8 ways I keep up with ad news

Some times people wonder where I get my links and news from. And for a long time, I liked to keep it under wraps, but today I decided to share some of my sources with you.

1) Flipboard:
I follow a lot of different magazines here and aggregate my favorite or noteworthy stores into my own. Currently I have 5, which seems to work well enough. That might change in time.
See my profile here to follow any of my magazines.

2) OpenStrategy:
A great resource about strategy and thinking which also sends emails (Yup I get these too). You can sign up here for the emails.

3) Adland.tv:
Largest Super Bowl archive and the latest ad news from around the world in one place.

4) Feedly
With the death of Google Reader, I moved to Feedly. I keep track of many sites there, although there is overlap with this and flipboard, which I just find more user friendly.

EMAILS:
5) Sidebar.io
Daily emails feature 5 curated links from a list that get voted up or down on their site (see here). Some great articles and featured work. Mostly focused on digital design & UX, although sometimes there are bigger branding themes as well.
Sign up here.

6) Fraggl
Fraggl is a "daily email of the 10 must read links on selected topics, brought to you by a surprising combination of smart computers and interesting people". Currently advertising, design, and health are available.
Sign up here.

7) Strands of Genius
Strands of Genius is a weekly newsletter curated by Rosie & Faris Yakob. Each week they "find the awesomeness on the internet so that you don’t have to."
Sign up here.

8) Mediapost emails
There are loads of topics you can sign up to receive alerts or aggregated emails. Around the Net in Brand Marketing, Research Brief, SocialMediaMktg Daily, and Accounts on the Move are just a couple I receive. More here.

This & That: Link Lust - Reads worth Reading

+  Here are a few things worth reading and checking out.

"Ultimate" generic company video made by stock footage company Dissolve.


Emotion in marketing: How our brains decide which content is shareable is a great read. Also see How our brains decide what we share online.

Related: The Feelings In Facebook Status Updates Are Contagious And Spread Like A Virus. Also of note is the actual study that the article is based on which can be read here: Detecting Emotional Contagion in Massive Social Networks.

This and That 4.24.12

+ Diagram.ly is a cool online diagramming tool.
+ Style conscious resumes as they call it has some interesting inspiration for resume layouts, if nothing else.
+ MailChimp's interactive voice style guide for writing their emails. Very smart. I like.
+ A plethora of lovely Subtle Patterns to use for your web projects. You can even preview them on a site before using.
+ Send A Song created by Forsman & Bodenfors for Stopp, let's people make their own version of "Don't you worry..." from laying down vocals to mixing the final song and dedicating it to a friend.
+ A new Google Quarterly is out with some interesting articles.
+ Turn your FB page into a 3D race course with gallery of print ads from 1930-1969.
+ A great presentation from Gareth Kay on being radical for the ICA in Toronto urging the industry to reclaim its progressive, radical roots.
Time for true radicals

View more presentations from Gareth Kay

Pinterest is just a sign of a more visual web

+ Pinterest is the hottest social network right in terms of buzz right now.  I had signed up ages ago and when I first played with it, I didn't really get it, to be honest. Then around the end of the year, I poked around a bit more. I'm one of those types that signs up for the beta of anything, only because I want to see what's coming and be aware--even if I don't want to use it myself.  I'm always curious to see if there are cool ways for my clients to engage using the platform.

What's interesting about Pinterest is more the trend toward the type of network setup more than anything else. There's also The Fancy and minglewing. The Fancy seems to be more higher-end, big dream kind of stuff that describes itself as "a place to express yourself around things you see that you find interesting". Minglewing calls itself a "public discussion board" with loads of social reposting options.

All of these new platforms have some similarities that point to a more visual representation of things we want. In the past, it was just link farms and less imagery. Now the format of these sites, along with flickr's recent redesign, tumblr and other similar visual sites, are putting the photography on center stage. One might say that this is due to the proliferation of tablet and mobile device browsing. And it is much more conducive to that kind of web surfing than trying to read tiny type on a phone. It's an evolution of the way content is being displayed, that's all.

Here's some related links and further reading I've bookmarked over the last month or so:
+ Yup, there's PinClout and PinPuff to see how you rank on Pinterest. My rank was nearly twice as high on PinPuff than PinClout which is odd if they are using similar metrics (PinClout: 40/ PinPuff: 70).
+ Pinterest Infographic: US vs UK Users. Some interesting data, and it's pretty much the reverse demographics.
+ You think Pinterest is big? Here comes The Fancy, with a brand spanking new e-commerce platform.
+ How brands are using pinterest (download PDF)
+ Threadless and Pinterest Valentine's Day promotion
+ Pinterest from a "bros" point of view
+ Pinterest Drives More Traffic Than Google+, YouTube and LinkedIn Combined
+ Pinterest a traffic driver for online retailers + 21 Must Follow Pinterest Users
+ Pinterest Data Analysis: An Inside Look

What Inspires Me

+ I was asked by @KeithStoeckeler to participate in his All That Inspires Me. He asks people to create a guest post about...yes...that's right - what inspires them. So pop on over and check out what I had to say.

What inspires you? In work? In life? Post a comment on his blog and let us know if you agree or disagree with my point of view.

This and That: 05.10.11

+ A fun and interesting post by Jeff Swystun on what Madison Ave greats would think about social.

Why Creative People Need to be Eccentric. Like we need a reason? ;)

Is the future incentivizing consumers to watch online ads?

A cool spot celebrating MTV's 21 years in Brazil.

Balloons - MTV Brazil from Dulcidio Caldeira on Vimeo.

Also, just to be sure Are You Wearing Pants?

This and That: 04.27.11

I've been a bit buried of late. But here are a few cool & notable things I've come across after coming up for air.

Iterating for Innovation & the Lean Agency" from Stuart Eccles.

The Social Consumer - an infographic.

"When Did 'Agency' Become the Thing Nobody Wanted to Be?" When it became a commodity, like soap.

Weenudge provides some useful info to help educate your clients about the web.

A lovely post from Brass Tack Thinking with tips and thoughts around being a good manager.

Looking for an icon? Check out iconfinder.

NFC is this year's big buzz. So this read on marketer's guide to NFC applications is handy.

Can brands help make people happy?

Some things to look at

+ Yummy design. The Dieline's Top 100 Package Designs of 2010.

Tee hee hee. Polar Bear Mauls Robotic Spy Camera.

Read about the man behind @GapLogo.

Who would have guessed there's Bad Science in Movies. ;)

This and That: 04.02.10

+ I have made it to Friday! Woohoo. Heres's a few things I've been reading today.

52weeksofUX.com is a site with tons of great reads on User Experience. I have only gone through a few so far, but it is definitely worth it. 10 Principles of UX is perfect for sharing with those who aren't totally hip to the benefit of good UX. I'm looking forward to the upcoming weeks posts (and going back to read the prior ones I've got waiting for me).

WSJ looks at how location-based social networks (LBSN) might have a drop off rate if people experience "check-in" fatigue. During my vacation last week, I experimented with FourSquare, Gowalla and Yelp. Prior to that, I'd kept up on the news about it, how it worked, etc, but wasn't actually using it. I didn't get the point. Why do people care where I am? Do I want to let people know where I am? What's the value? This is a bigger question being asked by quite a lot of people, especially now as the LBSN arena grows. Yelp added the ability to check-in on their mobile application earlier this year. There are rumors that Facebook is going to be incorporating a similar feature.

“It’s about looking beyond the check-in,” said Josh Williams, chief executive of Gowalla. “The gross marginal value of checking in will go down over time” unless people keep finding new reasons to check in.

Rather than viewing location broadcasts as compromising one’s privacy, millions of users are happy to constantly apprise the world of where they are – provided there is something in it for them, the panelists said.

What's in it for them? Rewards for being the mayor? Founder? Unlocking coupons? It will be interesting to see where this goes in 5 years from now.

Brands need to become cultural artifacts rather than existing in vacuumed silos or categories, argues Colin Drummond, head of Crispin Porter + Bogusky’s cultural and business insights. He brings up some great points that are definitely thought-provoking and something I will keep in mind.

It means every single brand out there has a golden opportunity to be more broadly relevant than they are today. Every brand can be telling a bigger story that will in turn help people in culture tell their own story better. We must think about how we can be useful to people as they negotiate culture. Instead of just thinking about how our brands can be of benefit within a category, we must think about how our brands can be of benefit within culture. Instead of just thinking about how our brands can differentiate on the basis of product or service attribute, we must think about how our brands can differentiate within culture.

It requires some bravery on the part of clients and their agencies - a different vision and definition of success. It’s so tempting to focus on category because it gives a specific reason to buy. When you go outside the category, you’re likely treading in more emotional territory. Strategy grounded in culture works on a different pathway: on conversation that leads to a deeper and broader relevance, seemingly indirect but ultimately way more intriguing.

This and That: 11.17.08

+ Lots of interesting reads this morning. Afraid my Firefox is going to have a fit if I try opening a new tab.

Times Square getting first green billboard - The billboard construction starts this month and will be for Ricoh. It will powered by 16 wind turbines and 64 solar panels. Interesting.

Are logos as powerful or effective as ads?

Epoch Films to launch new venture Dandelion which will be dedicated to programming and entertainment sponsored by brands.

IBM study shows some interesting stats, including: "respondents prefer ad-supported models for accessing digital content services at a rate of "three-to-one" vs. consumer-paid models, presenting a distinct opportunity for advertisers"; "More than three-quarters (76%) of consumers surveyed have already watched video on their PC, up 27% from last year, while 32% indicated they have viewed video on a portable device or mobile phone, up 45% from last year."

An interesting article on Why Yahoo Still Matters for You.

A nicely written piece on the paragraph in web typography and design. Sadly I think quite often typography is overlooked on the web. But if you're building experiences and sites to hold content, it is a necessary piece of the puzzle. Not just how the headline or copy in graphics will look, but also the way in which you style html text.

Adweek celebrates 30 - just don't tell them it's the new 20. ;) Lots of interesting articles and lists and such in honor of the event over there, including one on consumer's media use and behavior and how technology has changed the way agencies spin a brand's story.

Need to follow your client's brand online? Check out Addictomatic, looks like it could be a handy little tool for that.

Links To Sip 05.02.08

+ Typo Hunt Across America blog.
No Pants Day.
Apparently, old guys rule.
Take care down there - funny site created to help parents and kids have a less awkward chat about the birds and the bees.
What real life would be like if it was like Facebook.
Cool hand-drawn websites.
Dr Pepper Pours First 'Ultra' High-Def Banner Ad.
Global Advertising on the Web.
Reach Gen Y Moms with a Softer Sell.
Think Your Marketing Is What's Driving Online Buzz? Think Again.

Links To Sip 04.24.08

+ Meant to post this a while back...saved these links but never got around to getting it posted. Fixing that now.
Cog Factory - something to play with if you've got some free time or need to distract your brain while concepting. ;)

Crazy Fork Lift Training Video


Why the world is ending - a new kids book about mommy getting a tummy tuck, nose job, etc.

Why Heineken? Why? Oh right, it's the popular thing to do. ;)

Links to Sip: 01.07.08

+ Yeah, so I'm behind again. I don't know how many tabs I have open in firefox, but, let's just say it's more than I have time to read. So yes, yet again, here is another link list (honestly, not out of laziness, but out of lack of time.)

Oh and I finally got all the Adland Roundup posted. Check it out:
2007 Adland Roundup: A look back ad the year in advertising
2007 Adland Roundup - The Ads - Part 1
2007 Adland Roundup - The Ads - Part 2
2007 Adland Roundup - The Ads - Part 3
2007 Adland Roundup - The Ads - Part 4

Xerox Hopes Its New Logo Doesn’t Say ‘Copier’

This morning, Xerox unveiled what it says is the most sweeping transformation of its corporate identity since it dropped “Haloid” from the Haloid Xerox name in 1961. In a broadcast to employees, it announced that it would retire the staid red capital X that has dominated its logo for 40 years in favor of what Richard Wergan, vice president of advertising, calls “a brand identity that reflects the Xerox of today.”

The new logo consists of a bright red lowercase “xerox” that sits alongside a red sphere sketched with lines that link to form a stylized X. According to Anne M. Mulcahy, Xerox’s chief, that little piece of art represents the connection to customers, partners, industry and innovation.

Ms. Mulcahy insists that the Xerox brand already stands for all those things already, of course. But clearly she is banking that the new look will, perhaps subliminally, drive home the point that Xerox is, as she put it, “engaging and approachable” as well as “technologically savvy and eager to lead in the 21st century.” That’s a pretty tall task for a ball-and-X to accomplish. But Xerox points to a lot of research that says it is up to it.

Xerox and Interbrand, a brand consultancy that is a unit of Omnicom Group, spent more than 18 months interviewing some 5,000 people across the globe about their associations with the Xerox name. Then they set about figuring how they could best retain the nice things it stands for (dependability and stability), jettison the not-so-nice (formal, somewhat stodgy) — and, most importantly, add in such attributes as modern, innovative and flexible.

They wanted a logo that would work as well on the Internet and on a fast-moving bike as it does in print or on television. (Xerox is a sponsor of the Ducati Xerox World Superbike Team.)

“The Internet, sponsorships, all kinds of 3D icons — none of that existed when Xerox adopted its old logo,” said Maryann J. Stump, senior director of brand strategy for Interbrand. “And you can do animation with a symbol that you just can’t do with a wordmark.”

The Xerox/Interbrand team settled on lowercase letters because they seemed friendlier, and on a deeper red and a thicker font, to stand out better on the Web and on high-definition television. They chose a ball to suggest forward movement and “a holistic company,” Ms. Stump said. They also devised a series of variously-colored “connectors” — swirled lines, reminiscent of the ribbons used to connote support for AIDS and breast cancer research — that Xerox will etch on conference rooms at its new headquarters in Norwalk, Conn., and that it will use to connect images and text in commercials and advertisements.

McDonald's Takes On Starbucks - They better make those espresso machines idiot proof.

A-B Primes Marketing Pump and Eyes Miller-Coors Merger as Opportunity to Grow Its Core Brands

Clorox hopes their purchase of Burt's Bees will help with their green image.

The record industry might change its tune on music downloads. About bloody time.

More bad news for Arnold as Timberland parts.

Sears Exposes Consumer Data, Faces $5M Lawsuit

Links To Sip 01.03.08

+ Yeah, so while I was hoping to post something a bit more meaty today, too much has gotten in the way. The evil evil evil project server issues that are insane and making me loathe Microsoft even more, working to get the Adland Roundup for 2007 up (it's nearly finished) and actually getting work done for clients.

Check out the Adland Roundup for 2007 (or what is done so far):
2007 Adland Roundup - A look back at the year in advertising
Adland Roundup - The Ads - Part 1
Adland Roundup - The Ads - Part 2

Hoping to get the last two parts up tomorrow.

Now for some links:
Hammer is to be the spokesperson for a dance social network where you can upload your dance videos and win stuff.

Fidelity is shifting some print work in-house, which isn't great for Arnold.

Wired looks at how Facebook's "Social Ads" might make you an unwitting star in those businesses' next Facebook ad campaigns.

Almost overlooked in the Beacon hubbub were the new display advertisements dubbed "Social Ads." These ads, bought by participating businesses, insert your name and profile picture directly into their pitches. Based on anecdotal evidence, the ads started to roll out right before the holidays.

According to Facebook, a user has to take a "social action" in order to trigger the appearance of their name and picture in an advertisement. According to Facebook spokesperson Brandee Barker, that could be almost any activity that the user does on Facebook, "such as the download of an application and the acceptance of a friend request." It could also include becoming a "fan" of a business by clicking a link on that company's Facebook page.

But are Facebook users aware of the results of their so-called social actions? "When you become a fan of Blockbuster, nothing tells the [Facebook member] what that means," says Jeremiah Owyang, senior analyst at Forrester Research. Indeed, when you add Blockbuster's Movie Clique application, there is no notification that you are allowing Blockbuster to use your name and profile picture in a display ad. Owyang suggests that Facebook ought to inform users up front and make it very clear what "becoming a fan" entails, or change the system to an opt-in model. Currently, there is not even any way to opt-out of participation in Social Ads, other than by avoiding associating yourself with any corporate brands on Facebook.

Links To Sip 12.20.07

+ Man, oh man, has it been busy. Nearly every day I have tabs that stay open all day long with things I mean to post here, and then run out of time. And when I do get a chance to post it's just a bunch of links--which hey--is better than nothing. ;)

Widgets are the new ad kid on the block

Web execs should be spending higher

150 Years of Advertising in the Netherlands

Time Magazine's Top 10 Ads of 2007

NYTimes looks back at advertising in 2007

Business Week begins its year in review

MarketingWeek's Year in Review

W+K get tapped by Heineken

Marketers Turn Up the 'Toons For Holiday Ads

Why Many Marketers Struggle With Social Media

Links To Sip 12.10.07

+ Tip: Supervising Productivity

BoDO (Business of Design Online) has been featuring some articles by Mark McGuinness on Time Management. Some interesting stuff. They've compiled the information from his postings into a free eBook. You can get it here.

Challenge your geography IQ.

DF Krause makes fun of Wendy's tagline: That's Right(TM).

Google is working on technology that would use unused television airwaves for wireless Internet access.

Google is the third company to build technology that would work with the unused airwaves, known as white spaces, located between channels used by TV broadcasters. Microsoft Corp., the world's largest software maker, and Royal Philips Electronics NV, Europe's biggest consumer-electronics company, submitted test devices to the FCC earlier this year.

The three companies are part of a group that wants the FCC to free up the airwaves for unlicensed uses, such as free mobile Internet access, after broadcasters convert to digital signals in 2009. The so-called White Spaces Coalition must first convince the FCC that the products won't disrupt TV reception.

CBS to open concept restaurant at Gillette Stadium.

The restaurant will sit at the mouth of the stadium as part of the adjacent Patriot Place retail complex under development in Foxborough. Kraft said he initially considered the sports dining venue ESPN Zone for the site, but decided he wanted a fresh concept for the massive new shopping and entertainment center and approached a friend, CBS chief executive Leslie Moonves. ESPN Zone offers a similar set-up, serving grill food with big-screen televisions and nonstop sports coverage.

"We want to be a unique destination. We have a great relationship with CBS, and their network is so much bigger than sports," Kraft said.

CBS Scene is the network's first foray into the restaurant industry, following in the footsteps of other broadcast stations like ESPN and Fox, which each operate restaurant chains. CBS televises most Patriots games and also owns WBCN-FM, the Patriots flagship radio station. The network also airs other major sporting tournaments, including the US Open, the Masters, and the NCAA basketball tournament every March.

On the first floor in Foxborough, CBS Scene will have meeting space and a store selling DVDs of network and classic shows, hats, T-shirts, and other merchandise. There will be dining on the second floor and a bar on the top floor. Architect Cambridge Seven Associates is designing the entire restaurant like a studio, with lighting grids and state-of-the-art monitors, and is equipping the location with satellites and other technology to broadcast live radio and television events.

"It's a way to expand the CBS brand in a great location, and this could be the first of a number of restaurants," Moonves said.

Um. Ok.

Color of the year for 2008? Pantone says it will be PANTONE 18-3943 Blue Iris.

"It best represents color direction in 2008 for fashion, cosmetics and home products," explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. "As a reflection of the times, Blue Iris brings together the dependable aspect of blue, underscored by a strong, soul-searching purple cast. Emotionally, it is anchoring and meditative with a touch of magic. Look for it artfully combined with deeper plums, red-browns, yellow-greens, grapes and grays."

Packaged Goods See Web Traffic Soar.

Unique visitors to package-goods brand websites soared 10% compared with a year ago in the third quarter to 66.4 million, according to data shared exclusively with Ad Age by ComScore. The tally is double the 5% rise in the U.S. internet users to 181.9 million.

The traffic increase, according to ComScore, appears to come primarily from a surge in online display advertising from package-goods players, who, while relatively late to embrace the medium, are now coming on strong.

Marketers Focus More On Global 'Tribes' Than on Nationalities -

xecutives seeking to expand their companies' global reach long have focused on tailoring products to fit the local tastes of consumers in different countries. Increasingly, however, they also have a strong sense of the commonality of their global consumers. As the world shrinks, especially for young, Internet-savvy consumers, they must now also cater to particular subcultures of customers who share very similar outlooks, styles and aspirations despite their different nationalities and languages.

"We're seeing global tribes forming around the world that are more and more interconnected through technology," says Melanie Healey, president, Global Health and Feminine Care at Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati.

Among these tribes: teenagers from every continent who socialize on the Internet and like the same music and fashions, working women trying to juggle careers and families, and baby boomers. "If you focus on the similarities instead of the differences [in these tribes], key business opportunities emerge," says Ms. Healey.

Managers in P&G's feminine-care products division, for example, are using this approach to efficiently reach more global customers. After conducting extensive market research, they concluded that teenage girls on every continent have the same concerns and questions about puberty. That means "we can write all the answers at once for the Web site -- which is available in 40 countries -- and then translate these into many languages," says Bob Arnold, Global FemCare interactive manager and head of P&G's beinggirl.com Web site. "It's more efficient -- and we don't need offices all over the world to do this."

"Historically we used to be focused on discovering the common hopes and dreams within a country, but now we're seeing that the real commonalities are in generations across geographical borders," adds James Haskett, brand franchise leader of P&G's Global Always/Whisper brands.

From SmashLab's IdeasOnIdeas

+The good folks at SmashLab's IdeasonIdeas have sent in a couple links to posts that are definitely worthwhile reads:

Five-Minute Celebrities: We’re taking a brief look at the emergence of personal broadcasting and how some of us are using it to build recognition. Additionally, we ask a couple of questions about what it all adds up to.

It’s not them; it’s us (sometimes): We all love to criticize clients for making bad calls, but what happens when we start to take a little of the blame? At smashLAB, we did just this, and I think we're better-off for having done so.