Friday, January 04, 2008

Friday Fun

For your viewing pleasure comes this clever tv spot...


Find more videos like this on AdGabber

Sphere: Related Content

Thursday, January 03, 2008

We LIKE advertising, IF.......




According to this story, we want to watch commercials, IF they capture our interest. Let's all make a vow not to produce crap, or schlock, or garbage advertising in 2008.

Please, for everyone's sake.....












Tuned In: Americans Loved 'Funniest Commercials'
Thursday, Jan 3, 2008 7:30 AM ET
WHO SAYS AMERICAN TV VIEWERS don't want to watch commercials? TBS' Dec. 26 prime-time special "Funniest Commercials of the Year: 2007" attracted more than 5 million viewers and ranked as the No. 1 program for the night among adults 18-34, according to Turner Broadcasting analysis of data from Nielsen Media Research. Prior to the telecast, fans were invited to watch and vote for their favorite funny ads of the year through TBS' VeryFunnyAds.com, which delivered 6.1 million video streams in December. Vigorsol's "The Legend" commercial, in which a resourceful squirrel uses the Italian breath mint to stop a raging forest fire, was chosen as the year's No. 1 spot. This marks the fourth year that TBS has invited viewers to vote on their favorite ads, and the second that voting was conducted through TBS' VeryFunnyAds.com.

--Joe Mandese

Sphere: Related Content

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

Designing a new business with an exit plan

Whether you are starting a new business or planning on retiring from your business, you need a plan. Last year I spoke with two different financial planning firms about this issue. Then today as I was sorting through my email inbox, I found this from Chuck McKay:

First you must do everything, then as little as possible.

Please enjoy...



A long-term client called last week to brainstorm his next business venture.

We talked about how to structure the business, and I suggested that he outsource as many of the operational functions as possible.

He fought the idea. Said it didn't give him enough control.

So I asked, "Are you trying to build a company, or to change jobs? Because it appears that you're designing a company which will require your presence."

Isn't that the worst thing about self-employment? When you go on vacation, the office shuts down.

That's not owning the business. That's being the business.


Here's a simple way to plan your organization.


Draw the plan to show now how things will run when the company is fully developed. Show the President, both VP's, the Marketing Director, the Personnel Director, Sales Manager, and line level employees. Put your own name in every blank (assuming that you're the only employee).

Now, starting at the bottom of the chart, at the customer contact level, write an operations manual for one of those jobs. Detail exactly how you want the job (and the customer) handled. Hire someone to fill that job, and put her name in the box. Follow this procedure with every job in the chart, removing your own name as you hire and train your replacement for that particular responsibility. When the only place your name remains is at the top, you've built a company which can survive your vacation.

Now you can start implementing your exit plan.

You do have an exit plan, don't you?

Sphere: Related Content

How to grow your online advertising


According to the following, you need to have a dedicated sales staff to sell the internet platform. I believe you must have at least someone that can focus on the inventory and then move the existing sales force to include the internet platform to their existing and new clients. Why? 'cause the last thing a business owner wants to see is another salesperson, instead they want ideas and solutions of which the internet can be a part of.

2008 Local Online to Grow, But Needs Dedicated Sales Organization

According to the Executive Summary of a newly released Borrell Associates study on the 2008 outlook for local Online advertising, a 48 percent increase in local online ad spending is anticipated in 2008, bringing it to $12.6 billion.

Driving most of the growth, says the Summary, is the popularity of local search and online video advertising. Local search advertising will more than double next year, to $5 billion, while locally placed online video will triple, to almost $1.3 billion. A major component of local video advertising will be long-form pieces for home, automotive and health-related categories.

2008, however, will be challenging for local media companies trying to market on the Web. Most yellow pages publishers, cable companies, newspapers, radio stations and TV stations are still pinning their hopes on their traditional sales reps being able sell online ad packages.

There is increasing evidence, says the report, to support the idea that a greater investment in an independent online sales force will be necessary to continue the growth these properties have enjoyed for the past few years. The growth rates for most local media operators have slipped well below the overall growth rate for local online ad buys - which means these properties are losing market share. Much of that share is being captured by pure-play Internet companies hungry for the growth they see in the local market, although they are seeing benefits to partnering with local media companies to supplement their own efforts.

Key advertising segments for 2008 will continue to be the "Big 3" classified categories of automotive, recruitment and real estate, with online political marketing holding promise for local sites as state and presidential campaigns heat up.

Marketing budgets will accelerate their shift out of traditional advertising formats (both online and offline) and into non-ad activities such as promotions and public relations, which are better at delivering the improved targeting and accountability that advertisers are demanding.

For more, please visit Borrell Associates here.

Sphere: Related Content