Those Tricky Cable Buys...

Wow, I don't post for a month and Blogger changes their whole look! Life sure has been moving fast these past few weeks.

Obviously, I've been pretty busy with all the new things going on and haven't been all that interested in writing about it. I thought I would be - but I have turned to more personal types of communication (phone calls, emails, face to face) during my transition to new city, new agency, new friends, etc. But anyway, I'm motivated again to get back to this blog! It was recently put on AdAge's Power list, so I guess it's time to show some new folks how insightful this blogger can get!

Read a cool article in Media magazine during lunch last week. Steve Farella and Audrey Siegel discuss how they went into my version of media planner heaven and basically just played around with schedules on random networks to see if they could get the same reach and frequency. Kind of like media russian roulette. 11 networks at random - how do they deliver? Another 11 random networks - how do they deliver? And so on. Will one of them triumph? Does planning even matter?

At first I was a little uncomfortable with this notion. Because according to them, it didn't matter how much you planned. The average audience sizes all came out the same. The random schedules all looked good on paper. And to an uneducated client, could probably convince them to move to a cheaper media planning partner.

But of course, Farella and Siegel couldn't leave it at that or we would all be out of jobs. I mean, computers could do this stuff for us and we'd all be jobless at home watching 4-hr marathons of Law and Order SVU (hmmm). The main point was that with cable networks, you're planning with the environment in mind, much like planning for radio. So you want to choose networks that your audience will relate to so that they will be receptive to your message.

This would also affect your added value packages, which could actually add more value to your buys than just additional GRPs if they were running on networks that were relevant to your audience. Like, if a shoe company ran an ad for their sale during TLC's What Not to Wear. Then they could have a promotional :10 about how pointy-toe flats elongate the leg line while still being comfortable. "Find the shoes at "XX" and continue watching for more great tips from Stacy and Clinton."

This could also be an argument for creative working closely with media. Just something to chew on...


Image via asa.org.

10 Things Every Media Buyer Should Do

This list was inspired by a piece from Television Week’s Media Planner column. It was a list of new year job resolutions for 2007 that I've kept on my desk ever since. So now I've added my own spin - enjoy!

1. Be media neutral.
You love TV. Or magazines, public radio, outdoor, whatever. Not everyone else does. So don’t just recommend media that you love and don’t spend hours negotiating great TV rates while accepting the rate card of the local magazine. It’s not fair to the client!

2. Use your reps.
But not in a bad way. Use them for their knowledge and experience. They likely have had clients similar to yours and they may give you tips that will make you a rock star. So take time away from your oh-so-busy day to actually ask for their opinion and advice. I’ve won business by taking their advice.

3. Be nice.
No one likes mean people. Unless you’re one of those guys that love bitchy girls (never understood that!). I’ve instated a “be nice media buyers” policy in my agency’s media department. We don’t yell at reps. We don’t make unfair demands. We approach problems by asking, “How can we fix this?” rather than, “How could you let this happen?” Again, I’ve won business by being easy to work with and fair. Notice a common thread here?

4. Be organized.
Unfortunately, this advice is more of a “do as I say and not as I do.” My desk is pretty cluttered right now. But by the end of the week, everything will be in its place and filed. If you are organized, you’ll have no trouble covering your little butt if something goes wrong. In the media world, something always will!

5. Call your reps.
Email is awesome. But we all know that sometimes written communication can be misconstrued. Just call your reps when there is a problem and talk it out. And call them on their birthdays. It will make you their favorite media buyer and that will get you better rates (seriously).

6. Watch a lot of TV.
Who could ask for better homework? You can be a total couch potato and it’s considered proactive research. With hundreds of programs to choose from, you’re bound to find something you enjoy. I never knew how obsessed I’d become with the Food Network. And you know what, I made Tyler Florence’s upside down Cranberry-Pecan French Toast for my dad this weekend and it was fabulous! Benefits outside the office, too!

7. Learn to play golf.
It’s hard. Really, really hard and frustrating. But you don’t have to play well; a self-deprecating loser can be endearing. If you can’t play at all, at least learn the rules so you can be part of the group without slowing them down. If you’re a chick, like me, knowing how to play golf will open doors and get you in “the boys club.” Plus, you get to ride a golf cart and drink beer.

8. Read constantly.
But thoroughly. I tend to engulf any material that comes my way, only to later have the reference on the tip of my tongue when I could have really wowed someone if the knowledge had just flowed out like a river of wisdom. Missed opportunities suck big time. Oh, and read stuff other than business books. Need help? Oprah’s book club. New York Times best-seller list. Amazon.com. There you go. No excuses!

9. Educate yourself.
No, you don’t have to get a masters degree (unfortunately, I’m 30 credits deep). Just make sure you know all about the latest and greatest. Don’t know what Twitter is? Figure it out. Don’t know what Hulu is? Figure it out. Media buyers and planners need to be up-to-date.

10. Send Christmas cards.
This goes back to #3. If your agency doesn’t already do this, go find some generic, politically correct cards and send them to all your reps. It’s thoughtful and creates good feelings.

Roving Eye Ad Fascinates

This spot from MasterCard, though not new, is so intriguing that I had to share. Not only is the production spot-on(the part where the waitress responds to his eye is such a perfect example of not over-acting), but the writing is especially thoughtful. I love the last line; "What would it find, this spirited orb of mine?" It's poetic!



Agency: Mccann Erickson, New York

Ads of My Youth

I've been reading a new book called, "The Advertised Mind" by Erik Du Plessis. I'm loving it. Right now I'm reading about how memories are created and stored. This made me think back to the first commercials I could remember (as well as a recent screening of The Little Mermaid. Disney had its best years when I was a child!). Surprisingly, the first thing I remembered were songs and jingles! Check out some of these early 90s ads that were running in my oh-so-impressionable-years.

DeBeers and the original silhouette spot ;) So dramatic.


Zest: You're not fully clean unless you're Zest-fully clean. The frame of the dad and the towel is too funny.


Cotton: The fabric of our lives! Soooo clever!


I tried my best to find the Softer Side of Sears commercials. But as you can tell, the above spots were likely tape recorded. Not the easiest to come by! Of course, I can't recall any print ads. I was reading books and Highlights - last time I checked, they don't accept advertising.

But I do remember one outdoor board that was on US-1 and 152nd St in Miami. It was a cigarette ad with a bunch of teenagers on top of a car. They looked like they were having a ball on that car, smoking and subsequently developing lung cancer. I feel like that board never changed. Did they use vinyl in the 80s-90s? 'Cause it was always the same and at one point I remember it being really faded. Oh well, enjoy my blast from the past!

How Do You Take Your Media?

Since this blog is now on Tallahassee.com, I've received a bunch of comments on the Death of a Medium post. Which totally surprised me. Some bloggers love their newspaper.

One commenter hinted that it was the experience of reading a newspaper that they loved. So my question to anyone reading is, "How do you take your media?"

Research points out that radio listening happens at home and in the car. TV viewing is mostly in the home (in fact, TV is also measured by households). The most Internet activity happens throughout the day; news is sought during the morning at work and informational searches typically occur at home in the evening (ex. house hunting sites). But what about magazine reading? Or newspapers?

Enter a major benefit of printed media: portability. You can take it with you. Where do I read my latest issue of Domino (best lifestyle mag ever)? On my back deck, in bed before I turn the lights out, in the car when I'm not driving, the beach, a plane trip...I can take it anywhere. If I lose my signal, no problem.

So there ya go. I'm standing up for printed, tangible, flammable media.

Photo via stock.xchng