By Tricia Andrew, MBA

picture by: 05com

Making it count
About 3 or 4 years ago the digital marketing bubble crashed and the open faucet leaking money into premium advertising inventory for the purpose of “branding” ran dry. During this rough period, Networks & DSPs (Demand Side Platforms) came to the rescue. If you are unfamiliar with what a DSP is, Brand.net defines it as “Technology that adds significant value in the process of buying and/or management of media that operates as directed by the demand side entity (i.e. the consumer).” In this definition, the “customer” is the company utilizing the technology for its advertising needs. From a Media/Agency/Ops perspective, I define DSPs simply as a super advertising network with the technology that makes every single impression count. With the economy deflating quickly, every single penny of advertising budget had to be accounted for, and networks & DSPs seemed to fit the bill.

Many companies jumped on the Advertising Network/DSP bandwagon. I couldn’t blame them either. In fact, I owe my career as a customer targeting specialist to these companies. In addition to the publisher pixels already piggybacked on the tracking tags, many advertisers and agencies piled on network/DSP pixels. Networks and DSPs definitely gave clients what they were looking for – savings. With savings, however, came a price: websites taking longer to load. Every pixel added a little “weight” to the webpage, increasing the amount of time at which the page fully loads by a few hundred milliseconds each. Milliseconds may seem like no time at all, but if your clients are pushing more than 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 pixels on their page, your site will take an eternity to load.

MO’ PIXELS MO’ PROBLEMS
When I was in second grade, my principal called my mom and said “Your child has a problem, she can’t problem solve…”

With tens of pixels on each of my client’s pages, I became a problem solving beast. Here are some of the issues concerning pixels and tracking tags that may or may not be familiar to you:

• Pixels taking a long time to connect to their servers – This slows down the client’s webpage.
• Pixels redirecting to several other pixels – This adds hundreds milliseconds to the page load.
• Secure pixels (https) redirecting to non-secure pixels (http) on secure web pages (omg!) -This causes the ALERT dialogue box telling a customer that there are non-secure items on the page.
• Pixels that were put on for past campaigns that were never taken down – This increases page load time with no marketing reason supporting it.
• Pixels of companies that unfortunately aren’t in business anymore – These pixels may or may not connect to the server they were assigned to and thus stop your pages from loading properly.
• Vendors doing routine maintenance on their servers - Depending on how it’s done, may cause tags not connect to the server on browser call for a small period of time.

The list can go on and on. All are very detrimental to user experience and customer confidence during the purchase cycle. These are all problems I have to troubleshoot and fix as quickly as possible.

Side Note: I would like to send a mean “HA” to my elementary school principal “HA HA in your face!”

New Solutions
Many times, I’ve solved these issues with good ole “manual” troubleshooting. I didn’t mind doing the work because not having the pixels up on tracking tags meant that clients could not optimize their campaigns. But now, there are some container tag solutions out there that seem to solve my client’s problems- I’m really excited about them. Over the weeks I’ll be reviewing several container tag vendors and giving an overview of industry techniques that are used to solve the issues above. Some of these techniques include:

• Pixel Auditing
• Server to server pixel calls
• Latent Pixel alerts

…and more. Stay tuned – hopefully the posts can help you choose a tag management product that will not only help your site function better.

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Tricia Andrew, MBA

Tricia Andrew, MBA is the Lead Client Service Engineer at Razorfish NYC. With about 5 years digital marketing experience, she has given consult in the area of technical implementation of media within the industries of Finance, Retail, Automotive, Travel, and more. Her specialties are marketing vendor management, customer targeting, digital display and emerging media tracking implementation. Follow Tricia on twitter! @Tricia_Status

Tags: Container tag, DSP, Marketing, Pixels, ROI, tracking, Vendor
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In order to keep our game tight, the Razorfish media department will be convening for another rousing debate this Thursday, March 17^th. Following tradition, we’ll be divvied up into two teams and argue like crazy for one side of a polarizing issue which probably has reasonable answer somewhere in the middle.  

Andy Dutter, Razorfish VP of Business Development will be our guest judge so lookout for the recap next week to see which side emerged victorious.  In the meantime, we’d love to hear which side you’ll be pulling for in the comments below.

Without further ado, here are the battle lines:

Team 1: View-based conversions are totally legit. ComScore’s Natural Born Clickers studies have continually shown that click-based metrics effectively ignore the 85%+ of web users who don’t click on banner ads; view conversions allow us to paint a more complete and inclusive view of ad effectiveness.

Team 2: View-based conversions are totally wack.  They hardly provide a “holistic” view of the impact of digital campaigns and are largely at fault for the industry’s over-investment in bottom funnel display tactics. 

 If you need some help getting in the mood for debate-day, here’s some food for thought:

• In a February white-paper titled RTB Hits the Mainstream, Forrester Research reported that more than $350 million was spent on real time bidding platforms in 2010 with the figure expected to top $820 million in 2011.  Last-view conversions have precipitated this escalation of investment in DSP’s/ad exchanges by providing a highly standardized metric to optimize towards while underscoring the ROI efficiency that can be obtained through RTB models. As we increasingly treat impressions like commodities, will we continue to evaluate exchange inventory through a generic lens (such as last-view/CPA) or will there be a trend towards more customized, advertisers-specific evaluation criteria. 

•  Recently released data from Medialets offered a view into benchmarks that are starting taking shape in the mobile rich media space.  Particularly interesting: full-screen iPad rich interstitial units are garnering an average engagement rate of 11% and a CTR of 4%.  Assume for a second that we are at the dawn of a new era where content is consumed increasingly through the fingertips and decreasingly through the click of a mouse.  Given all we know about how the intent behind a “click” has become less and less meaningful over time should make the same assumptions about taps and swipes? Will these new screens be as heavily reliant on view metrics now that engagement has been redefined?

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John Koenigsberg

About Blogger:
John Koenigsberg is currently a Media Planner at Razorfish. Since 2008 he has worked to perfect the art of putting “heads in beds” for Starwood Hotels. At present, he oversees media planning initiatives for the Fortune 500 hotelier’s Westin, W Hotels, Le Meridien, and Luxury Collection brands. He brings with him his passion for social media, video game advertising & game mechanics. John was born and raised in Greenwich Village, NYC and has a BSBA from Boston University School of Management. Twitter: @jmko

Tags: contest, debate, digital, razorfish
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by Lauren Mazzaferro

Image via NielsenWire

Online video is growing at a rapid pace and provides a vehicle to engage consumers that cannot be ignored.  In 2010 online video skyrocketed into mainstream with 147.5 million internet users watching at least once per month.  This number continues to grow in 2011 with a projected 70% of all internet users viewing video at least once per month.  Major brands are jumping into the video advertising space, and making an impact.  We have all been witness to the phenomenon of Old Spice and the Evian dancing baby, both of which show the power of viral brand messaging.  As the video landscape continues to grow, the options for advertising do as well.  It is the responsibility of a Media Planner to be abreast of all opportunities and what makes sense for your client.   Below are important considerations when approaching a video campaign:

Evolving Space

The video space is constantly evolving and can be segmented into three categories: Paid, Earned & Owned media.

Paid video media is likely what first comes to mind, and what we are most familiar with as planners.  This media is a partnership with video vendors such as Hulu, ABC or video networks like Tremor or Brightroll.  Here, you pay for exposure and views of your video assets, and cost structures vary including CPM, Cost per view and CPC.    Common video units include pre-roll, mid-roll, in banner, and a clickable overlay.

Earned video consists of video views gained as users share assets from paid and owned origins. These essentially are organic impressions and commonly occur on video portals such as YouTube & Metacafe or within sharing environments like Facebook.

A brand’s managed outlets where video is promoted falls into the owned media category.  Similar to earned media, there are no costs associated with placements for these video views.  Sample owned properties include a brand’s Facebook Page, YouTube Channel & Website.

Making the most of video assets

Many clients produce video with the goal of generating views and awareness of the messaging.  If this is the objective, a holistic strategy including paid, earned & owned components should be followed.  A paid seeding strategy is essential in increasing exposure of the video. This paid media can attribute more than a 350% growth to a previously non-paid video program.  Earned media should be equally valued, as this provides maximum impact for the video at a lower effective cost.  These organic views are non-invasive and respect consumer desire for choice.  Additionally, earned videos have a high influence as users are more apt to receive messaging if shared from a person they know.  Many seeding campaigns can be optimized to the earned media view which provides more legs to a campaign and lowers the effective cost per view metric.  Lastly, it is important for brands to leverage owned media.  Promotion within media outlets encourages user interaction and engagement.

When producing video, here are some best practices that should be kept in mind:

• Videos are most effective when they deliver usefulness, humor excitement or controversy.  In order for a video to be watched by many, and shared to friends, it should provide value to the user.
• Rotating in several versions of creative to allow for optimizations is helpful.  Additional videos drive incremental earned views due to the halo effect when users seek out other relevant videos.
• Ideal video length is 30-90 seconds – maximum length being 2 minutes.

Lastly, when evaluating campaign success, it is important to understand key video metrics.  The objective of these campaigns should be to encourage branding metrics such as awareness and engagement, more so than drive to store or as a direct response tactic.

My Thoughts:

The most exciting aspect of video to me is that as it continues to grow, units must advance as well.   Innovative units provide users more control and can help achieve different goals and objectives.

As previously discussed, video has been primarily used for branding purposes and units have been rather limited.  Now, more inventive options such as the Ad Selector are taking off.  The Ad Selector template allows the user to choose an ad from 3 options, increasing engagement and effectiveness.  Vivaki’s The Pool takes a detailed look into the benefits of this type of unit.

Another trend we’re seeing is that vendors are identifying opportunity for units to include more functionality to an engaged user.   Partners such as Video Egg & Jivox allow for expandable ad units with customizable components including share video, tweet video, Like on Facebook, data capture etc.  These rich video ad units increase the legs of your video campaign, and allow for multiple objectives to be achieved.

Video has been a growing topic across the teams I have worked on, and I’m eager to see how it becomes more of a staple in our client’s campaigns.  The question is: how will it continue to evolve?

Source: (eMarketer, April 2010)

About the blogger:

Lauren Mazzaferro is a Media Planner at Razorfish.  She has worked across several retail accounts at the agency, most recently including Gilt Groupe.  Lauren has experience planning and executing direct response, branding, video, acquisition and social campaigns.  She has a passion for digital media, and is excited by new trends and staying educated in this constantly evolving space.  Twitter @LMazza

Tags: best practices, earned media, online video, video
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By Cynthia Edwards

Luis Urzúa, the leader of the trapped miners and the last of the 33 to be lifted to freedom, celebrates with President Piñera at San José Mine, during "Operación San Lorenzo". (Image Source: wikipedia)

The saga of the 33 miners in Chile who were imprisoned underground for 70 days claimed the hearts and attention of the whole world. Millions of people were riveted by the scenes of the final phase of the rescue operation, as one by one, the trapped men were successfully restored to freedom and their families.

There are important lessons to be learned from this event and the way it was handled that can be applied in any organization that finds itself in serious trouble.

1. In dark times, live lean.
Is your business crumbling? Has a key project imploded? Does your organization’s future look doomed to failure? Think about this: for 17 days, the 33 Chilean miners had no contact with people on the outside and no way of knowing if they ever would. They lived on two teaspoons of tuna fish every other day. Their world was sunless, airless, and seemingly hopeless. They survived physically through the strength of their determination and strict self-discipline. If times are hard in your business, tighten your belt and run lean until the situation turns around. Postpone new purchases, use up excess inventory, sell off non-essential assets.

2. Keep some perspective.
Whatever you are going through right now, it is not as bad as what the miners endured. Nor is it ever likely to be as bad. Don’t panic, don’t go to pieces, and never give up. Be grateful for every single thing you can do to effect a turnaround. Dig deep inside yourself for reserves of strength and endurance – which every miner will affirm are there.

3. Establish leadership and a routine.
Whether you are battling the recession, a corporate downturn, a scandal, or any other cave-in equivalent, the way to manage through it is to stay focused on what you can do and maintain discipline in the ranks. The miners organized themselves in teams with leaders and specialists, which created an orderly framework that supported morale in their darkest hours. Give your employees specific tasks that are within their capabilities, communicate expectations, and organize them under respected leaders who will put their shoulders to the same wheel to set a clear example.

4. Keep your spirits up.
One miner testified that he met both God and the Devil in the pit – and God won. Employees too can feel beaten down and depressed when they work in a company or department that is failing. Identify your corporate demons and don’t let them win. Give pep talks. Go back to your mission, vision and values to find your motivation to keep fighting. In what belief or power – higher than yourself and your situation – can you find faith and strength?

5. When you see a ray of light, get galvanized.
17 days after the cave-in that trapped the miners, rescuers finally punched a hole the circumference of a grapefruit into their dank chamber. The miners tapped on the drill bit to signal their presence, and then painted the tip red! That narrow conduit was their salvation, as it brought them food, water, medicine, clothing, sleeping cots, and a host of ingeniously packaged survival gear. In your battle, stay alert to tiny signs that things are turning around: grab hold of them, make the most of them, and – why not? – paint them red!

6. When you can’t do everything yourself, work with outside experts.
The miners could not tunnel out by themselves, and the rescue teams above ground sought and received help from the international community, notably NASA. A drowning business often, if not always, needs outside help, from organizational, financial, advertising, PR, or other appropriate experts. This is not the time to be proud – get the best advice you can and learn from professionals who have been instrumental in triaging other companies like yours.

7. Participate in your own rescue.
As soon as the drilling of the escape route began in earnest, the miners set to work clearing rubble and enabling their own release in every way possible. They even exercised so they could be sure to fit inside the Phoenix, their narrow rescue pod. You too must take ownership of your turnaround, working hard, following expert advice and neutralizing any internal politics that may work against your greater interests.

8. Lead from the top.
Against the urging of his advisers, who feared he would suffer political damage if the very real hazards inherent in the rescue mission resulted in disaster, Chile’s President Piñera took the visible helm of the rescue effort. He was present throughout the 30-hour dénouement, and hugged and congratulated each miner who emerged from the rocky tomb. Piñera’s moral courage and dedication to doing what was right earned him global respect, and enhanced Chile’s national reputation all the more. Likewise, your senior leadership must be seen to be rallying all their forces on behalf of the company. Cancel the CEO’s vacation and any boondoggles for the senior executives until your business is in the clear.

9. When you are above ground again, enjoy the moment but keep your head.
The miners are now heroes, and understandably have been offered jobs, vacations, money to tell their stories, and all manner of honors and emoluments. Yet they have asked to be left alone, for time to be with their families, to process the ordeal, and readjust to normal life. Eventually your business will turn around, and when it does, you, too, will be experiencing a new normal. By all means, celebrate! Reward those who stood with you in hard times and helped pull the business through. But now you must operate on the principles you have learned, maintaining a steady keel, better than ever prepared to meet the next challenge. Don’t let old, bad habits reassert themselves, or overextend your reach.

10. Hold responsible parties accountable.
The mining disaster in Chile could have been prevented. Safety violations, dangerously overworked mines, and slovenly, callous management all had a part. Wisely, the company that operated the mine in Copiapo was not permitted to take part in the rescue effort, and many government heads rolled as soon as the truth was known. Don’t let the people who contributed to your disaster go unscathed, and never allow leaders who are dishonest, untrustworthy or incompetent to participate in your turnaround. The sooner you show them the door, the sooner you can regain the respect and trust of employees, investors, consumers, suppliers, media, and analysts, and ride your own Phoenix to freedom.

Cynthia Edwards is a Senior Copywriter at Razorfish and business writer living in the Dallas, TX area. She has had a successful career in advertising and marketing communications and is a popular contributor to Media Post’s Email Insider. Her articles have also been published in the Dallas Morning News. Click here to contact Cynthia by email or follow her on twitter @simmerings.

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by John Koenigsberg

“We look at the game completely different now.”                                                – tweeted by @kanyewest

The first-ever use of the term “album” to describe a compilation of recorded music is generally credited to the release of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite by Odeon Records in 1909; the term itself is derived from the fact that the square-shaped contraptions that held the multiple vinyl records looked a lot like the leather-bound photograph albums that were commonplace at the turn of the century. Over the next fifty years, interest in longer form classical music waned, the appetite for bite sized pop music exploded, along with hit-driven radio, and the notion of the “single” took root. Record companies soon observed that you could maximize profits and charge a premium price by bundling a hot single with a grouping of not-so-hot songs—thus the modern pop album was born.

The abbreviated history above brings to light an important point: “albums” as a creative vehicle have somewhat artificial origins and create implicit boundaries by virtue of having a beginning and an end.  Increasingly, we are seeing creativity become unfettered from the bounds of track one-through-twelve, adrift in an endless loop.  This opening up of the creative process has come to the forefront in the digital age. It is not at all uncommon now for bands to tweet previews of new songs or for authors to gather feedback on an unfinished chapter through their blog. This past Saturday evening, as the final credits rolled on Kanye West’s thirty four minute film ‘Runaway’, I could not have felt this conviction more strongly, nor could I ignore the overwhelming sense that I had just experienced something significant.  Since late August, Kanye has been releasing never-heard-before music every Friday for free and plans to continue doing so until Christmas—he has christened this weekly holy-day “GOOD Friday”. By year-end he will have released at least twenty-five new songs, produced, directed, and acted in his first feature film, conceptualized a Broadway Stage extension and animated version of his ‘Runaway’ concept, and released a new album called ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ for good measure.   The continuous, conveyor-belt style of this creative outpouring has been coordinated superbly through twitter, facebook, youtube (VEVO), and his own KanyeWest.com.

I ask “What can we learn from Kanye?” because of the masterful job he has done diffusing his message through such a rich variety of creative mediums.   As digital planners, we have a parallel aim—to disperse a message as creatively as possible, and in a manner that animates an underlying truth between brands and consumers.   As we survey Mr. West’s approach, I see room to incorporate some of his philosophies into our own methods.

• Lesson #1:  Be prominent.  The debut of ‘Runaway’ aired simultaneously on MTV, MTV2, BET, with live steaming available on MTV.com, BET.com, and VH1.com—make sure people can’t miss the message.
• Lesson #2:  Don’t limit yourself. Many of today’s most creative minds are striving beyond the formats which have traditionally characterized their field.  Kanye’s vision, for example, is being expressed through dance, fashion, photography, painting, film, art direction & set design, not to mention what he is doing musically and with live performance—each format is intended to impact people in radically different ways.  As we help shepherd brands into new and unchartered digital territories we should be just as open to experimentation; just as eager to create diverse representations of and interactions with a unified message.
• Final Lesson:  Tend the flock.  Effective use of social channels has been critical to Kanye’s success in reinvigorating his image and exciting his fan base.  It’s not that these channels were used to invent a new persona or articulate new brand-positioning, they simply facilitated access to truth that was previously obscured.

As our paid media campaigns start to orbit around social platforms, consumers must discover that there is value, loyalty, and of course truth at the gravitational center of that universe, not a black hole.

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by John Koenigsberg

The mind of the digital planner can become easily absorbed with the ever-changing digital landscape, and last weeks’ flurry of headlines about NFL content coming to Verizon-backed tablets as well as news of a 10 inch Motorola ‘Stingray’ Tablet have certainly helped keep a healthy portion of our focus squarely on tablets for now.
A glance at some of our recent posts here at MediaMosaic underscores this preoccupation—I, for one, have written about iPad at length on this blog—and it’s no surprise when the industry’s daily headlines are consistently dominated by the topic. And maybe it’s reassuring to think about the evolution of our industry as a clustering of “pillar” issues, i.e. what new devices do I need to have my eye on? Am I tapping into the best data? How should I approach privacy concerns? Am I leveraging social media effectively? How do I make sense of the highly undifferentiated network space and emergence of Demand-Side Platforms? And of course there’s a multitude of other important, widely-discussed issues we could add to this list.

But what if this focus on the “pillars” of digital progress places too much emphasis on the parts of our world that are already digital? I was fascinated by a recent New York Times article that commented on the still-sluggish sales of in-flight WiFi but highlighted the large investments that are being made by airlines like JetBlue and in-flight WiFi giant Aircell to offer significantly faster, and more dynamic in-flight digital offerings. There’s also the investment being made by Transit Wireless to take New York City subway platforms online before 2011. Surely we need to start to think about how we want to engage consumers in these emerging, highly differentiated digital environments; we are in a position to influence consumer experiences in places and in ways we’ve never considered before.

And yet, in the same moment that we grapple with increasing diversity and fragmentation in the nature of digital experiences, there is an overwhelming sense of convergence (See: Google TV), a feeling that the digital blind spots in our world are being smoothed over. The future is upon us where you can start a Netflix movie on your iPhone, pick it back up cruising at 35,000 feet on your laptop, and finish it off back home in your living room. The content is constant while the environment is variable. As we push forward, we need to be mindful that the answer to the question “where is my media running?” has more answers and requires broader context than ever before.

John Koenigsberg

John Koenigsberg is currently a Media Planner at Razorfish. Since 2008 he has worked to perfect the art of putting “heads in beds” for Starwood Hotels. At present, he oversees media planning initiatives for the Fortune 500 hotelier’s Westin, W Hotels, Le Meridien, and Luxury Collection brands. He brings with him his passion for social media, video game advertising & game mechanics. John was born and raised in Greenwich Village, NYC and has a BSBA from Boston University School of Management. Twitter: @jmko

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by Alex Mitchell-Hardt

Tablet computing is not just a trend that will begin and end with this year’s headlines about the iPad. According to Forrester Research, US sales of tablet computers will surpass that of netbooks in 2012 and desktop computers in 2013. Much of this growth will come from devices other than Apple’s iPad. It’s time for advertisers to begin thinking about these other tablets.

To be clear, the hype around the iPad is well deserved. It’s going to lead the charge in the tablet space, and Apple’s app store is so ahead of the game that the competition may never catch up. Nevertheless, advertisers need to prepare for the upcoming barrage of tablet devices that will be entering the market. These tablets will be able to do some tasks that the iPad cannot and they may provide the easiest entry point for many brands to begin advertising on this new platform.

Google and Microsoft will be two of the major players and their tablets’ ability to run flash will open the doors for brands to run media in the tablet space without taking on incremental development costs. This means brands can run media that drives directly to their rich, flash-based website that they have been investing in for the past 5-10 years. This creates a much easier transition for advertisers that are hesitant to pump production dollars into a format that currently reaches just 3MM+ people. Development of iPad specific assets definitely makes sense for many advertisers, however I think many other brands would feel more comfortable with the seamless transition that comes from using existing assets.

It will be interesting to see how publishers will sell inventory on the non-iPad tablets. Will new units emerge? Will they try to sell targeted impressions to tablet users, deeming them a “premium” audience? From a user behavior standpoint, will tablets continue to be seen as “coffee table” computers, often used as a companion to TV watching?

I’m excited to see how this story will play out. Ultimately, it highlights how a growing role of a digital media planner is to evaluate/understand new technologies and devices (See The Continued Evolution of the Media Planner).

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by Marion Somerstein, Razorfish Media

For me, the journey into the digital space after years of traditional and direct marketing is like walking into the future knowing that the past will be forever present.  The energy and pace of Razorfish and the digital marketplace makes the traditional marketplace look awfully slow.  We measured media.  We optimized media.  But is has never been possible to do it in absolute real time the way it’s done in the digital world.  Once you obtain this depth of knowledge, it’s hard to turn back.  The past must catch up with the future to survive. I think it will.

Is media planning very different in the digital world?  Not really.  All media planners live by basic tenets:   Address the marketing objectives.  Look at the competition. Define the target.  Develop appropriate media objectives, strategies and tactics. In each plan that goes to the client, whether digital or traditional, these questions must be addressed and answered.  It’s the real time optimization and the opportunity for innovative creative that makes digital so cutting edge and exciting.  Clients need educating and they will follow suit.  Digital planners need to speak both languages of media (digital and traditional) in order to train them.  Give them a winning experience and money will follow.

Then there’s the iPad.  Revolutionary?  Absolutely.  Embraced by magazine publishers?  It seems so. Exciting and accepted by the masses, still in question because it will be about paid content vs. free.  Publishers must search for a viable digital newsstand model to lure young readers accustomed to reading on screens for free rather than paper editions. And older readers who love to hold their magazines in hand need a great reason to switch.  And then there are the ones that like to do both.  How should they be treated?

Depending on how publishers approach the iPad (magazines and newspapers) will determine if ‘tablet media’ is ready for the digital mainstream; as it must go mainstream to be profitable and obtain the reach that advertisers so need without canibalizing its printed sister.  Some magazines are charging a premium of their digital editions which may sway people away from it or the printed edition.  I’m hard-pressed to pay $4.99 for a weekly issue of Time online; however I might be swayed to buy a year’s subscription at a significantly reduced rate vs. the print edition. If you can buy a print subscription at a significantly reduced rate vs. a single copy why not the same model for the online editions.  I also don’t want to pay twice.  If I’m a print subscriber, I want free access to the online edition.  If the online editions have additional and/or different content, then I may be willing to pay a small premium.  Apps on the iPhone work because they are mostly $.99 one time or free. Time (not the magazine) and continuous testing will tell.  I hope a smart resolution comes soon, don’t you?

Marion Somerstein

About Marion Somerstein:

Marion started her career at Ogilvy & Mather (Direct Marketing) as an Assistant Media Planner  and over her 15 years there, she worked her way up to SVP, Group Media Director.  During her tenure, she broke new ground for DR ads by developing upfront and/or franchised magazine positions, and also created the first-ever national inserts in USA Today and The Wall Street Journal.

Marion left O&M for McCann Erickson where she spent 10 years at McCann Relationship Marketing helping to revitalize the MRM Brand and grow media billings on existing business and participating in all new business pitches.  She developed a sizable portfolio of media relationships benefiting clients through cost savings, as well as value added positioning and packages.

A 30-year media veteran, she has also spent time client-side, as well as at a Hispanic agency .

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By Mike Cassidy, CEO, Undertone Networks

At a recent dinner with agency executives the conversation turned to vendor relations, and I heard rants and stories about the poor level of service that they had recently experienced. One vendor didn’t respond to RFPs completely and did not return phone calls; another didn’t provide accurate and timely billing; yet another forgot to turn a campaign live. The list went on. These experiences are inexcusable and shouldn’t be tolerated.

If stories like these are common in our industry, agencies aren’t holding their vendors accountable for providing the level of service that they deserve. Think about this offline example: when dining in a restaurant, most people tip 15-20% regardless of how they’re treated. If reward becomes the norm, where is the motivation to provide excellent service?

Advertising has always been and will always be a relationship business. While the latest technology may excite and algorithms impress, they don’t replace the value that service brings to the equation. Agencies rely on vendors to be responsive and knowledgeable and to get things done. The less time they spend chasing vendors, the more time they have to dedicate to their clients.

Below are three tips for agency executives to consider when evaluating their vendors’ commitment to service:

1. Don’t discount the value of human interactions
Meet and speak with the support staff of all vendors. It’s important to know many— if not all—of the key players working on the business. Consider how important each player is to a campaign. The vendors with exceptional service will make your jobs easier on a daily basis. (And are the ones who can and should earn your repeat business).

2. Set high expectations – and stick to them
Communicate your expectations at the outset of a relationship. Letting your vendors know that “the bar is high” can ensure your account is getting the proper level of attention from the start.

3. Provide feedback, both good and bad
Develop open and honest relationships with vendors. It’s important to communicate to them whether they fall short of, meet or exceed your expectations.

The current industry landscape is crowded. In fact, it’s often hard to differentiate one vendor from the next. But even in today’s complex and crowded ecosystem, people still matter and service is still a crucial part of the business. You have the power to expect this from all your vendors. Don’t settle for less.

Michael Cassidy

About Michael Cassidy:
Michael Cassidy founded Undertone in 2001 and serves as the company’s President and Chief Executive Officer. Under Michael’s leadership, Undertone has become one of the industry’s foremost online advertising networks. Today, the company has partnerships with more than 350 top-ranked media properties and counts many of the Fortune 500 as customers.

Prior to starting Undertone, Michael founded Intercept Interactive, an interactive marketing and media buying firm that came to prominence for its work around the launch of Orbitz.com.

Previously, Michael served as the Vice President of Sales for About.com, where he was responsible for opening the company’s Midwest office and guiding development in the region. Michael joined About.com (then known as The Mining Company and now owned by The New York Times Company) as one of the company’s first sales executives and was responsible for developing many of the company’s major agency and client relationships across North America.

Michael received a bachelor’s degree in communications from the State University of New York at Oswego.

Tags: CEO, Mike Cassidy, Networks, RFP, Service, Tips, Undertone, Undertone Networks, vendor relations
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Check out our Razorfish Search department’s  Practical Steps Towards Integrated Direct-Response Marketing, a POV series written by Adam Heimlich, Group Search Director at Razorfish, in collaboration with Google and vertical experts within Razorfish.

This month, they have completed Part Two of the series: Integrated DR Marketing for Multi-Channel Retailers. Co-authored by Adam Heimlich (Razorfish) and Brett Goffin (Google), the whitepaper outlines steps to integrate digital into the existing acquisition and retention efforts of multi-channel retailers.

In case you missed it, here’s Part One of the series: Google’s Development Roadmap: More Info in More Places

Tags: acquisition, adam heimlich, brett goffin, direct response, dr marketing, Google, multi-channel retailers, razorfish, razorfish search, retailers, retention
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