Dave's Sphere

SXSARS?

2011-04-03T13:40:00.001-07:00

My final post from 16 Days In Austin: SXSARS? http://bit.ly/ic8gRT

These Aren't the Droids You Are Looking For

2011-03-19T09:01:00.000-07:00

16 Days In Austin: These Aren't the Droids You Are Looking For http://bit.ly/eR6Dcm My #SXSW blog

Too much?

2011-03-17T09:25:00.001-07:00

16 Days In Austin: Too much? http://bit.ly/eOn3YP

Days 8 and 9: Taking it easy #SXSW

2011-03-15T09:46:00.001-07:00

16 Days In Austin: Days 8 and 9: Taking it easy #SXSW http://bit.ly/e1juzF My SXSW blog.

Day 7 Recap. What a day.

2011-03-13T10:17:00.000-07:00

16 Days In Austin: Day 7 http://bit.ly/hXSV4q My #SXSW blog

And the winner so far is....Foursquare

2011-03-12T08:25:00.001-08:00

16 Days In Austin-Day 7 http://bit.ly/hXSV4q

Homeless CEO's?

2011-03-11T08:32:00.001-08:00

16 Days In Austin: Homeless CEO's? http://bit.ly/h0klFI

16 Days in Austin

2011-03-10T08:37:00.001-08:00

16 Days In Austin: Day 4: Moving Day http://bit.ly/hZ7F1B

16 Days in Austin

2011-03-08T04:53:00.001-08:00

Check out my travel blog at http://bit.ly/hvs3ZQ

Apple Passes Microsoft

2010-05-26T16:25:00.000-07:00

Just posted to my Fast Company blog: Media Tech the story of Apple passing Microsoft in cap value today. An amazing story. 10 years ago when Steve Ballmer took over, Microsoft was 35 times bigger than Apple. Today, in a day when Apple actually LOST value, it still ended up bigger than Microsoft for the first time.

Apple is now in the media business to stay. Not through media properties but through innovative hardware. Check out the Fast Company posting.

Death of the Impression/Rise of the Data Economy

2010-03-12T11:17:00.000-08:00

Mediasmith's Director of Search and Analytics, Michael Andrew in the latest Mediasmith Anvil.A treatise on the new targeting available on the Web and the technologies enabling it. A must read!

Goodbye to my home delivered newspaper

2009-11-25T13:39:00.000-08:00

Posted this yesterday on my Fast Company blog Media Tech. I love my Kindle and was not feeling real good about the inability of the Chronicle to show up on time, in front of my door and have gone to a much cheaper subscription on the Kindle. Check out my posting.

Twitter Monetization

2009-10-26T17:02:00.000-07:00

Just posted on Harvard Business Review Web site. My blog on Twitter monetization. You see, lots of folks say Twitter has no way to make money. I disagree. I think that they will prove to be the most sophisticated business model of all. Read it and let me know what you think.

Latest Mediasmith Anvil

2009-08-20T12:47:00.001-07:00

The latest Anvil is out. My interview with Adexchanger.com was featured where I talk about the need for brand protection being a major issue in the use of exchanges. Check it out. And opt-in while you are at it.

New Media Options

2009-08-06T13:59:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending Fortune's Brainstorm Tech. It was quite the event, with interviews by top Fortune writers and editors of folks like Biz Stone, Marc Andreesen, Mark Hurd and Jeffrey Katzenberg and others. Definitely worthwhile. PitneyBowes did some interviews to post on their blog and I was fortunate to be one of those picked to talk about my field. Check out my interview on the PB blog site where I talk about new media options. Both audio and transcribed version available.

Mid Summer 3 Day Weekend

2009-07-31T15:47:00.000-07:00

Mediasmith is celebrating the mid-summer 3 day weekend today through Monday. Our operating theory is that the reason for the dog days in the end of August is because it will have been almost two months since the three day weekend of 4th of July. The Late July/Early August weekend is a logical place for a three day weekend as the other "summer" months have. This was started back at a hot creative agency I was a partner at in the mid 70's called Ted Thompson & Partners. We also had the best picnics, but that's another story.

My companies have pretty much celebrated this "holiday" since then. For Mediasmith it is on the official annual holiday schedule, with employees getting their choice of Friday or Monday off. In fact, some also use it as a floating summer holiday, which is cool too.

Help us by proclaiming this holiday next year for your company. Maybe some day we can take it national.

CPW-The new metric for success!

2009-07-19T12:57:00.001-07:00

There has been a lot of talk in the trade press and at conference that we need a single metric to make web seem simpler to the uninitiated. So, we've got the answer: it's CPW or Cost-Per-Whatever a client is trying to measure. Check it out at iMediaConnection

New Interview

2009-06-16T17:45:00.000-07:00

Did an interview this week with AdExchanger.com about trends in digital media planning and buying and my views on ad exchanges. Check this out for some of my latest views on these and other digital media topics.

A History of Information

2009-05-19T13:40:00.000-07:00

Just posted in my Fast Company blog Media Tech a pointer to Thomas Baekdal's piece called "Where is Everyone" with a great outline of the history of information. From "over the fence"/public marketplaces to today's social media, a very interesting view of the topic.

Google Profiles Competes in Social Media Space

2009-04-22T06:35:00.001-07:00

Check out my newest posting on Fast Company Media Tech about the brand new Google profile. You can see an example of my profile by typing in David Smith and going to the bottom of the page. Click on the link and see all my various info. This is really cool.

PR Engine for Twitter

2009-03-31T14:00:00.001-07:00

Yet another Twitter use. Check out my recent FastCompany blog Media Tech regarding the Media Database which permits easy contact with the media, especially the tech writers and reporters. Also an easy way to follow them on Twitter if Twitter is a source of news for you.

Internet History

2009-03-29T21:43:00.000-07:00

Good article from Crave/CNET.UK on the top 50 moments of internet history. Worth checking out! Pretty amazing list, even the honorable mentions.

Who's Counting?

2009-03-01T12:53:00.000-08:00

Good article on Web metrics by Jason Pontin in MIT Tech Review. Jason got most of my quotes right and I am grateful for his use of my thinking throughout this article. MIT Technology Review definitely takes my venues up a notch! But there is one thing. We DO take audiences into account when we buy. We just don't buy TOTAL audience of a web site. Oh well, as the saying goes, call me anything you like, but just call me.

The Consumer Connection

2009-02-25T06:51:00.000-08:00

Check out my recently posted entry on my Fast Company blog, Media Tech. The use of Facebook Connect and Twitter alongside mainstream edit on sites is the latest in the integration of social media into the mainstream. Now you can chat with your friends or see what others are saying about an event while interacting with that event on the Web. No need to switch back and forth from one page to another. This integration of content and consumer content is facilitated by the open APIs of social sites like Twitter and Facebook. Amazing progress.

Video SEO, Video SEM

2009-02-20T06:21:00.000-08:00

Searching for video on the Web takes different tools and different processes. Mediasmith's Abe Snyder, Senior Media Planner (with me as editor) provides a basic tutorial talking about the current and future state of this process.

Andy Bourland, ClickZ Cofounder Dies

2009-02-16T19:09:00.001-08:00

Andy was only in his 50's. He will be remembered by all who he touched as one of the good guys. Set an example by always being there for others. He died of a heart problem created by over radiation when they saved his life over 30 years ago. If you knew Andy, please post a note on his blog for his wife Jeanne. She is making a book for his children of everyone's thoughts and stories.

http://www.clickz.com/3632812

Digital Engagement-Bob Heyman's New Book

2009-02-05T11:58:00.001-08:00

Mediasmith's own Bob Heyman, our Chief Search Officer just released his fourth book, titled Digital Engagement. You can get it at Amazon. Highly recommended. Also, check out his blog and feel free to comment.

Tech Blunders on Super Bowl Spots

2009-02-02T10:31:00.000-08:00

Just posted to my FastCompany blog, Media Tech my post mortem on the lack of integration between Super Bowl spots and technology.

Jack-In-The-Box "didn't tell the web guys". They needed to buy more band width.

Intel didn't get 3D glasses into the grocery store. We were supposed to know that we had to drop by Target or Best Buy to get them.

And only 20% of all advertisers touted their spots via search the week before.

I Want My PrimeTime When I Want It

2009-01-27T13:17:00.000-08:00

Just posted on my FastCompany.com blog Media Tech my rant about availability of prime time viewing on the west coast. Tell me again why I can't get 24 and other favorite prime time shows on the west coast once they have started in the east? There is no technology reason and I can't see a business reason either.

Anatomy of a Campaign

2009-01-25T09:04:00.000-08:00

Seth Godin on a couple of companies doing things right relative to consumer communications.

Twitter's, Facebook's and the Web's record numbers

2009-01-21T06:20:00.000-08:00

CNN, Twitter, Facebook all set new records yesterday. Check out my FastCompany.com blog, Media Tech for the latest info.

Search down in Q4 '08? Online up in '09?

2009-01-19T11:04:00.000-08:00

Did you see the news from Efficient Frontier that search went DOWN in Q4?

Not the official numbers but interesting.

Overall, we had a late surge in Nov-Dec that helped our year last year.

Our online budgets are holding steady for 09. We are generally ok. And you know, ok is the new fabulous!

I think online display spending will be up 5-10% this year. We've had a couple of inquiries already, one from a Fortune 500 company re: emerging technologies (mobile) and one from a know brand name wanting to get into web display. There will be continued growth due to new entries in the markeplace.

For search, the growth will still be about 15%.

We know that bigger companies are doing some cutbacks, but more in traditional than web. So we think online will still be a growth medium.

10 Ways Social Media Improved Lives in 2008

2009-01-17T13:05:00.000-08:00

Awesome!

Yahoo's Use of Twitter to Filter News

2009-01-17T12:24:00.000-08:00

Just posted on my FastCompany.com blog, Media Tech a piece about Yahoo's apparent breakthrough vs. Google news in a new search algorithm for news reporting. Taking advantage of the fact that Twitter has become a "first report" news venue when consumers witness events (like the "Miracle on the Hudson" plane crash), Yahoo's TweetNews uses recency and frequency of posts on Twitter rather than most links ala Google News.

Many of you have witnessed that Google News sometimes regurgitates old articles and posts due to their algorithm. Yahoo has definitely done a one up on Google with the leveraging of their new algorithm plus Twitter.

Digital media resolutions for 2009

2009-01-15T10:39:00.000-08:00

My digital resolutions for 2009:

Figure out how to monetize Twitter.

Perfect the integration of social, emerging media tech and search with web display.

Help move industry metrics issues ahead.

Introduce a minimum of 2-3 new companies to the digital world.

For more, see my Fast Company blog, Media Tech.

Twitter Metrics

2009-01-13T11:48:00.000-08:00

Here is a piece I did for MediaPost's Metrics Insider. It talks about the various metrics that are available for Twitter. Stay tuned, because more and more are happening all the time.

Video Growth on Web Galloping Ahead

2009-01-05T12:20:00.000-08:00

Just posted on FastCompany.com for my Media Tech blog on the growth of Web video. Up over 30% vs. year ago. Over 12 billion views in November alone! Also made mention of the new LG announcement that requires no OTT box like Roku to stream NetFlix. LG's new HDTVs will stream directly from NetFlix. Heady days for the new video scene. And tough times for the traditional networks.

Early Notes on Twitter

2008-12-24T12:38:00.000-08:00

Some notes from about a month ago about my early use of Twitter:

Actually, I initially thought Twitter was noise. And it is. But noise that can be parsed. I first saw that CNN was taking "Tweets" (postings from twitterers) and scrolling them across the bottom of the screen relative to the topic at hand and then taking their quesitons from the tweets rather than phone, it was an aha moment. Then I realized that I could parse Twitter for what was being said about my clients, or our company, or even me if anybody would actually do that. So, I got on board and starting trying to add something to the noise that was meaningful. Although I must admit that I occaisionally have just typed in OTL. Or, it's Friday afternoon, the bar is open, come on over to Mediasmith for a beer. So far no takers. But I am getting a lot of folks that I am not linked to personally, through LinkedIn or Facebook that are worth following themselves like Guy Kawasaki and Shelly Palmer who are following ME. Then another moment in time when USA Today calls me about the Motrin crisis created weekend before last and wants my input about the mommy bloggers vs. J&J. Heady stuff. I continue to follow that but I disagree with where the famous bloggers and trade press are going with this. They say J&J got it together before the end of the weekend and gets let off the hook. Well, I and a lot of other people (due to twitter, sharing on social netowrks, and other slices which are easier to make every day with the web 2.0 tools available) have a lot of good observations about this.
It is a 24/7 world. And if you are launching ANYTHING, a new product. an ad campaign, a new design, anything that people might actually NOTICE and not following it with the free or maybe even paid (depending on the scope of your effort and value of your product) real time tracking, you take the chance that a few days when you are at the beach can ruin your product, company and change your life.
So I'll be writing about that for sure. But the other thing about Twitter is that off the wall people that you have never been within 3 or 4 degrees of start following you. And when you read their blurbs, you realize that some of these are people you would love to have a long conversation with over dinner and a few bottles of wine. Now, I am not suggesting a relationship. That comes with time or doesn't. These could be a series of great one night stands from an intellectual basis. But, you have to admit that when people post things like the items below, it can catch your attention. How do they find this stuff?

Wow. Terrorism in golf. Caller warns he buried mines at Casio World Open: http://tinyurl.com/6b3al8

Favorite quote for today, "I meant to get to that, but then I just went on with life"

I'll be writing more about this, cause it is fascinating

Podcasting Killed The Satellite Star

2008-12-24T10:50:00.001-08:00

Check out my new MediaPost Metrics Insider post. Music has become personal and the iPod/MP3 player availability everywhere has stopped the Satellite Radio momentum cold.

Fast Company Post About Twitter As News Vehicle

2008-12-23T12:06:00.001-08:00

Just posted onto my Fast Company blog, Media Tech. My experience so far with Twitter is that "social journalism" has the potential to supplant or even replace the standard news outlets. Check it out...

Yahoo Adventures

2008-12-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

BtoB Magazine Online discusses the advertiser and agency viewpoints on Yahoo's sales position with the changes at the top. Dave talks about the hiring of Joanne Bradford who has the capability of turning things around for them.

Bush Admin Opposes FCC Proposed Free Nationwide Wi-Fi: MediaBytes with Shelly Palmer December 12, 2008

2008-12-12T12:27:00.001-08:00

Bush Admin Opposes FCC Proposed Free Nationwide Wi-Fi: MediaBytes with Shelly Palmer December 12, 2008

Posted using ShareThis

Targeting

2008-12-02T14:20:00.000-08:00

Just posted another Metrics Insider piece, this one on targeting. There are a lot of different ways to slice this with the web that go far beyond demographic or product usage that the advertiser is used to using for traditional media. Check out this article which outlines Contextual, Behavioral, Relevancy, Social and other types of targeting available on the web.

Al Gore-Ahead Of His Time Again

2008-12-01T16:35:00.001-08:00

Check out the posting by Mediasmith's own Eliot Kent-Uritam on AdAge.com today on how Al Gore is ahead of the curve on the use of user generated advertising and content through Current, a peer-to-peer news and information network.

Still Growing!

2008-11-21T09:11:00.000-08:00

Online advertising growth, while not what it once was, grew again in Q3. This while a lot of other media are dying on the vine. Is the bloom off the rose for web display? Maybe for a while due to big categories like finance and auto disappearing. But is online still the fastest growing? You bet. And categories like video, social and emerging media technologies will continue to outpace the market significantly in 2009. And search is healthy too.

Comments on Yahoo! Top Management Change

2008-11-21T08:14:00.000-08:00

ClickZ likes to check in with me on industry changes. Here are my thoughts relative to their concern that Jerry Yang stepping down. They wondered if it would affect their agency relations. I pointed out that sales are now in the capable hands of Joanne Bradford and that Yang was really more involved in other things.

USA Today Quote

2008-11-18T21:21:00.000-08:00

Good news and bad news. Good news is this is my first ever quote in USA Today. The bad news, they asked me for some blog and Twitter critiques and among others I fed them the Seth Godin blog quote, paraphrasing for them but also providing them with the link to Seth's blog. They ran it as my critique. Sorry Seth!

I do believe that Motrin blew this. They introduced a campaign which clearly should have been better vetted. They did it on a Friday and did not track any noise about the campaign until some time late Sunday. The agency was clearly asleep as Twitter and the blogosphere were both slamming the campaign and the brand big time. Whether you agree or disagree with them, neither a brand or an agency can ever assume again that they can take the weekend off. Consumer communications are a 24 by 7 job. If you must launch on a Friday, watch to blogosphere and make sure that you are on top of any comments.

View Through Evidence from comScore

2008-11-18T20:47:00.000-08:00

From MediaPost's Metrics Insider. Evidence we have been waiting for on View Through. Interesting that it was provided by comScore, not Atlas or Doubleclick. Thanks, comScore!

Fast Company Blog: Mobile Millennium Traffic Pilot From UC Berkeley and Nokia

2008-11-16T19:30:00.000-08:00

The Mobile Millennium Traffic application from UC Berkeley and Nokia has a lot of potential. It replicates what you could get with an expensive new GPS like the DASH on your GPS enabled cell phone. I've tried it and find it very useful. Check out my blog on Fast Company for more info.

LinkedIn User Profiles

2008-11-11T08:33:00.000-08:00

Just posted to my Fast Company blog about the AdAge article on LinkedIn users. Researchers are being permitted access to users for categorization and market research. Turns out they are a fresh and willing panel.

MediaPost Media Insider Blog on Call For Single Pixel

2008-11-05T11:43:00.000-08:00

Check out my latest post on MediaPost's Metrics Insider (you may need to register) on the need for a single tag solution for tracking Web success. And stay tuned for announcements of new technologies in this arena.

Google Books Announcement

2008-11-05T11:40:00.000-08:00

Posted on my Fastcompany blog Media Tech re: Google announcement to put out of print books up and available online in an iTunes type environment. A victory for copyright owners, education and readers everywhere. Good going Google!

Widget Article

2008-11-04T08:26:00.000-08:00

The latest Mediasmith Anvil has been posted. This is an article written largely by Elizabeth (Lizzie) Heldenbrand and up and comer at Mediasmith with some additions by myself and Eliot Kent-Uritam, AMD at Mediasmith. Check out the article.

We get a lot of great feedback on the value of the morsels within the Anvil and hope that the first morsel, on Advertising in a Down Market is especially useful.

New Fast Company Post: Web Display Ads Alive and Well

2008-10-29T11:36:00.000-07:00

Posted another entry to my Fast Company blog this morning. While some are saying doom and gloom for web display advertising and that search is the only thing that will grow, there is evidence to the contrary about the effectiveness of web display.

CPA: Trend or Permanent Move?

2008-10-24T16:14:00.000-07:00

From Tuesday (10/21)
Wrote an article for MediaPost's Metrics Insider today about CPA vs. CPM deals for Web display advertising. http://www.mediapost.com/blogs/metrics_insider/?p=104
You may need to register to see this.

M3

2008-10-24T16:13:00.000-07:00

From Tuesday (10/21)
Check out the announcement of our new service package from Mediasmith, M3 (Media to the third power or Media cubed). Represents the convergence of search, emerging media technologies and social media.
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/mediasmith-launches-m3-bank-digital/story.aspx?guid=%7BEBF9924A-D6EE-4145-9BE3-3749C899D581%7D&dist=hppr
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.san&s=93040&Nid=48535&p=16671

Media Tech Post #1

2008-10-24T16:05:00.000-07:00

From Last Monday (10/20)

Posted my first blog on FastCompany.com today. I'll be adding more to Dave's sphere as I write. I'll also be adding archives from some of my previous writing along the way.

Dave's Sphere Startup

2008-10-23T18:25:00.000-07:00

This is Dave Smith's (aka David L. Smith) professional blog. I also have a personal blog at Dave's Here