FRANKthoughts

MySpace has launched a new ad platform targeted at SMEs called myAds.  At first glance, it appears to be a similar approach to Facebook Ads where it allows any business purchase a small banner on a CPC campaign.

Have heard of minor bugs such as it doesn’t work on Google’s Chrome browser and requires the latest Flash version to work.

According to Joan Warner, CEO of Commercial Radio Australia the answer is yes, and it will be here sooner than you might think.

Digital Radio  (DR) is due to roll out in all 5 metro markets in Jan/Feb 2009. Yesterday morning I was amongst 30 industry professionals who got to hear it first hand. In just over the course of an hour, we were taken through how it will work and what it means for both the consumer and the advertiser.  As a consumer, I am very excited! No longer will I be subjected to the static interference that corrupts my ears every morning, as I try and listen to my favourite FM breakfast show while on the train into work.  One of the main advantages to DR will be the strong interference-free signal, especially within built up areas. AM listeners in particular, will be jumping for joy with news of this.  Not only will the sound quality surpass current standards, but it will open up more choices for listeners with extra channels and new digital features. New technology means we will have screens to display dynamic text, images, data & multimedia channels.

For Advertisers, radio will no longer be just an audio touch point. DR introduces a visual element to complement the offering. From product shots to animated logos, contact details and even down-loadable electronic coupons for redeemable promotions. Phones will have the fastest capability to embrace digital radio and for many features will be the most practical hardware (electronic coupons for example) Despite these features you will not be able to display moving pictures; don’t get digital radio confused with Mobile TV.

Although a free service to consumers, an initial investment in a digital receiver will be required. Despite the onslaught of negative press out there I believe that DR will win the consumer over in the end, even if it takes 10 years. Remember Digital TV didn’t happen over night.

See what this guy has to say:

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is talking about the future of advertising with the Washington post.

(You’ll need to wait until the ad is over and click on the third video named: future of advertising).

What do you think will happen?

Via MediaFuturist

We first posted this back in March on the Future of Advertising.

Uwe Gutschow and Don Longfellow have picked up the “What’s Next In Marketing & Advertising” presentation and evolved it to Moving from Advertising to Marketing. Again, it’s a fantastic presentation on the need to shift focus on marketing than advertising as a solution.

| View | Upload your own

While sorting through my emails, I opened an email from my Coolhunter subscription.

I saw something cool… clicked on the image link to find out more info. Assuming it will take me to Coolhunter’s article, it brought me to:

The Victorian Tourism site! WTF?!

The average user will immediately close this window because:

a) its not what i’m after

b) I’ve been misled… which also says something about TheCoolHunter’s operations (which they’ve lost me as a subscriber)

c) and it’s not even contextually relevant!

With eMitch (the digital arm of Mitchell’s media buying group for the Vic Gov account) responsible for all things digital for Vic Gov media, I say a big bad slap on the hand for being LAZY and DODGEY media buying. Thou forgive me if eMitch was not responsible for this…. but this cannot be excused for who ever is responsible. Clients will undoubtedly be misguided that “Yep, I’ve hit my objective to deliver 10,000 people to my Lost & Found campaign”… though at closer look at figures such as engagement through time spent on site and page views per visitor will uncover this mask of deceit!!

And who’s offering these deals? Zookoda.com (*Incorrect)

A look at their click tracking url also reveals that the campaign manager is aware of this deal:

http://www.visitvictoria.com/displayobject.cfm/objectid.B4CF9147-8584-48C2-B85D1A20ED4DAB3C/
?utm_source=thecoolhunter&utm_medium=email_enewsletter&utm_content=top_leaderboard
&utm_campaign=lost_and_found_2008

Sometimes a minimal budget and a good cause can trigger a brilliant idea. Here is an example from Osocio, a blog about social advertising and non-profit campaigns from around the globe:

Client: Israeli food bank. Agency: Shalmor Avnon Amichay / Young & Rubicam, Tel Aviv.

Web series on social networks are massively successful and are getting millions of views per month. Now TV wants a bit of the action. But can web content be successful on TV? or is it best viewed online?

Lonely Girl 15 was the first to become an international phenomenon and social site Bebo quickly got the same crew to make LG15 sister series KateModern. In its first season, Katemodern garnered nearly 2 million viewers a week, for 24 weeks, totaling 48 million views. On myspace a show called Quarterlife achieved over 9 million views in five months. In November 2007 NBC acquired the rights to air Quarterlife on broadcast television. The show was canceled after airing only one episode. Actually it was the worst performing show for is time slot in the last 17 years.

Now UK’s Five TV station is going for another try with Bebo’s Sofia’s Diary. Online, the show achieved 5 million viewers within the first two weeks . What do you think will be the outcome? Is web content suited to be viewed on TV?

About a year ago I was speaking with the MD of a Melbourne advertising agency who told me online is still being looked at as BTL by most clients.

Today we see more and more TV commercials pointing to websites and clients starting to realise that the experience online can’t be matched by a 30 sec ad.

Unless it’s an ad about your website. Here’s the latest (and very clever) ad from VW UK:

So is TV going BTL? Or should we just stop using these old school marketing terms and start thinking about “experiences”?

“Yahoo and Google, the world’s two biggest search engines, have announced a two week experiment that will see them share advertising space.

During the pilot, Google will be able to place ads alongside 3% of search results on Yahoo’s website.”

I haven’t had time to delve into how this will work but the word seems to be it is Yahoo’s clever ploy to frustrate Microsoft’s takeover bid.  A consolidation between Google and Yahoo would take over 90% of the search market globally… making it less competitive.

Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer on Saturday gave Yahoo three weeks to agree to the company’s offer or risk having the offer lowered.

I am wondering how long it will take for brands to understand the enormous power of the web (if used correctly). Take the next president of the US for example. When Obama wins it will represent a tipping point. Take a look at his website, fully pimped with a blog, digg, twitter, myspace, facebook, linkedin and even a mobile application.

Try thinking about your google results as user touch points. If you have only a website you only have one touch point so having a page in every major online community will not only help you get in touch with your audience it will also allow you to have the first page of google all to yourself.

No surprise that users find it so easy to support him. This song & video is featuring a star cast, by will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas. Inspired by Barack Obama’s ‘Yes We Can’ speech. It has more than 5 million views on youtube.