Tuesday, February 19 - A Skosh on Four Things

A Skosh on Four Things: Media, Marketing, Business, and Life

Media: 3 in 10 online ads are never seen. 

While this makes sense based on the layout of so many pages (I mean, the bottom of the page?  When was the last time you scrolled to the bottom of ESPN.com?), this shouldn't be breaking news to any marketer. 

Think about how newspapers count distribution. 

I got a free copy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on my doorstep on Sunday (actually Saturday afternoon).  After it sat in the yard for 48 hours, it went right into the recycle bin without coming out of the plastic all-weather wrapper. 

I never saw an ad or story.  Yet, I'm sure the newspaper delivered to my house "counted" in the numbers that the P-D markets to advertisers. 

So, while some in the media community (and please, let's stop with the demarcation of traditional and digital) are ringing their hands about this stat from comscore, let's realize that this practice is probably 50+ years in the making.

Marketing: Brands are cutting agencies

This makes me a little sad.  Agencies are some of our best clients.  They can help sell your brand or medium to an advertiser who might not understand it.

Agencies are very important to radio. 

One of my big takeaways as an MBA student at the University of Houston came when an instructor, whose credentials included multiple product launches with Fortune 500 companies, quizzed me about 104 KRBE's business model.  He had no clue about the various lines of our business (event, NTR, interactive, spot), yet had directed millions of dollars in advertising and sponsorship spending. 

In a way, radio and media mix was below his paygrade.  In a larger sense, it reminded me that radio didn't have a place at the table without an ad agency. 

That's what makes me said about the Digiday piece. 

Yet, it's also exciting to see clients and companies staffing up their marketing department after years of cutting to the bone.

Business: Office Max and Office Depot to combine

Where there's smoke, there's fire.  And, it's also the normal lifecycle for these two companies. 

Some smart finance and operations people sat in a room and said, "what's next?" 

Could they open more markets profitably?  Probably not. 

Could they find another dance partner?  Difficult, as it's not a wide-open market and private backers would not be able to create the margin needed.. 

Or, could they combine and find the synergies and scale to create additional value for the shareholders? 

Consumer advocates will probably wring their hands, yet this is the normal pattern for many companies.  Start, grow, and then look at the strategic alternatives.  There's still competition for those who are worried (and even if there weren't competition, somebody would fill that void).  Plus, there's the internet and shipping for those important supplies at cheap prices. 

Life: Wisconsin Football

There might not be anything more important in life than Wisconsin Badger football. 

OK, that's crazy-fan hyperbole. 

Take a minute to watch new coach Andersen talk about his views on leadership and building onto an already strong and deep foundation. 

See you on Wednesday!