Conversational Media Marketing

A few months ago in a blog post about Google OpenSocial, Internet pioneer Dave Winer said, "Advertising will get more and more targeted until it disappears, because perfectly targeted advertising is just information."

A few days ago Blog Business Summit blogger Jason Preston echoed Dave's sentiments when he said, "One of the things about advertising on the internet is that it seems to blend more and more with marketing and with content. Good, relevant advertising is content."

Today CMSWire blogger Gerry McGovern said, "Google has become one of the most successful companies in the world by selling lots and lots of these 17 words of text that help us find what we are searching for. In a money-rich, time-poor economy, helping busy people complete their tasks is the new advertising."

What is it that each of these comments have in common?

Today, I'm speaking to the AdFed club in Lake Charles, LA, on the topic Top 10 Strategic Business Benefits to Using a Blog. I appreciate the invitation and look forward to not making a complete fool of myself sharing some insights about business blogging.

The reports are in: Not one Super Bowl XLII advertiser sent viewers to any type of social media site. Not one. That's pitiful.

MediaPost blogger Joe Marchese had this to say in response...

Besides making Monday a miserable and unproductive work day, the Super Bowl is a great example of why no media buy can really ever be done in a vacuum. A few times during the big game, fans were prompted to visit MySpace.com to view and share the commercials they see during the game. The idea that is so intuitive, yet so hard to practice, is this: For today’s brands to get the most out of their traditional media buys, they must have a plan to extend those campaigns into social media.

Let's see. Digital cameras, laptops, MP3 players...no...cell phones, printers, desktops...no...oh, there it is, jewelry! Just what I was looking for.

Somebody want to tell me what a jewelry ad is doing sitting in the middle of a Web site about all things digital? Not my idea of contextually-based advertising. Is it yours?

I was honored to be asked to blog at Beneath the Brand, a group blog sponsored by Atlanta-based Talent Zoo which covers the worlds of marketing, advertising and media. The site features frequently-updated, industry-relevant content with just a twist of humor.

I'm happy to be a contributor and hope you'll add the blog to your blogroll.

BTW, here's my first post.

Lots of people I know wish it was. Not long ago many . However, tain't happenin'. Email, despite the over-exaggeration of its death, is alive and kicking, so says a report at eMarketer.

I subscribe to the AAF SmartBrief daily email newsletter. In a special edition sent today included was this poll, which I'm guessing looks ahead to 2008 ad spending.

(Click to enlarge)

Things look promising for the online space, wouldn't you say?

BTW, I've not found this online yet, but, then again, I've not spent much time trying.

As you may know, AdAge is now housing and maintaining the Power 150, a compilation of the top marketing and media blogs. Of course, these days they go much further down the Long Tail than 150, even including this blog, which currently ranks at #504. (Hey, I'm proud and happy to be on the list!)

AdAge Editor, Jonah Bloom, sent a letter today announcing some changes to the list. These include the addition of Alexa site rankings and a reduction in the importance of weight given to Bloglines.

If you'd like to read Jonah's letter, read on.

"Things go better with _________."

"You're in good hands with ___________."

"Don't squeeze the ____________."

"Is it live, or is it _______________."

"Every kiss begins with __________."

Did you get all five? If so, I'm guessing you're over 30, or else just watched a lot of television growing up. Those are all slogans that some copywriter on Madison Ave. got paid lots of money to compose. Trouble is, advertising slogans, taglines or brand "mantras," as Guy Kawasaki likes to call them, are going the way of the albatross.

Seriously, that question is being asked.

According to eMarketer, comScore has said that "while Facebook currently trails MySpace as an ad platform, it has greater potential for relative growth. "