Category Archives: Philosophy

Creating a Narrative…

Posted on Thursday, 12 November 2020 7:45 am by

…to explain your numbers is a fool’s game. The story will usually suffer from logical holes that you’ll have to gloss over. (How many times have you heard “we’ll get to that later” to question about a story you’re being … Continue reading →

Posted in Leadership, Philosophy, Strategy | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

First Mile Problems

Posted on Thursday, 18 April 2019 7:30 am by

I was recently interviewed by Tim Furey, CEO of MarketBridge, on The Last Mile Podcast. Among our discussion of SAC, CAC, LTV, ROI, other three-letter acronyms, we also spent time on “first mile” marketing problems. As a practicing performance/direct response … Continue reading →

Posted in Direct Response, Marketing, Media, Philosophy, Rants, Strategy, Tactics | Tagged , , ,

At the End

Posted on Wednesday, 6 March 2019 11:07 am by

When my brother-in-law passed away early Sunday, his wife was by his side. I hope to be as lucky. Godspeed, John. Continue reading →

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The #1 Ingredient in AdTech “Special Sauce”…

Posted on Friday, 2 March 2018 9:45 am by

…is Russian dressing*. In other words, there really isn’t anything secret. Good …aaS products are good because they have good people and process. The technology is mostly generic. Takeaway: Make marketing and advertising technology decisions on people, not the algorithms. Because … Continue reading →

Posted in Leadership, Philosophy | Tagged , , ,

Virtue Signaling and Fake Marketers

“Marketing has changed forever” is the gospel according to the fake marketers. Wrote Malcolm Auld in his brilliant article yesterday. Since we’re in the era of fake news, fake traffic, fake impressions, fake agencies, and fake presidents, let’s call out … Continue reading →

Aside | Posted on Thursday, 22 February 2018 8:12 am by | Tagged , ,

Humans

How many humans are in each segment of your category buyers? And how many humans are in each audience at each publisher? You need to know the answers to both questions for your campaigns to be successful. Not cookies. Not … Continue reading →

Aside | Posted on Monday, 19 February 2018 11:34 am by | Tagged ,

Self-Deception in Thought

Posted on Friday, 9 February 2018 11:59 am by

“The wish is parent to the thought, and that is why nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what each person wishes, that they also believe to be true.”  Demosthenes So Dr. Robert Zimmer, president of the University of Chicago, starts … Continue reading →

Posted in Leadership, Philosophy | Tagged , , ,

Be The Solution

Posted on Monday, 29 January 2018 9:16 am by

We get the advertising we deserve. As marketers, we’ve put our skepticism on hold. And we’ve been taken. Programmatic buying, content marketing, influencer marketing, and native advertising are just a few of the fallacies the advertising ecosystem has foisted on … Continue reading →

Posted in Communications, digital marketing, Education, Marketing, Philosophy | Tagged , , ,

Remove Tracking Pixels, Secure Your Data

Data leakage from publisher sites results in loss of data revenue for the publisher. An unsophisticated buyer would never buy premium first-party data from the publisher, when they can buy “the same” stuff for pennies on the dollar from vendor … Continue reading →

Aside | Posted on Friday, 26 January 2018 8:29 am by | Tagged , , ,

Digital Marketing Tips From El Al

Posted on Wednesday, 24 January 2018 8:57 am by

El Al airlines has never been bombed and only hijacked once. This in spite of being a constant target for well-funded and persistent criminals. An enviable track record. How do they do it? Isaac Yeffet, El Al’s former head of … Continue reading →

Posted in Data, digital marketing, fraud, Media, Philosophy, planning, Security, Strategy | Tagged , , , , , , ,