This post is also available on OPA's blog.
The online publishing market has evolved rapidly over the last 5+ years taking the world of marketing with it. We now have a set of tools and digital platforms at our disposal—from HTML5 to various social networks—that would make the guys from Mad Men choke on their martinis. 2012 will be no exception. What will shape the industry in 2012? Here are some critical tips to help marketers deliver meaningful brand experiences in the coming year:
Touch Points – Connected with Consumers Across All Devices: One of the biggest opportunities for marketers in 2012 is to surround the consumer with a consistent brand experiences across platforms—a concept that has demonstrated a multiplier effect. As a recent study from Nielsen/CBS Television City found, participants exposed to ads on multiple screens, had a 24% increase in brand awareness—jumping from 50% to 74%. Each experience should be unified to reinforce the brand story, but tailored to the medium to make the most of the channel’s strengths.
Creative Renaissance – Delivering Online Brand Experiences: Online is a terrific place for marketers to deliver strong brand stories rather than simply leveraging the platform for direct marketing. For example, in a... Read more
Tagged 'Predictions' 
What Does 2012 Have in Store for Marketers?
Cutting out the middleman in music marketing
A few years back, I was having a conversation with a top digital marketing consultant about the music industry. We were discussing what a challenge it was becoming for musicians to make a living from their craft -- particularly for emerging artists struggling for ear-share among the Idols and ex-Mouseketeers. At the time, the RIAA was cracking down on music sharing sites (and their users) left and right. Albums were leaking online -- and not on purpose. And music labels, struggling to stay afloat, were starting to offer less "filthy lucre" and more controlling contracts. Somehow, in the new Age of the iPod, music seemed to be the only segment where digital wasn't opening up golden opportunities for content owners and creators.
At the time, my solution was that brands, particularly the biggies like Pepsi, Red Bull, Doritos, and Vans, should start "signing" artists themselves, rather than dealing with the hefty fees and legal red tape involved in working with the labels -- not to mention the difficulties in finding a band that is interested in becoming part of the corporate machine and risking the loss of street cred.
Ideally, a direct deal with musicians could give brands exclusive access to part... Read more
Forget 2010: Ten Marketing Predictions for the Next Decade
I'm proud of Critical Mass' standard of always seeking the extraordinary. So you can imagine my self-disappointment when I sat down to write another "top 10 predictions for the new year" post...it felt decidedly un-extraordinary.
So, forget about 2010. Let's talk big. REALLY big.
Here are 10 predictions for the next decade. That's right, the whole darn decade.
Sure, it's a little linkbait-y, but this is a fun way to start the new year and could ignite some great conversation. What will happen? And how will you succeed in this new decade?
1) Content Strategy Becomes the New Information Architecture: You've probably heard the saying, "Information architecture is to design what content strategy is to copy." And it's true, except that content strategy lags about 5-10 years behind IA as an agency deliverable. Expect clients to demand content strategy and hence agencies to staff up with folks who understand that the content on a site is as much a science as it is an art.
2) Marketing Sciences Get Sexy: Forget impressions, views, and hits. These dinosaurs are extinct and today's darlings (the all-too-vague visitors and clicks to name two) will likely follow them into the ether. Web metrics will... Read more
