This Year I Am Thankful For My Fellow Bloggers

As I was sitting here, completely hungover, watching the David Bowie Episode of Flight Of The Conchords for the 100th time, I realized that I had not blogged in a while. You know what, I feel okay about it!


I will let you know that I am working on a completely thorough list of 10 emergent trends of 2007/2008 and I ask you all to stay tuned for that, but in the meantime, I recommend doing what I am doing; hanging out with some of my favorite bloggers who are keeping the conversation going through the holiday season.


Go over and join David Berkowitz's conversation on Social Ads.


Go hang with Joanna Pena-Bickley and co-founder of the bald marketing club Greg Verdino.


And don't forget to go down my blogroll and check out all my favorite bloggers and friends (they are listed there for a reason )


If you are a blogger and are being lazy like me and taking some time off from writing, I suggest getting to know some of these people (if you don't already) as they are the people that keep my inspired!


Anyhow, look out for a series of ten posts (starting the second of the new year) that I have been cooking up. I would love to roundup all the comments at the end a create a cool PDF of the whole thing that you can share with your loved ones :) :) )


Talk to you soon and have an amazing new year!



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Stop Complaining and Start A Blog; You are The Media

These days, you are the media. Production is the new consumption and freedom of speech to a widespread audience has never been easier!


So what are these people all bent out of shape about?


(I agree with the sentiment, but might there be a more effective way to spend your time)


Yesterday, King of The FCC, Kevin Martin had his day in court and won. The 32 year old media ownership that stopped a newspaper from owning a television or radio station in a local market was partially lifted (the law was totally lifted in the top 20 markets). The FCC was split 3-2 in this decision.


WWHD (What Would Hamlet Do?)



I have spoken about this issue before on A Media Circ.US and you may know that while I am not sympathetic to Martin’s cause, and do not feel big media should get any bigger, I do feel that there are two ways you, as an object and a subject of media can handle this,




Of course Hamlet’s viewpoint was less optimistic and uncertain than mine is (notice the question mark and the end of the second line) but one thing is for sure, we have all the tools we need to take arms against big media and shuffle off this mortal coil.


How do we do this?




  • Find the media you like, tag it, share it perpetuate it

  • Start a blog, give your opinion, illuminate injustice in the media

  • Start a podcast; let your true voice be heard

  • Start a video podcast; let your passion be seen

  • Organize a citizen driven unconference (see podcamp)


Let the long tail wag long and proud, matching the might of big corporate media,


or recoil in a state of woe; allowing big corporate media to overcome us.


We are the media


We the people have the power to control our fate


Those that want to spend their time bitching and moaning at the expense of action will suffer in oblivion,


far from where my own eyes will ever glance.


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And The Openness 2008 Award Goes To...

...I will get to that in a second :)


In a world haunted by walled gardens and proprietary software and devices, the promise of open source and interoperability shines like a bright light (not the finest metaphor, but it serves it purpose).


Many people access various different digital platforms and shudder each time we have to redefine our digital self in order to gain access to additional services or devices provided by these various platforms (we also shudder at the thought of additional fees associated with certain alternate platforms mobile etc.).


There is one company that has made more moves toward “openness” than any other this year; moves that have forced both established corporations and start ups alike to redefine their business models and become­-more open.


I am of course talking about Google. Sure, there have been other platforms that have opened up (and of course there are those platforms that are open source), but the sheer mention of openness by Google makes industries recoil in horror, and as a result, change.


Last Thursday Facebook posted a notice on the Facebook Developers blog entitled, “Opening up Facebook Platform Architecture”. This is potentially the biggest news from Facebook (in regards to the platform itself, not advertising) since the Facebook Platform was created in May 2007.


Was this move by Facebook a reaction to Google’s open social?


Hmmmm……


The reaction is just one of many Google induced game changers. Here are a few more:



Sure, open source is nothing new and was not initiated or perfected by Google. Still, the amount of industry disruption caused by Google this undoudteldy makes them the potentially proud recipient of the very first (and potentially only); A Media Circ.US Openness Award.



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Google Almighty

I came across this via my social graph on Facebook and had to proliferate it.


There is apparently a site out there that begs the questions, is Google God?. While I am quite sure this is a spoof, there are some really interesting claims on this site to substantiate the claim that Google is an omniscient, all knowing entity. I recommend heading over and taking a look.


The site has nine thought provoking proofs of Google's existence as a deity. One of my favorites is a chart on search volume for various religion, versus search volume for Google.



This is a touchy subject, one which I will not go much further with, but come on, it must have you thinking :)


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The Algorithmic Editorial Voice

I have been talking a lot about media consolidation and the FCC these last few weeks. Those who are against further consolidation argue that allowing large media bodies to own more media outlets will result in homogenized editorial voices.


While I do agree that variety of opinion is essential to a democratic society, I feel that the definition of an editorial voice has changed drastically over the past 10 years, subsequently calling for the need to repeatedly reexamine our media ownership laws. Editorial voice can no longer be singularly defined by the output of a media production/creation body.


Is Google An Editor?


The question as to whether or not Google is a media company is as old as the company itself. By no means do I wish to bring up this issue once again as, by now most of us have our opinions on it, but in light of the recent happenings in the FCC, I do feel that it appropriate to touch upon this issue.


Behind every algorithm is a human being and every human being makes choices


For those that argue that Google has no editorial voice, I would love to hear your opinion on the latest move by Google to set all Pay Per Post blogs to a page rank of zero.


I am by no means a fan of Pay Per Post, and do not necessarily feel that Google’s action was wrong, but one thing is for sure, it was a decision.


A decision that affects the way people get information; a process also known as media. Sure, Google is not saying, “don’t read Pay Per Post blogs” but they are limiting your ability to find Pay Per Post blogs via their search engine; the search engine which enjoys 60% market share.


So Where Does This Leave Us?


To what degree does Google possess and editorial voice and at what point will the FCC step in and try to regulate this voice the way that they are regulating the cable industry (most recently Comcast)?


Speak up, this is important!



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Kevin J. Martin Continues To Stir The Pot

Last week I wrote a post about the storm that is a brewing over at the FCC surrounding the cable industry and media ownership. The conversation was picked up by my good friend Amanda Mooney and tonight I will be speaking with the folks over at the On Digital Media podcast. In case you have not been following this whole extravaganza, here are a couple of things you should be familiar with:




  • "70/70 rule."

    • A provision of the Cable Communications Act of 1984

    • Under the 70/70 rule, if the Commission finds that cable service is available to 70% of households and 70% of those homes subscribe, then the FCC can "promulgate any additional rule necessary to provide diversity of information sources."


    • Under what some are regarding as false pretenses, FCC chairman has claimed that we have reached the 70/70 point and gotten a majority vote on his plan to cap cable ownership at 30%

      • Comcast, who is said to be at 27% is not too happy about this rule






  • Cross Media Ownership

    • In my last post on this matter I spoke about how Martin is pushing to relax laws regarding cross media ownership, allowing media companies in the top twenty markets to own both a newspaper and television station




  • Tribune Company



What is going on here folks!?


Kevin Martin is seeking to regulate and deregulate media simultaneously. Meanwhile, Google has officially thrown their hat into the ring to bid on the 700 MHZ spectrum, which disrupts everything.


How can one make sense of all of this?


Weigh in, please :)!



iMedia Agency Summit "Massively Niche: Next Gen Targeting in a Fragmented Media Landscape"

So here I am at the iMedia agency summit in beautiful La Quinta California. I am fresh off my sojourn to Eastern Europe but that did not stop me from making it here to speak on a panel with my friends Brad Berens, Greg Verdino and my "new to be friend I am sure" Garrick Schmitt. I traveled for 11 hours yesterday to get here (gotta love modern air travel) but it was all worthwhile when I saw friends Masha Geller, Sean Cummings, Katharine Panessidi and a new friend from Eyeblaster (who I owe a drink for being too spaced out to remember his name. I owe you buddy!)


So what does massively niche mean?


Well, these days:



  • small is the new big

  • production is the new consumption

  • conversation is the new conversion

  • expressions are the new impressions


The world of marketing has undoubtedly changed. No longer can we look at mass audiences and push out one size fits all marketing messages. In light of these facts, what do we do?


Here are some thoughts:



  • Think qualitative in addition to (notice I did not say instead of) quantitative


  • Work on messaging fewer people effectively, as opposed to a mass of people in a manner that is impersonal

    • Seed the right people with the right message and show you care; they may just help find others who are interested



  • Be findable, everywhere! (see Morville's Ambient Findability)

  • ...and finally, you may just have to roll up your sleeves and work harder. If I can be in beautiful La Quinta on a Sunday and wake up at 6 AM (after a night of cocktails) to write this post, you can be up early to brainstorm as well :) (it is all about tough love)



I will keep you posted as to what we uncover here at this summit. In the meantime, send me questions you want answered and I will do my best to bring them up.


I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at my company, Morpheus Media, for putting up with my incessant travel. You guys know I am out here fighting the good fight for all of us, and I love you all for it (this year I even promise to make it to the holiday party and get more drunk than all of you...combined!)


Finally, I have to thank [x+1] for my massage today. It is much needed.  I know you guys have great technology, but you potentially have even better agency relation skills. :) Thanks!


P.S. Check me out in the Washington Post



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