Chip Ross

Who is your experience for? Who is it not for? Most brands could be far more explicit in answering these questions. 🍔 Louis’s Lunch is a famous hamburger stand in New Haven, CT. They claim to have invented the hamburger. Regardless of the origin story of putting meat between two pieces of bread, Louie's Lunch is a great example of creating clarity about what an experience will be and who it is for. 🍔They sell hamburgers and cheeseburgers. 🚫 They do not serve ketchup. 🚫 🍟 They do not sell French fries. They are happy to tell you this. 💠They are making clear who the experience is for. It may not be for you. 💠 Most companies are not this explicit. And that’s a mistake. 💡Because you can be explicit about who is best served by your experience without being exclusionary. Even though you will be turning away potential customers, you will be respecting them and their time in the process. You also won’t deliver a disappointing experience to them as they attempt to be your customer, only to find they’re not a good fit. Help bad fit customers get to a quick no. Do that with communications like: "We don’t allow substitutions." "We don’t fly to the city you want to go to." "We don’t integrate with that platform." Look, I’m not saying you have to feature information about everything that you’re not, but a quick no is better than confusion and uncertainty. 🛫 And, when their circumstances change – they want to fly to a city you do fly to, they’ll have a more positive memory of your brand, and be more likely to reconsider you. Make it clear which customers you are a good fit, and also which cusotmers you are not a good fit for. 😠 It's the right thing to do for bad-fit customers. It saves them time, frustrations, and prevents them from having a bad experience. 📈 But it's also the right thing for your company. It gives you a better shot of satisfying your customers when more of them are good fits for your experience.

15

3 Comments

The onslaught of political ads will push brands out of some traditional channels. Here’s how to help your brand campaign break through.

8

Talking head on TV today: "Youngsters don't care about national security - they just know what they like...and don't want TikTok banned." What I just heard is a TV anchor admitting they don't do a good job explaining the issues of the day. Forcing TikTok to divest of ByteDance in a year (or be banned in the US) isn't about the platform's content. It's about Communist China's ownership. Period. That's the same CCP that programs TikTok's algorithm to gorge U.S. users on dance moves and divisive political posts (i.e., Osama bin Laden made some good points) while restricting Chinese users to "educational" content. Still...the content (and the algo serving it up) isn't driving the ban. The CCP's data ownership in the AI Age is. If "youngsters" (and the Rest of Us who desperately wish someone would refer to us as young) understood how easy it is to manipulate the content they're watching, and how deep today's Cold War with China runs, I bet they'd feel differently about the bill Congress just passed. That's YOUR job, Mr. and Ms. Journalist. Make a compelling argument that doesn't hail from Soundbite City. Do other platforms, knowingly or not, serve manipulated and divisive content? Of course. But those platforms aren't run on server farms in Beijing. That's the real issue. All of the First Amendment lawsuits being drafted as I type are just Kabuki theater. Let's see where this goes... #tiktok #tiktokban #firstamendment #algorithm #socialmedia #politics #journalism #communication #influencers

1

I'll admit I'm a glass-half-full person. With recent changes to social media algorithms and search, news has fallen out of favor with the gatekeepers that largely control what people get exposed to online. But here's the thing. There will *always* be demand for local news and information, no matter what hurdles people have to jump through to get to it. In fact, they are doing it today, and I'm optimistic that will always be the case, especially for local media properties with intense community focus ingrained in the areas they serve. Demand for the news and information our local Gray Television stations and national content teams provide has never been higher. Our challenge is ensuring both that the audience demand is met and that we have a sustainable ecosystem that helps people stay informed and connects local businesses with customers. We have done it for decades, and we can do it for more with widespread recognition that journalism is vital to the preservation of our democracy. #broadcastjournalism #digitaljournalism #broadcastmedia #digitalmedia

128

6 Comments

🚨 Connected TV Rant Incoming 🚨 Saw a really great post from Joe Melendez today about "Show Level Transparency." Then, I read the article he tagged where Addy Atienza (from TMB (Trusted Media Brands) preached my CTV version of gospel. A lot to cover, but a few of my favorite pieces from this article are below. 1. Show Level Transparency or even Channel Level Transparency is imo ESSENTIAL to the transparency we should be providing to our advertisers. This is done by "Enriching the bid stream and passing more through to the buy-side." I personally find "Platform Level" reporting to be a pathetic display of transparency. For example, if you are an Agriculture company and you want to be in front of the right audience, let's target RFD-TV or Professional Bull Riders, LLC and more "contextually appropriate" scheduling. However, the reality or "norm" for campaign reporting shows you 1M impressions served against Pluto TV or Samsung TV Plus. How does the advertiser know you didn't just buy $3 CPM fireplace screensavers or $6 CPM Pixelate inventory? They don't ... and DSPs and SSPs are running away with ad spend and ridiculous margins because of it. 2. Staying in Control. Addy Atienza makes great points around the behavior of distribution platforms seeking MORE ownership over Publisher CTV Inventory. This will only accelerate, but Publishers need to remain firm. When a publisher controls their own keys, they control more than just their data, but the revenue too. We represent Publisher A with successful linear sales teams and also Publisher B who allow the platforms to monetize the their inventory. The difference between both is unnerving. Publisher A's (with MORE control) are the ones writing their own destiny and seeing higher levels of success (and revenue). By leveraging new eyeballs on CTV devices with their linear sales teams, Publisher A is now controlling the data flow, the pricing, and unifying their inventory to the buy-side. Success is inevitable here with proper execution. Publisher B's (with NO control) struggle to build sales teams and grow past what the platforms allow them. Most often, they can't even sell their own inventory with Direct Campaigns. On top of that, their floor CPMs decrease each month, and their representation in market is that of "Platform Inventory", not as THEIR BRAND identity. Forget "contextual" anything at that point. In conclusion to the above, we’re pioneering a revolution. We believe in a future where transparency reigns, control is paramount, and success is a collaboration. More than disruptors, we are navigators, bridging the gap between demand and inventory with unparalleled transparency and efficiency. Bravo to Addy Atienza and Joe Melendez for prioritizing what many are not.

55

13 Comments

Perhaps you noticed media costs increasing on some key digital platforms leading up the Presidential Debate.... well you are not alone! Check out our summary and POV on what to expect and what you can do as election season continues to heat up. #media #mediaplanning #agency #analytics https://lnkd.in/g83jUYmA

26

1 Comment

It didn't happen this year, but Google's phase-out of 3rd party cookies is inevitable. EMARKETER's Field Guide explores the varied identifiers available to marketers. The white paper examines: - Why marketers will need identifiers - How identity solutions can help - A full breakdown of Universal ID solutions and non-ID options. Hats off to Arielle Feger for the research and analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf for advising. A special thanks to LiveIntent, Inc. for making the guide possible. Get it here ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/e7YJm6vN?

11

Communication is crucial for maintaining a buzz around the political party. Doordrops provide a visibility boost, a personal touch, and friendly reminders; giving the party a home-turf advantage. #PoliticalParty #CommunicationIsKey #DoorDrops #VisibilityBoost #justWhistl

2

I know I'm not alone in feeling like everything in the #marketing ecosystem is changing faster than ever. But when I talk to marketers (and that's a major part of my job), I'm surprised by how often #media convergence is mentioned in passing or relegated to a second-class priority. That's why I am slightly obsessed with our new report; it's the product of many conversations with media leaders like Deanna (Cullen) Mulkeen and Sammy (Frankel) Rubin who are extremely clear-eyed about the major impact these trends are going to have on the industry as a whole, from audience strategies to media planning to campaign-level optimization. They're carving a new strategic path forward that will help brands capitalize on these opportunities, unsilo teams and integrate data sets to generate powerful insights, and set up an insurmountable edge in the market for our clients. H/T to Praveen Sharma for the amazing visuals and Grayson Gilcrease for the research backing it all up.

17

2 Comments

Beautiful title for this late Wednesday AdExchanger #ProgIO session: "Down With Blocklists! How To Support Journalism With A Nuanced View On Brand Safety." Advertisers claim they want to support all kinds of journalism and reach "niche" audiences, but their brand safety efforts (not just the providers) often hold them back. Typically the problem is keyword blocklists that are staler than five-day-old toast; ones that people keep adding onto, and no one ever removes things. Devon Christopher Johnson, Cofounder, BOMESI (Black Owned Media Equity & Sustainability Institute): We shouldn’t focus on exclusion lists, but inclusion lists. MFAs came about because people realized they could take advantage of a lazy system. We forgot about the value of publishers. (I add: Cuz we were obsessed with chasing cookies!) He adds: If you value true journalism, you should be buying directly from trusted partners. If you are blocking the word “slay,” you are missing out on reaching a very large subculture that uses that word in a completely non-violent way. Scott Gatz, Founder and CEO, Q.Digital: I challenge advertisers: do you know what’s on your blocklist? We run into gay, lesbian, LGBTQ on blocklists. And then you wonder why you’re not running on our site? Be aware of your settings; also blocklists should just be gone. The tech has moved beyond that. But there's a new threat: legit journalism sites being excluded because they're labeled #MFA. Scott Cunningham, Initiative Lead, NewspassID, echoes another ProgIO panel, suggesting that verification/brand safety efforts may be going down a dark path here. "The role of verification companies is very important, but if you’re saying 'low medium high MFAs' to advertisers, that’s like saying low, medium, high STDs. Are you going to accept low STD? No, you’re going to block the whole thing!" An interesting idea is discussed by all on the panel: is Open Path from TTD threatening to become a new walled garden, excluding high-quality independent news sites? Makes you go hmmm.... 🤔

8

1 Comment

https://lnkd.in/gZbWK9eQ "As we look ahead, the relationship between content, advertising and consumers will continue to evolve. The main challenge for streaming services remains: To ensure ads are not excessive nor intrusive to push away viewers." My belief is that brands will find that as they move away from ads....into entertainment...value creation and consumer centric content...essentially, content #foryou. They will it very profitable for brand and business. Studies show that on TikTok, ads by creators drive 5x more completions (not skipping!), 27x more Likes (no frustrations) and they double conversions - creating positive impact across the funnel. 😉

4

1 Comment

Let’s re-run it back? An interesting and thorough love letter about the rise of FAST darlings Pluto, Tubi and Roku. While analysts have been touting the financial prospects of these platforms (and their acquisitions look better and better with each monthly Gauge report), I remain a little skeptical. Consider: 📺 Article about the stratospheric growth focused on Roku, Pluto and Tubi, all of whom will def be winners. But what of the remaining 16 that provide largely commodified content. How do they separate and get into this top tier that's dominated by YT? There are 5,000 FAST channels across 18 services. Most of these channels, therefore, are replicated across multiple FAST services rendering the platforms undifferentiated. Sounds like the Highlander to me. 📺📺 To wit, the author indicates that "While users may have initially been drawn in by the prospect of a free service, they’re now sticking around because of the quality of content." Really? I am sure that comfort-watching reruns is fine, I am hard pressed to call it transformational. Moreover, 40% of Tubi viewers don’t subscribe to other paid streaming services which means either cable or rabbit ears. (Not sure that is the kind of audience advertisers look at as "premium"). Charter/Comcast/Xumo research indicated 72% of FAST viewers also watch cable or broadcast TV and 86% subscribe to at least one paid streaming service so maybe this isn’t quite the untapped market Tubi’s data suggest. 📺📺📺 What I do appreciate and am bullish about FAST is their ability to super-serve specific audiences with specific content like Korean soaps, telenovelas, surfing and kickboxing (for me), etc., at very low cost. That is smart way to drive viewership instances (if not total viewership minutes) but likely not unique to each service, given the commodification of these deals. https://lnkd.in/gW-ueu7H

12

2 Comments

Content services everywhere are ramping up their offerings as competition shifts models. The “streaming wars” that dominated industry headlines in 2022 have evolved into a new landscape, one where FAST offering and ad-powered services now compete for audience attention using TV models. It will be interesting to see where things go from here. #AdTech #AdPublishing #PFASTTV

1

Life in the FAST lane at Future Ops / AdMonsters #OpsNY with Addy Atienza and Rashaun Hall. TMB (Trusted Media Brands) is part of Fuse Media's Culture Collective, which features Black, Latino, LGBTQ, and other focused FAST channels. TMB brings everything from Fail Army programs to Family Handyman. There’s no Nielsen for FAST! No single source of truth for what is successful… But you can definitely tell from the platform (OEMs) what is NOT working. Samsung, LG, and Vizio are the big three, but you can make good revenue off of smaller players like Fubo. The platforms have a lot of power/control—you have to keep them as informed as possible. Good chance they will start acquiring many content channels. They’re also building their own content—FAST channels are running into “Hey, we’re not going to market your stuff cuz we have something just like it." They also want exclusive content, like Samsung with Conan O’Brien. Cross-channel PMPs is the next big frontier—blending audiences across the Culture Collective. But interesting—60% of the inventory right now is sold direct.

20

AI-generated dreck posing as local news, aka pink slime journalism, is proliferating. The cost of making it is practically zero. The incentives for bad actors to create it range from money -- by delivering programmatic advertising and affiliate links to unwitting readers -- to political manipulation via misinformation and disinformation. And the platforms that distribute it don't care. John Biggs at The Media Copilot recently lamented this situation. "AI isn’t just stealing our jobs," he wrote. "It’s also going to steal the truth." It doesn't have to, though. Here are two things you can do to protect the truth: 1. Give your attention to real publications. Taproot Edmonton employs actual people who you can meet in real life. We live here and we care about this place. And we put our names on what we publish. You'll never be fooled by pink slime if you intentionally read and listen to work made by humans you know instead of just consuming the news-eque junk an algorithm may serve you. 2. Help real publications pay for those people. A $20/month subscription to ChatGPT can generate an awful lot of words; a full-time employee doing the work of finding stuff out and telling you about it costs considerably more. We don't put a paywall around Taproot's work because we don't want to live in a world where only those who pay get real journalism and the rest get pink slime. That means we have to fund ourselves by other means. If you have a business, you can now buy a business membership to Taproot. That lets you easily sign up all of your employees to receive Taproot's work, which in itself will help your organization better understand the community it serves. But you'll also be helping us continue to inform and connect the people who live in this place that we love. You can sign up for a business membership here: https://lnkd.in/gRWAm_Ay. And you can learn more about what this is and why we're offering it here: https://lnkd.in/gNc3yvAW If a business membership isn't right for you, you can become an individual member for $100 per year or $10 per month here: https://lnkd.in/g6yRVG77 As Mack Male said at Taproot Publishing Inc.'s event during Upper Bound with Katrina Ingram, AI helps our responsible local news outlet scale our ability to pay attention to our community. We're excited about the technology's potential to help us do the work. But humans report and write what you read. "While human-led AI is a boon, non-human-led AI is an existential threat," Biggs writes (https://lnkd.in/gDj55fEm). "We all need to be ready to fight it." I'm inviting you to join us in the fight. #yegmedia #edmonton #yeg #edmontonmedia #futureofmedia

60

6 Comments

The truth. Programmatic automated the rewarding of bad behavior. The unintended consequences of programmatic deliver a trifecta of terrible outcomes. The site experience has been ruined for the audience and their privacy rights have been trampled. The business of premium publishing has been decimated, and billions of clients' ad dollars have been wasted at best, and stolen at worst. Discussions about industry repairs are frustrating. It feels like Media professionals are from Mars and Ad Tech professionals are from Venus, or Miami this week. Too much money is being made for Ad Tech leaders to show the courage needed to rip this thing up and start again, and yet that's exactly what needs to be done. Programmatic was simply not thought through and these problems will bleed through band-aids. To redo this right, the industry needs to opt-in for simple changes that only feel impossible. #Digitaladvertising #Programmatic #Onlinepublishing #Possible2024

63

20 Comments

With Netflix launching its own ad tech, the landscape of digital advertising is set for a seismic shift. Netflix's recent launch of its own ad tech platform marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of digital advertising, particularly within the realm of CTV advertising. With a rapidly expanding ad-supported viewership now reaching 40mn monthly active users worldwide, Netflix emerges as a formidable advertising platform offering access to a highly engaged audience. This strategic move underscores Netflix's dedication to improving the advertising experience, providing advertisers with enhanced control and transparency. Additionally, Netflix's expansion into live events and sports programming aims to further drive engagement, offering advertisers real-time connection opportunities. These initiatives solidify Netflix's position as a major player in CTV advertising, promising impactful results for advertisers. In future, Netflix opening up to more DSPs will make traditional TV broadcasters lean into programmatic quicker. Exciting times ahead! #CTVAdvertising #adTech #Programmatic

123

3 Comments

#TheARF Members can access a good cross-section of the attention metrics industry from this recently updated report. It covers what tools providers use, whether they evaluate ad creative or the media environment, what they report and more. Phase II's findings will be released at the #Attention 2024 event this May. This report is a good primer. #attentionmetrics #adcreative #adplacement #advertising #advertisingresearch #attentioneconomy

4