When I showed up for Arianna Huffington’s keynote at ad:tech in San Francisco last week, I expected to hear about her vision of the online publishing industry and the role of advertising in it... Should people pay for content? Was the iPad the answer to solving her industries woes? Blah. Blah. Not that I have a poor opinion of the world’s sexiest media mogul (sorry Oprah), but this was a conference called “ad” + “tech” after all.
Instead, I was inspired.
Arianna told of us of a conversation she had some years ago with Jonas Salk, the man who discovered the cure to polio. Mr. Salk told her that he believed civilization was entering a second era, a new age where nationalism and self-interest would take a backseat to society’s collective humanity.
Epoch B. The Age of Humanity.
What a vision. Arianna believes it is coming true. I believe it can.
We see evidence of the growing power of our humanity all around us: The shift toward transparency in progressive organizations around the world; the radical transformation of social structures in the Middle East; the election of Barack Obama.
People are driven by conscience. Wacky liberal Democrats, church-going Republicans—we disagree on a lot, but for the... Read more
Tagged 'ad:tech' 
Arianna Huffington and the Age of Humanity
Meet "The Idea Guy" Live at Ad:Tech SF
The instinct to defend ourselves is natural. Similarly, the instinct to defend our ideas is natural.
Often times people defend their ideas and don't realize they are defending self interests; not ideas. I see nothing inherently wrong with this—although often times, if presented with a rational, objective argument, highlighting the reasons why our conception may not be the most effective, we are able to take a step back, see the forest from the trees and except the fact that our idea was flawed.
I would venture to guess that the act of falling in love with one's own idea happens in the marketing and advertising business more frequently than in other professions. The subjective nature of much of what we do makes it difficult to ascertain whether it is the idea we love, or the fact that we came up with it.
Relax…there is hope! Those of us willing to confess to occasional narcissism; accepting that a more structured approach to creativity may produce better results, will be better poised for success. This is just one of the many topics that will be discussed at, The Bleeding Edge of Advertising Innovation session at Ad:Tech this week.
You will be introduced... Read more
What Do You Do, Exactly?
Someone with whom I've worked for several years asked me the other day, "what exactly is it your team does? Or better yet, what background does your team have?"
Needless to say, I was a bit shocked but at the same time not surprised at all. To tell people, "I'm an Interactive Marketer" is not as intuitive as answering "I'm an accountant, graphic designer, journalist, engineer, attorney" or fill in the blank with 1000's of occupations that are pretty self-explanatory. I still have to explain to my dad exactly what I do, and yet he still calls me with questions about fixing his computer. (My answer is usually one of the following: 1. Google it, 2. Call tech support.)
But back to the original question: What do you do?
Short answer: if it deals with our brands and involves anything in the digital/interactive space, we are (or should be) involved. That list includes but is not limited to web site development and content creation, email marketing, online advertising, search engine marketing, analytics, privacy policy/legal/CAN-SPAM compliance, mobile strategy, CRM and database oversight, and online promotions. Some of this involves working with agencies and outside vendors, some of it doesn't. At times, it feels like... Read more
The Bloody Side of Advertising Innovation
On Wednesday April 21st, from 11-1pm, I will be chairing the Marketing Masters track at Ad:Tech San Francisco entitled, "The Bleeding Edge of Advertising Innovation". As you can see, I am pretty excited about it: Get connected. Adam Broitman will be taking the stage at ad:tech San Francisco, where he will serve as the Bleeding Edge Marketing Master. Join him at ad:tech, April 19-21. Learn more.
