. I am speaking to the fact that algorithmic optimization, “silicon”-based optimization, so to speak, is a far-off notion. There are just too many variables. Once you think you have the answer, something in the environment changes, and all your calculations for content go awry.
Making a display campaign work in today’s environment is still... Read more
Tags: advertising, campaigns, content, content marketing, content strategy, contextual targeting, online advertising, Optimization, technology
Posted in Ad Serving, Creative Best Practices, Targeting | 1 Comment »
