Tag Archives: Advertising

Freakonomics’ Last Word On Partial RSS Feeds

A few weeks ago I analyzed Freakonomics’ dilema over its subscribers’ protest of the blogs’ move from full to partial RSS feeds, inherent with its new partnership under the NYTimes online umbrella. Yesterday Freakonomics coauthoer Stephen Dubner explained their final decision not to revert back to full RSS feeds, at least in the short term:

But can’t they [NYTimes] sell ads on a full feed, so that feed readers can still get all the content they want delivered to their computers for free without having to visit a single web site?

… Read the rest

Pure Viral Marketing – A Pipe Dream?

We hear it all the time: “We need a viral marketing strategy.” Or “we’re prepping a series of viral videos.” Or “we’ve got the best viral game in town.” Inspired by a series of best-selling business books with elegant but oversimplified narratives, our industry has been led to believe there is some magical, attainable viral force waiting to be unleashed.… Read the rest

Full Or Partial RSS Feeds?

Last Wednesday, on vacation, I opted for an air-conditioned coffee shop versus the 98-degree beach. Considering I was on August holiday with a little downtime, I decided to switch RSS readers, moving from Bloglines to Google Reader. While reevaluating and transferring my feeds (thereby reducing my subscriptions by half, down to about 100 now), I caught up on one of my favorite blogs: Freakonomics.… Read the rest

EVENT: Rising Concern Over Advertising To Kids

Critics fiercely argue the childhood obesity epidemic may be attributed directly to advertising, and that government intervention and regulation is needed immediately. As a new parent, I resonate with this stance. My son is only nine months old, but already I notice his susceptibility to colorful food packaging and promotions as we walk down grocery aisles.… Read the rest

Traditional Media Strategies Are Not Dead In Favor Of Buzz

In this week’s MediaPost column, I summarized exciting work by my Nielsen Company colleagues at BuzzMetrics, BASES and AC Nielsen. (The full study is available here, and an archive of today’s Webcast will be posted by Monday.) Through a CPG brand and market-mix modeling study, they found that high blog interest, or buzz, around new product launches is tightly linked to paid media spending.… Read the rest