This comes after Google recently announced their CPA model with a little noticed clip at the bottom about inline advertising.

here is the official Amazon description:

Context Links automatically identify and link relevant phrases within your page content to Amazon products, unlocking new ad inventory and saving you the time from having to manually create links.

Here is the official Google description:

Text link ads are brief text descriptions that take on the characteristics of a publisher’s page. These Javascript-based ads will display like regular hyperlinks and allow publishers to embed these links inline with other text to promote your product or service.

What is amazing to me is that there is already a company doing this successfully for the past few years: IntelliTXT

I am not so sure how I feel about so much advertising directly inside the content – and always thought it to be the “untouchable” part. I guess everything is now up for grabs…

Watch this space for more coverage of the text link advertising space.

Technorati Tags: intellitxt, vibrant media, Google text link ads, text link ads, amazon text links, inline advertising, marketing, marketing.fm

Post from: Eric Friedman
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Content Advertising Links

Youth Marketing Conference Presentation Coverage:

11:00 am: “Engagement Marketing” with Jim Scheinman, Bebo VP Business Development & Sales.

As a prelude to our coverage of the Youth Marketing Conferece, Eric and I interviewed Jim Scheinman in Marketing.fm podcast #5.

Introduction: Jim Scheinman has been involved in the Social Networking space since it’s inception – he directed sales and business development at Friendster. Jim now works for Bebo, the 3rd largest social networking site in the US and the largest in the UK, Ireland, Australia, & New Zealand. Bebo skews younger than MySpace & Facebook with a dominant presence in the 13-26 year old demo.

To kick off the presentation, Jim suggested that “Web 1.0 advertising is over” (or rather, the notion of simply placing banner ads on a highly trafficked websites, hoping for customer retention).According to Jim, social networking is ideal for targeting youth and younger demographics. Here are some statistics:

• 55% of all teens use a social networking site: Bebo, MySpace, Facebook etc.

• 48% use the site daily or more often

• 6.5% of all online advertising budgets were spent on social networking sites in 2006

• 25 minutes = the average amount of time spent during a session

Brands can be creative with their SN campaigns. Some examples include: widgets that can be shared and placed on one’s home page; branded “skins” that can be temporarily adopted on one’s home page; creative video previews etc. Recently, Bebo ran highly successful campaigns for NBC’s hit series “Friday Night Lights” and Disney’s movie “Cars.” Bebo users willingly adopted the promotional site decorations and shared video previews with friends which spread awareness naturally.

Jim also noted that advertising budgets are not necessarily keeping up with the rate and pace of which social networking is adopted. Therefore, this could be an especially cost efficient arena for online media campaigns that are looking to target the youth demographic. It is also particularly exciting for brands who are interested in creating fun, viral & interactive product initiatives.

Technorati Tags: bebo, jim scheinman, youth marketing conference, engagement marketing, social networking, marketing.fm, marketing blogs

Post from: Eric Friedman
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Engagement Marketing: Share The Love

1. Television

According the IAB 89% of American’s watch some form of prime time television. This number is probably affected by the amount of content and shows now available online and extends the reach of such ad buys. Although a fragmented medium that is changing rapidly, television represents a strong medium to get your message across a large demographic that can help support a campaign. Setting a foundation of messaging on television can help reinforce brand recognition throughout other mediums, and continue the conversation through online video ads, interactive banners, or simply static banners.

2. Social Networking

Websites such as MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, and many more have become premiere destinations for today’s teenagers as a personalized home on the web where they can share their interests and update their friends. Although no longer limited to the younger generations the social networking sites remain a great place to reach the coveted 18-24 range.

Social networking advertising now offers users and advertising more innovative ways of getting people interacting with their brands. Aside from the traditional banner advertisements that simply surround content you can have people using and interacting with your content. A great example of this can be seen by entertainment companies that have used this technology to make artwork, wallpaper, video clips, music clips, and more all a part of a user’s profile, or give the option of integrating them into their pages. This is the type of brand interaction that defies typical banner blindness and can truly lift awareness. It becomes less about forcing the message onto a prospective customer, and giving them access to the content they want to interact with.

3. In Game Advertising

A recent IAB study found that over 58% of American’s play some sort of computer or video game. With the wide range of features available on both consoles and computers video games remains an untapped resources of reaching today’s youth. The options are vast in how you can integrate advertising into a video game but today include; advergaming, in game ads, dynamic in game ads, inter-level advertising, pre-roll messaging, product placement, and traditional sponsorships.

This is such a large topic unto itself that I will be covering it elsewhere on Marketing.fm.

4. Out of Home – Billboards

Out of Home advertising is a great way to reach people outside the traditional locations and be creative in the process. The technologies of tracking such advertising continue to improve, and although true reach numbers are not known, the traffic estimates for major highways and locations such as Time Square in New York City are well documented. This is the type of advertising that can synchronize your messaging with your demographic in an innovative way if you think outside of the traditional “giant billboard” along a roadway.

One such example of this is the billboard in SoHo placed by Vans that showcased the work of a graffiti artist. This type of message speaks directly to their target audience in a authentic way that cannot be replicated by a large ad agency trying to mimic “what’s cool”.

5. Mobile Advertising

SMS advertising can offer an effective way to reach people when they want to communicate with your brand. Placing “short codes” or simple 6 digit codes on a billboard or advertisement that entices a user to text the number for more information can be a great way to track the efficacy of a campaign. This offers a great way to provide further information for someone that is interested but also a way to spread your message beyond its original broadcast location. An even more innovative approach is to utilize MMS technologies to pass along pictures or video content that can then be shared to others.

6. BONUS: Search Marketing

Having a search campaign is essential to any advertising or marketing campaign that takes place today. One of the first places any consumer turns to find more information about your brand is through the search engines. Although you may be ranking highly in the organic listings on your favorite search engine it is always more effective to have your own paid advertisements that allow you to control your message as well as your landing page.

Search Engine Marketing offers a true foundation to any campaign that can allow you to track the efficacy of your message that is delivered in any of the above mediums or others. When a person remembers only a small part of your message or product name – search is the first place they will turn for more information.

Disclaimer: As of this article writing currently work for a full service search engine marketing agency in NYC so clearly I am bullish on SEM

Conclusion:

Each of the above mediums can be used together or individually but should not be looked at as a one size fits all approach. The need to mix and scale each campaign across different mediums can be determined by your market size, your goals, how you want to track and analyze the campaign, and of course your budget. There are many variable that go into an effective youth oriented marketing effort and this only scratches the surface of options that are available.

If you are interested in learning more about connecting with today’s youth you can contact the Marketing.fm team.

Technorati Tags: television, social networking, in game advertising, search engine marketing, SEM, marketing.fm, marketing, advertising, youth marketing conference, youth marketing, mobile, out of home, OOH, mobile advertising

Post from: Eric Friedman
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5 Great ways to reach today’s youth (+1 Bonus)

Anne Claudio from CNET spoke today about brand SIRENS which is a recent project by CNET Networks Entertainment and Starcom MediaVest Group.

Some background on the project:

The collaboration between CNET Networks Entertainment and Starcom MediaVest Group on this study has been a successful and rewarding alliance that continues to thrive as, together, we’re committed to better understanding the inner workings of today’s young minds–and to sharing our findings with our partners so we can all make stronger, lasting connections with today’s discerning, influential youth.

Some interesting information from her speech:

• Breakdown of SIRENS can be found at www.brandsirens.com
• In depth research meant spending a significant amount of time with respondents not simply doing an hour long focus group.
• Touch points for information are changing with todays evolving consumers.
• Media consumption habits continue to be fragmented – you must capture the consumer across multiple mediums and not rely on just one.
• Youth today is consuming from multiple providers to get a clear picture – today’s teens checkout Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN because they believe one source is not enough.
• There is a need to re-think the idea of “Reach” – no more mass media. Connecting with consumers is about loyalty, transparency, emotion, and honesty.

The overarching goal of this project is to glean information about todays youth culture but also to attempt to integrate the findings into todays planning tools at large media agencies. Getting people to think “outside the flowchart” in a way that can integrate strategies that will actually work instead of big ideas with the latest buzzwords.

Technorati Tags: Anne Claudio, CNET, Starcom MediaVest, Youth Marketing Conference, Marketing.fm

Post from: Eric Friedman
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Brand Sirens – CNET and Starcom MediaVest Explore Youth Minds

It all started with a first blog post called Joining the conversation on March 3rd 2006 and we havnt looked back since. (first post here)

Our initial message is still true today and hopefully we have fulfilled our promise to cover the latest and greatest in marketing and advertising.

As the curtain in front of Marketing.fm is pulled away you will see a different approach that allows novices and experts alike to participate in the conversation and learn together. One of the biggest problems I have seen to date for a “late adopters” (i.e. most large agencies) is that there is no starting point for vocabluary, knowledge, or comprehending new and innovative ideas. This blog will cover learning about new media, learning about emerging media, and explain all aspects of interactive marketing for beginners.

Many of you (our readers) joined us along the way and most likely missed the posts from the beginning and may have missed some others too. Below is a brief collection of posts that stood out above the rest and a few of my favorites. You can checkout more in our interactive archive.

How to make a brand evangelist for life
Apple gives 1 billionth song downloader a ton of cool apple products.

The end of the big advertising agency
The big advertising agency days are numbered…

Which agency size is best?
Our first interactive reader poll.

The future of advertising My interpretation of where advertising is heading.

Advertise Different
(First AD post: Johny Walker ad)
After seeing campaigns, ads, and other interesting marketing around the web and in real life we wanted a way to share with others and give some thoughts and opinions around them. This category features some interesting commercials, advertisements, and marketing memes that were around in 2006 or before. Some of them were very popular – others were simply campaigns that caught my eye.
Advertising Different: ING Direct
Advertise Different: ABC Network
Advertise Different: RFID Advertising
Advertise Different: Audi – Streets of Tomorrow
Advertise Different: US Open 2006

Although we criticize often – we also give praise where it is due. These great articles outline some initiatives and strides that were worth noting.
Wake up call to traditional Ad Agencies
Ad Agencies thinking differently
Saatchi & Saatchi Reacts to New Media

Oh and we do have a sense of humor too!
iPod parody video from Microsoft
Lego & Eggo Team Up! (what could be better?)
Web 3.0
Marketing Cliche’s
EggVertising (possibly coined here first?)
The Apple halo affect

Dont forget about SEM\SEO:
Enterprise Search
Search articles on marketing.fm

One meme we continue to cover and probably contribute to speculation on: Internet TV & Google TV
The Future of TV Sponsored by Google AdSense and Search
Coming Soon: Google Television
Google gets into video advertising

Upfront Coverage:
Some advertisers opt out of the Upfront (Coke + Johnson & Johnson)

iPhone Coverage back in May 2006
The iPhone and Apple Marketing

We also try to introduce new technologies and insight into how to use them to our readers. Understanding that everyone is at a different level articles like What is RSS went over well with the newbie and expert crowds.
What is RSS? What is Really Simple Syndication?

Sometime back in June 2006 we began running our Marketing Links section which featured a roundup of links from blogs and the internet. These articles have small digestible links with only the info you need.
Marketing links 1
Marketing Links 2
Marketing Links 3

One of our biggest accomplishments has been the successful introduction of our Marketing and Advertising Blog Network which was highlighted first here in the marketing network launch post. We have been lucky to have such amazing members and have even grown into a major force combining our efforts into the Marketing and Advertising Network on Feedburner.

We even have a new contributor Adam Perlis who wrote a great article called State of the TV Industry: Part I look out for part II coming soon. Welcome Adam!

Marketing Podcast

On September 3rd 2006 we began our Marketing Podcast, had our first episode and never looked back! We have had an amazing 5 shows and interviewed some amazing people.
Marketing Podcast 2
Marketing Podcast 3
Marketing Podcast 4
Marketing Podcast 5

We have many interviews, topics, and shows schedule and invite anyone interested in coming on the program to contact us or send in some feedback.

Some recent amazing milestones:
We were invited to cover the Youth Marketing Conference and THE Conference on Marketing.

We were invited to join the 9Rules blog network on 12/18/06. We are a part of the round 5 9rules members and could not be happier with being included! I have met some amazing people and even connected with some great service providers helping us improve the site.

Blogging has taught me some amazing things in 2006 and 2007 and I have met some amazing people through marketing.fm. Sometimes it is hard to keep blogging with a full time job and everything else that comes with life, but looking back I am glad I did. We have kept up a momentum that has truly paid off.

I would like to give a special thanks to my blogging partner and co-editor Lee Jones. Lee has written some amazing articles over the past year and is directly responsible for keeping me motivated and working on this blog. It is always great to have a good partner in business as you can push one another to achieve greatness. I think we have both accomplished quite a lot over the past 365 days of blogging and we have even more planned for year 2.

If you have made it this far….thanks! We have some exciting news for 2007, and although I cant give everything away now – stay tuned for some MAJOR site improvements, contributors, amazing interviews.

I cannot complete this post without thanking the most important part of our blog – the audience. I want to personally thank each and every person who takes the time to put marketing.fm into your feed reader, browse here daily, or subscribed via email. Without our readers we would not have a blog. As of today – 03/03/07 we have an amazing 414 loyal readers. To me this is quite an accomplishment.

Looking forward I hope to meet the following goals over the next year:

1. Reach 1000 feed subscribers!
2. Post our 50th Podcast episode!
3. Grow our consulting practice
4. Grow the Marketing and Advertising network to 150,000 readers (currently at 100,000)
5. Cross over to a traditional marketing and advertising medium with our work

Last but not least is a special thanks to some of the people who have influenced this blog and kept me motivated:
Seth Godin
Guy Kawasaki
Fred Wilson
Lee Odden
SearchViews
and many more…

Like I said in the first post ever made on this domain – “Welcome to the Future:)”

Technorati Tags: anniversary, apple, upfront, itunes, iphone, johnson & johnson, coke, coca-cola, marketing.fm, marketing, advertising, polls, blog birthday, joining the conversation, 9rules, RSS, what is rss, marketing links, advertise different, eggvertising, feedburner, marketing network, advertising network, marketing podcast, marketing.fm podcast, podcast, marketing bloggers, seth godin, guy kawasaki, fred wilson, lee odden, searchviews

Post from: Eric Friedman
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Marketing.fm Turns 1 Year Old

We sat down recently with Doug Palladini the Vice President of Marketing at Vans to discuss the upcoming Youth Marketing Conference, the past and present initiatives at Vans, and discuss the latest trends in youth marketing.

Some of the topics discussed:
What are natural brand extensions for Vans?
What is the Vans marketing mix, and how has it changed in the past 2 years?
How do you speak to new markets?
How do you evaluated social network and new media opportunities before they are proven?

Doug answers these and many other questions – tune in or download now.

Direct Link (in case you have trouble with iTunes or the player below)
Marketing.fm Podcast Show #4

Technorati Tags: vans, doug palladini, marketing podcast, marketing podcasts, advertising, marketing.fm, podcast, youth marketing, marketing mix, social networking

Post from: Eric Friedman
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Marketing Podcast: Interview with Doug Palladini of Vans

If AOL had been managed by successful strategists, it would most likely be competing head-to-head with MySpace, Facebook and Yahoo!. Aside from it’s incredible customer base, AOL was the founding father of Social Networking: chat rooms, instant messenger, home pages, etc. As a company, AOL was positioned better than anyone to dominate and profit from it’s large numbers. If managed correctly, services like Facebook and MySpace could have evolved naturally from America Online.

Unfortunately, AOL got a little too comfortable with it’s monthly subscription income and failed to recognize the changing field. Pretty sad for an internet company. Time Warner didn’t exactly help the situation either. Jeff Bewkes, COO of Time Warner said yesterday, “There’s no reason we shouldn’t be a leader in social networking.” Too little too late my friend.

Yahoo! on the other hand, became successful because they offered free email, IM, homepages, and search. Yahoo! was essentially a free AOL in the beginning and is still the most popular website on the internet. I don’t think it’s too late for Yahoo! to innovate and maintain it’s popularity. I’m not sure what the right answer is right now but perhaps Yahoo! should focus less on reacting to Google and focus more on it’s natural evolution.

I think the lesson to be learned from AOL & Yahoo! is: when it comes to the internet, companies cannot be complacent at all. Innovation and experimentation must be constant and companies must remain as nimble as possible despite growth and expansion. Google’s success is largely based on this notion and I think they will continue to lead.

Related Links:

MySpace, Facebook & iVillage Compared

MySpace vs. iVillage

Technorati Tags: google, yahoo, aol, time warner, social networking, marketing.fm, marketing blogs

Post from: Eric Friedman
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AOL, Yahoo! & The Evolution of Social Networking

Google’s plan will give the publishing business a high-tech twist: the company will expand its computer system, which already auctions off advertisements on millions of Web sites, to take bids for newspaper ads as well.

The system clearly works in the search marketing space, but it has proven difficult in other areas. Google had some trouble convincing advertisers to use Google for magazine ads in the spring of 2006.

This story is fairly cut and dry and will simply depend on time. Hopefully they can apply what was learned earlier into this test. Its not a question of “if” this will work, its a question of “when”.

Technorati Tags: marketing.fm, google print, newspapers, marketing 2.0

Post from: Eric Friedman
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Google Print Ads – Google to try newspaper advertisements

Eric and I went to Wired’s NextFest last weekend in New York City. Here are some impressions:

While there were indeed some very cool and exciting glimpses of future technology, many of the exhibits at the show could be described as: “oh, that’s kind of cool” vs. the anticipated: “Wow – that’s incredible.” Oh well. It felt more like a trip Epcot center than a “glimpse of the future.”

Brand Presence:

GM: There was a major corporate, eco-friendly PR presence throughout the show. Most noticably, General Motors maintained about 50 square feet in the middle of the Javitts Center with some of their new hybrid-like vehicles. The sprawling presence gave one the impression that GM spent more money on the PR campaign and exhibit space than any actual hybrid research (don’t they make the Hummer, H2, and H3)?

GE: The GE exhibit was actually very exciting and it included a variety of intriguing new advancements: desalinated water, hybrid trains, off-shore wind power generation, and a new form of MRI/medical imaging. Well done.

RIM Blackberry: I got a chance to try out the Blackberry Pearl and I’m happy I did because it was not easy to use at all. Sure it’s as thin as a nano-pod but the “pearl” trackpad that replaced the trackwheel is horrendous. More importantly, both blackberry kiosk attendants had memorized about 3 facts about the pearl and had probably never seen it before. It was almost embarassing.

Stay tuned for Marketing.FM’s coverage of DigitalLife, 10/14-10/16.

Technorati Tags: nextfest, wired, gm, ge, marketing.fm, marketing bogs, blackberry, pearl, epcot center

Post from: Eric Friedman
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Wired’s NextFest: Welcome to the Future?