-
Total eclipses aren’t as rare as you think
As millions flock to the path of totality across the U.S. for this once-in-a-generation event, you should know it’s going to happen again in less than two years. However, you won’t notice. It’s going to happen over the Pacific Ocean and skirt the southern edge of Argentina. In fact, eclipses…
-
93% of sponsored celebrity posts aren’t FTC complaint
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announced it was cracking down on improperly-labeled native advertising and disclosures on paid social media posts. In April, the FTC sent out more than 90 letters reminding influencers and marketers that influencers should clearly and conspicuously disclose their relationships to brands when promoting or endorsing products through social…
-
A scary chart for the newspaper industry
The decline of U.S. newspaper has been well documented by now, but this chart from the American Enterprise Institute shows just how deep the cuts have been.
-
10,000 Facebook users die every day
“…in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” — Benjamin Franklin 1789 Benjamin Franklin would never have anticipated anything like social media. From chronicling the mundane (what I ate for lunch) to the monumental (Trump as President), Facebook has become the background of life for many.
-
Partisan views on media more entrenched than ever
If anything, partisan views of the national news media have gotten even more entrenched… and the gap has widened, according to a national survey by Pew Research Center. While Democrat views on the impact of the national news media have grown more positive, Republicans have grown even more negative in…
-
We’ve got work to do: Majority of public thinks media is biased
Media folks, we’ve got a lot of work to do. The general public now believe overwhelmingly that news organizations are biases and subject to partisan agendas. We used to joke in newsrooms that if we had both Democrats and Republicans calling to complain about our story, we were probably OK,…
-
Branding when your name isn’t Apple or Google
Guest Post: Lara Davis Your brand is the core of your marketing, the central theme around your products and services. Your brand is not your Logo or your Company Name, unless of course you are Apple or Google. For people to come and hire you, or buy from you, your…
-
World’s largest advertiser cuts $140m in digital ads and grows sales
The world’s largest advertiser – Procter & Gamble- has been vocal about concerns over where its online ads are running and who’s clicking on them made a startling announcement at the end of July. After spending a third of its ad budget last year online – and watching sales diminish…
-
Pebble (gone), Jawbone (liquidating) – is Fitbit next?
You couldn’t go anywhere this past holiday without seeing Fitness trackers all over the place. Just about any place that sold electronics, or the big department stores, all had Fitbit displays on hand – many of them right by the checkout lanes. Wow, what a difference a few months makes…
-
FCC signals rollback on net neutrality rules; Nearly 11 million comments filed
Before the Federal Communications Commission takes action, it puts out proposals and asks for public comments. When it comes to net neutrality rules, the public commented big time. Nearly 11 million comments have been filed. There’s no question the issue is a lightning rod. In 2015, the FCC voted in…
-
Get early access to Google beta projects
Google techs are expected to spend a portion of their time working on special projects outside their job area. Inside the company, they call it “Area 120.” It’s an incubator for experimental projects well before they are ready for release. Prior Area 120 projects included Google Maps, AdSense, and even…
-
Great read: Digital Vault highlights the intersection of Digital + Media + Marketing
Blatant-plug-alert! I’m the publisher and editor of another website, Digital Vault, which I’d love for you to check out. The site focus on the intersection of digital, media, and marketing. We now have more than 100 advertising, marketing, and digital evangelists writing and contributing to the site and the growth…
-
Facebook discussing metered paywalls for publishers on platform
Publishers that have tried out Facebook’s Instant Articles have been pleased with the speed in which pages load, but not necessarily pleased about the economics. By keeping readers within Facebook’s walled garden, publishers didn’t see the activity translate directly to page views – and exposure to the accompanying ads. Ad…
-
Ad Copy that sizzles and sells
GUEST POST: Adrian Posner, Posner Marketing A successful marketing plan relies heavily on the pulling-power of advertising copy. Writing results-oriented ad copy is difficult. There is no magic formula to write perfect ad copy. So how is any writer supposed to pen a piece of advertising copy that sizzles and…
-
For every second it takes your mobile site to load, conversions drop by 20%
Use this free Google test tool to see how your site stacks up Google has updated its tool to test your website load speed to show you how many visitors you lose because it takes so long to load. 46% of people say the worst part of mobile browsing on…
-
Facebook refuses to release political advertising data
Television stations must disclose to the public which politicians bought advertising on which station, how much they spent, and where the ads run. It’s available for anyone that wants to go the station’s section on the FCC website for all to see. Not so for the internet. Facebook, not known…
-
Google says no to pop-up and pop-under ads
Google has taken another positive step in trying to help reign in the mess of annoying ads on website. Google will no longer permit placing pop-up or pop-under ads, the company declared in a blog post. They also won’t allow the use of any Google ads on sites that contain…
-
In today’s media world, you need to be a Multi-Platform Seller
If you needed more proof on why you need to be a Multi-Platform Seller (MPS) to be successful in advertising today, look no further than Borell’s Annual Survey of Local Advertisers. It’s no longer traditional media or digital, it’s a mix of both. 74% want a package that works. 74%…
-
Amazon moves causes Best Buy to lose $1 billion in market cap overnight
Recode reports that Amazon has been hiring folks to provide in-home installations for electronics and smart home devices. The operation is up and running in 7 markets so far. Smart home gadgets are selling, but Amazon reports higher than normal return rates, in part because they can be tough to…
-
News organizations ask Congress for authority to collectively bargain with Google, Facebook
The New Media Alliance represent almost 2,000 news organizations, primarily newspapers. This week, the organization starting asking Congress for some help in taking on the big internet companies. Call it a pre-emptive strike for collective bargaining with Google and Facebook. It’s no secret that Goo-book dominates digital advertising. In the…
-
Insights: Analyzing 105,000 Facebook pages for emoji’s
Facebook places weight on reactions – those love, sad, angry, lol emoji’s – when determining what to put in your news feed. It values them more than likes. “Over the past year we’ve found that if people leave a Reaction on a post, it is an even stronger signal that they’d…
-
Advertising coming to NBA uniforms this season
Look for advertising on NBA uniforms this upcoming season. Eight teams have announced deals with brands. Some have showed off the look – it will be in the form of a “patch” on the upper right front of the uniform over the heart. Photos: NBA
-
The difference between NATIONAL news reporting and LOCAL News reporting? Trust.
With all the talk about fake news and how much the public doesn’t believe journalists, it’s important to note that there’s a huge difference in how people view NATIONAL news media versus LOCAL news media. The local folks live and work in your community, go to church there, shop at…
-
Canada’s Supreme Court rules Google must block some search content worldwide
Can one country really tell Google what it can and can’t show in its search results for the rest of the world? Read on. Canada’s Supreme Court made a startling ruling that has broad-reaching impact around the world. In a 7-2 ruling, the court decided to grant an injunction preventing…
-
Disney, FOX, Turner lead media companies on social interactions
The Walt Disney Company maintains its #1 position with 327.6 million consumer interactions, making up 10.5% of total engagement within the media industry in the U.S., according to Sharablee, which tracks brand data on social media. Disney also saw 33% growth in content shares and 22% growth in video views.
-
The case for content marketing
The rise in content marketing in advertising circles is staggering. From native ads to blog posts, articles, and videos, it’s re-framed how some businesses do marketing. The adoption of ad blockers and concern over where ads are placed has only accelerated the movement. It’s almost become a universal marketing tactic.…
-
Five steps to empower your team
What would a story about business practices be without a Peter Drucker quote? “So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work.” – Peter Drucker New manager soften make the mistake of feeling like they have to make every decision – and exert…
-
Mixing GPS location data with advertising
The privacy folks are about to have a whole lot of new things to worry about. We’ve all been cyber-stalked by ads following us around the internet. Publishers put a pixel, in most cases, on their website that tie into their ad network buys. This allows them to track where…
-
Gmail will no longer scan your email and target ads
Did you even know that Google was scanning your Gmail messages and then targeted advertising to you based on the contents? They were. Now, Google says they won’t do it anymore. Well, kind of. They’ll still scan and use the info, but just not serve ads.
-
The Illusory Truth Effect: The more someone sees “fake news,” the more they believe it
A study done by Yale University’s Department of Psychology, Department of Economics, and School of Management concluded that “even a single exposure (to fake news) increases perceptions of accuracy.” Here’s the kicker: Even when flagged as disputed by fact-checkers, or warned that the story might be fake, the perception of…
-
What really drove the sale? When metrics lie
Let me take you back a few years, then we’ll jump ahead to the digital advertising world we live in now. Several years ago, I was talking to the owner of a small business one day about what drove customers to their store. She told me it was simple: the…
-
Is the advertiser boycott of YouTube over?
Money talks. Most of the advertisers boycotting YouTube are back in the advertising tent, according to Digiday. MediaRadar said General Motors, Johnson & Johnson, AT&T, Verizon, and Walmart have ads running on YouTube right now. Major brands pulled their ads from YouTube after worries about brand security and where their…
-
It’s not just Trump: World Leaders user Twitter to get the message out
Pope Francis is the most followed world leader on Twitter with a combined total of 33,716,301 followers on his nine language accounts, ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump with 30,133,036 followers and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with 30,058,659 followers, according to a Burson-Marsteller study, an annual global survey of how world leaders,…
-
Three questions for Ford’s new CEO
GUEST POST: University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business The future arrived early for Ford’s new CEO, Jim Hackett, who recently replaced Mark Fields after the automobile giant lost patience with its former leader just three years into his tenure. David Kirsch, a management and entrepreneurship professor at the University of Maryland’s Robert…
-
Man fined $4,000 for clicking the Like button of defamatory Facebook posts
Here’s a twist. A Swiss man has been fined roughly $4,000 bucks for clicking the Like button on Facebook. Yup, you read that right. Fortune reports that the man (not named in court) clicked the Like button on what a judge termed defamatory comments on Facebook. By clicking the Like…
-
Instagram growth is exploding
ICYMI, Instagram growth has exploded. It’s now exceeded 700 million active users monthly. The growth rate itself is incredible, adding more than 100 million users already this year. The growth has come at the expense of SnapChat, which has seen growth slow down some 82% since Instagram launched Stories –…
-
New study links social media use to less gray matter in your brain
Too much Facebook = less brain cells, according to a study in the medical journal Behavioral Brain Research. The researchers did MRI scans of active 85 Facebook users. “Higher daily frequency of checking Facebook on the smartphone was robustly linked with smaller gray matter volumes of the nucleus accumbens,” the…
-
New Study: Cord-Cutting is accelerating in 2017
Cord-cutting is growing rapidly. After years of relatively small number of consumers ditching their cable and satellite connections, the number of people opting for going it alone or smaller video bundles has grown dramatically in the last year. According to a Magid Broadcast study of consumers this April (reporter by…
-
Despite a year warning, publishers and ad creators aren’t ready for Flash ad end dates
The Interactive Advertising Bureau advocated for an end to Flash video ads by July 2017. Instead, it wants advertisers to use HTML5. Google jumped into the fray by stopping accepting Flash ads as of April and announcing an end to grandfathered Flash ads this July. So, with two months to…
-
Social Media: “More addictive than cigarettes and alcohol”
Researchers from the Royal Society for Public Health in the U.K. interviewed 1,500 some teens and young adults (age 14-24) to quantify the impact of social media on their health. They looked at thing like depression, loneliness, body image, sleep, self-identity, and bullying. The conclusion? Instagram is the worst offender…
-
We’re hiring serious journalists to do the important stories
Have you become disillusioned with the TV news business? Tired of the fluff and happy talk? We want serious, experienced reporters that are willing to take on the tough stories, dig deeper, and do the important journalism our town deserves. Here’s the kicker: We’re willing to pay for experience. If…
-
Game Changer: Google confirms built-in ad blocker coming to its Chrome browser
It’s been rumored for a while, but now Google confirms it will update its Chrome browser to include an ad blocker. If your site has what Google terms “unacceptable ads,” it’s going to block all the advertisements on your site. The list of what is unacceptable will include pop-ups, videos…
-
A virtual explosion of internet-connected devices in homes
If you believe the new study from Parks Associates, there is a virtual explosion of connected devices going into consumer’s homes over the next few years. Analysts predict more than 442 million connected consumer devices will be sold in the U.S. in 2020. These sales totals include connected entertainment, mobile,…
-
Disconnect between what ad agencies think and what real people do
What percentage of average people in the U.S. watch video content on their TV set (versus other devices)? 250 advertising executives were asked that question. They said 25%. Umm. The number is actually 82%. Research Now did the study on behalf of the Video Advertising Bureau (VAB). They surveyed 250…
-
Despite what you hear, 92% of all video viewing happens on a TV set
The Nielsen analysis looked at the total time spent watching video on TVs, connected TVs, connected devices, smartphone, tablets, and desktop computers. “All adult consumers still rely on the TV screen for the lion’s share of their overall viewing.” – Nielsen It isn’t just a little bit more TV viewing,…
-
Now accepting guest posts!
It’s a chance to get your thoughts and your brand in front of this blog’s 6,400+ followers – made up of television, advertising, marketing, and digital thought leaders. It’s free to you, because it takes the load off of me to come up with everything! I post daily insights…
-
Trump’s 2018 budget would end federal funding for public broadcasting
The draft budget, if approved, would cut the $445 million dollars the Corporation for Public Broadcasting currently earmarked as part of the omnibus bill approved for fiscal year 2019. Instead, it would allocate just $30 million dollars. The $30 million would be to conduct “an orderly closeout of federal funding,”…
-
Social media companies facing fines for failing to remove hate speech, illegal content quickly enough
Social Media is under attack again in Great Britain as government officials debate fines if Facebook and Twitter don’t remove illegal content fast enough. Britain’s home affairs committee unleashed a scathing report, going so far as to suggest the social media companies pay for policing. They compared it to a…
-
Every generation is the Facebook generation… for now
Every generation is the Facebook generation, proclaims a new survey by Sprout Social. It’s hard to argue. The study looked at the social media habits of 1,000 Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers.
-
When the majority of people tell me that doing something will negatively impact my brand, I take it seriously
When my son was very young, he was watching television one day and noticed one of the characters was drinking a “cola.” That’s what it said on the can. He asked me if that was Coca Cola and we talked about how they often substituted generic products so they didn’t…
-
TV still the largest reach of U.S. consumers
A new report from Pivotal Research Group echoes what several other industry reports, including Nielsen, have been saying for years: TV has the largest share of audience of all media. In April 2017, national TV platforms reached almost every single person in the United States: 98.1% of all people. Among…
-
Website video might hurt, but won’t help Google ranking
Adding videos to your website may be a great idea, but it won’t help your site rank better on Google. “Having a video on your page will absolutely not help you rank better in web search,” said Google’s Gary Illyes in response to a Twitter discussion. Having a video…
-
FCC takes first step towards repealing net neutrality
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took a big first step in overturning net neutrality rules. In a 2-to-1 vote, the Commission began the rule-making process. That’s the first step in replacing the Open Internet Order adopted in 2015. The net neutrality rules prevent ISPs (Internet Service Providers) from giving preferential…
-
It’s over: Mobile has won
We passed the tipping point in 2014. Since then, the use of mobile has exploded. If you’re still focusing on your desktop website first, you’re way behind. 71% of web traffic in the United States is mobile, according to ComScore. Mobile usage is larger than desktop in almost every country.…
-
My (failed) attempt to subscribe to the local newspaper
You’d think in this era of declining circulation a newspaper would jump the chance to add a print subscriber. Apparently not. I’m a bonafide news junkie. I watch TV News primarily and I’m online every day. But I still like to sit down and read the Sunday paper. There’s something about…
-
The AdWords Illusion: Forget the sales funnel
I’ve written before about the problem with using “last-click attribution” as a key metric for deciding where and how to place your advertising. Who gets credit for driving customers? The last thing they visited. Many marketers are just counting the click and forgetting about all the other marketing it took…
-
For goodness sake, update your Windows software RIGHT NOW!
Ransomware is back in the news with a vengeance. The largest coordinated attack in history is underway, exploiting a vulnerability in Windows, and holding people’s computers hostage. Ransomware infects your computer and encrypts your data. It demands payment before releasing it. Authorities have said repeatedly there’s not much you can…
-
Can’t find qualified employees? “Upskill” them.
If you think it’s getting harder to find qualified employees, you’re not alone. Nearly half (46%) of U.S. employers report difficulties filling jobs due to lack of available talent. That’s up from 32% reported last year at this time, according to the Talent Shortage Survey from Manpower Group.
-
FTC cracks down on Zombie Cookies that track your online behavior even after you opt-out
The Federal Trade Commission has finalized a settlement with Turn over its use of Supercookies (also called Zombie Cookies). The FTC has accused Turn of deception by tracking consumers for ads even after people tried to opt out. While not admitting any wrongdoing, the settlement will prohibit Turn from misrepresenting…
-
If you want customers, you’ve got to invite them to buy
Before you can make a sale, you’ve got to get people in your store. Before you do that, they’ve got to know about you, what you offer, and what makes your business different. Imagine this: You’re a salesperson and you walk into a business for the first time to make…
-
Media outlets hits by massive “fake like” campaign; Facebook purges 200 million
USA Today lost nearly 6 million likes in April. They were fake Facebook accounts that had liked the paper. Parent company Gannett said there are still more than two million more fake accounts floating around. That adds up to roughly 38% of all likes, according to a CBS analysis of…
-
Goobook swallowing up nearly all online advertising dollars
Bob Hoffman, The Ad Contrarian, is always a fun read. Recently, he listed off a new set of stats that puts digital advertising into perspective. Along the way, he created a new acronym: Google + Facebook = Goobook. Look at these stats from Pivotal Research: In the third quarter of…
-
Least Intrusive Video Ads with the Best Recall: Pre-Rolls
It’s the eternal questions for advertisers: What works? Just when you think you’ve figured it out, the world shifts again. One day you hear, it’s all about “snackable” content – short clips that can be viewed in less than a minute. The next day, it’s all about long-form video ads. …
-
Heavy social media use = depression in young adults
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine’s research shows the more young adults spend on line with social media, the more likely they are to suffer from depression. Maybe it’s that “everyone else seems to have all those friends and do really interesting things and all I do is sit here and…
-
Congress talking about taxing online sales
I always like how they stick a name on a bill to make it obscure what it really is. Like this year’s “Marketplace Fairness Act” in the Senate and the “Remote Transactions Parity Act” in the House. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Shouldn’t it really be named the “Tax Online Purchases” bill? If passed,…
-
Will people still read long-form content when it’s on a tiny cell phone screen?
With more and more traffic going to mobile, specifically smart phones, every day, is there a future for long form journalism on line? That’s one of the questions a Pew Research Center study tried to answer. Researchers looked at 125 million cellphone sessions accessing 74,840 articles encompassing 30 news websites…
-
Would you rather pay for content or put up with advertising?
85% say give us ads. 75% say they would drastically reduce their online activities if they had to pay. In fact, Americans assigned a value of nearly $1,200 per year to the array of free, ad-supported services and content currently available to them on computers and mobile devices, according to…
-
Ranking in Local Search: Location is the top factor
What’s that saying about real estate? Location, location, location. It appears the same can be said about what it takes to be listed in the local listings on Google. With the big shift to mobile occurring over the past year, it’s no surprise that the biggest signal Google looks for…
-
Nation’s largest radio owner tells SEC it may not make it another year
iHeartMedia is the largest operator of radio stations in the United States. It counts more than 250 million listeners in its ranks. The company, however, is so saddled with debt , it may be just one step ahead of bankruptcy. The group went on a buying spree grabbing 850 radio…
-
Self-serve Snap Ads coming to Snapchat
Snapchat is about to launch a self-service ad platform. Digiday reports the interface will allow you to do Snap ads. Snap ads are full-screen videos (vertical) that show up between stories. Previously, you had to buy these through a Snapchat ad partner that would manage the process. That left a…
-
Facebook’s 10-year road map includes typing with your brain, listening with your skin, and no more smart phones
Mark Zuckerberg laid out his 10-year road map at the F8 Facebook developers conference and hinted at some of the projects in the works at the social media company. It’s either genius or madness.
-
Is Google getting ready to launch its own ad blocker?
The Wall Street Journal reports that Google is readying its own ad-blocker as part of its Chrome browser. Chrome is the undisputed most used browser in the world with a market share north of 41%. The ad blocker would be added to both mobile and desktop versions, per the report,…
-
Despite new tech chips in credit cards, fraud jumps 33%
I got that call on the weekend. Somebody had used our credit card to try to book an Uber ride. Since we hadn’t left the house that morning, I knew it wasn’t a legitimate charge. I’m happy the folks at Chase knew it wasn’t right and called. One of the things…
-
Lessons in Leadership from Amazon’s Jeff Bezos
“Jeff, what does Day 2 look like?” That’s how Jeff Bezos started out his annual letter to shareholders. While the text talks about what he’s been trying to instill into the culture at Amazon, the message applies to any business and its leaders. Bezos has been reminding people that’s it’s…
-
Who you trust more: Advertising or News Media?
While we hear a constant drum beat that trust in the news media continues to drop, it’s not the same for advertising. In fact, more people think ads are more honest than they were three years ago, according to a YouGuv survey in March. Trust but verify
-
Two Huntsville, AL area companies team up to do world’s first 360-degree LIVE VIDEO of a rocket launch
This could be really cool. NASA’s doing a 360-degree video stream of a rocket launch. NASA teamed up with two Alabama companies (United Launch Alliance (ULA) from Decatur, AL and Orbital ATK from Huntsville, AL) to broadcast the world’s first live 360-degree stream of a rocket launch. You can watch…
-
Overall news consumption is up 18%
Overwhelming majority of consumption happens on TV Adults in the US spend more than 72.5 BILLION MINUTES consuming news during an average week. The Nielsen folks say total new consumption across platforms was up 18% last year. Broadcast TV (local and national) accounted for the biggest chunk of viewing (29.4…
-
Live TV viewing continue to decline, but still accounts for 58% of all media usage
Live TV viewing continues to decline. Smartphone viewing doubled in the last year. Viewing on tablets and other mult-media devices grew as well. Still, Live TV still dominated the amount of time people watched video each day in 4Q 2016, according to Nielsen’s total audience report, accounting for 58% of all video viewing.
-
Robert Martin complained about his internet-connected garage door opener. Company responded by remotely turning off his service.
Robert Martin bought an internet-connected garage door opener from Garadget. When he had problems with his product, he posted an angry rant on the company’s community board: “Just installed and attempting to register a door when the app started doing this. Have uninstalled and reinstalled iphone app, powered phone off/on — wondering…
-
175 TV stations sell off spectrum, nearly 1,000 will move to new channels
A bunch TV stations got a windfall from the FCC’s spectrum auction. Some got so much they opted to go off the air forever and take the money and run. Altogether, 987 TV stations must change channels. [ FULL LIST AFTER THE JUMP ]
-
YouTube cuts off ads for channels
YouTube takes positive step to stop ads from appearing on hate speech videos YouTube has responded to complaints about ads running in channels featuring hate speech and offensive content. Many of the places the ads were running were fairly new channels, or creators trying to build an audience with outrageous…
-
When is a sale not a sale? Amazon under fire for inflated “regular prices”
A Consumer watchdog group is calling out Amazon for what it calls deceptive practices by posting inflated list prices and leading consumers to believe they’re getting a better deal than they really are. The aptly named group, Consumer Watchdog, has petitioned the California Attorney General to investigate Amazon. John…
-
Facebook adds a rocket to its lineup
You may have noticed a little rocket icon pop up on your mobile version of Facebook. Tap it and it will take you to alternative news feed. No, not “alternative facts,” but an algorithmic design feed of content similar to what you interact with on your regular feed, but…
-
How Twitter ditching the “egg” will stop harrassment
The default profile picture for lazy people that haven’t uploaded their own photo for their Twitter profile is an egg. Maybe I’m a little dense, but I never realized the reason for the egg was – according to Twitter itself – “a playful reference to how eggs hatch into…
-
YouTube stars feeling the pinch from ad boycott, tighter controls
“…there’s a difference between the free expression that lives on YouTube and the content that brands have told us they want to advertise against.” – YouTube Creator Blog With that, YouTube announced even more controls for advertisers to make sure their ads don’t show up where they don’t want…
-
A bad idea: Congress looks at taxing advertising
The Trump administration has put tax reform on the table for debate. There are very few people that would argue what we have right now is working fine. One of the things under discussion, however, is eliminating the business deduction for advertising. Businesses are able to deduct the cost of…
-
Internet advertising to surpass TV advertising, but…
For the first time, more dollars are being spent on internet advertising than on traditional television. That news comes from Zenith (a Publicis company) in taking a look at 2017 internet advertising dollars and projections.
-
Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press
I put this up right outside my office door to remind everybody who walks into our TV station how important it is that journalists do their job. The Bill of Rights warrants Congress shall make no law abridging the Freedom of Speech, or of the Press. The founders saw journalists…
-
Social Media sites under increasing pressure to police themselves – or risk huge fines and prosecution
It’s not just advertisers putting increasing pressure on social networks and platforms that share user-generated content. In Germany, the government is considered legislation that would fine Facebook, Twitter and the like fines of tens of millions of dollars for failing to remove hate speech quickly enough. In the UK,…
-
Website hacking on the rise – check out the new things hackers are doing
Google reports an increase in the number of hacked sites. They estimate that there were roughly 32% more hacked sites in 2016 compared to 2015. “We don’t expect this trend to slow down,” Google said in a recent post. “As hackers get more aggressive and more sites become outdated,…
-
The IRS Tax Scam continues to take people’s money
Consumers filed more than 30,000 reports of scams with the Better Business Bureau in 2016. For the second year in a row, the top scam goes to… the IRS tax scam. In fact, the top three were the same as 2015’s list. New in 2016 were phishing scams and…
-
Pepsi, Walmart, Starbucks, AT&T, Verizon, VW (and hundreds more) suspend YouTube/Google ads
More than 250 companies have now pulled ads. Ad losses for YouTube are now in the millions of dollars. Analysts warn that the loss could escalate into the hundreds of millions of dollars if things don’t change. Pepsi, Starbucks, and Walmart have suspended their YouTube advertising. They’re joining similar moves…
-
The marketing trick of the century
Until now, I called it a tie between coffee and water. I mean, really, how did coffee end up costing $4 a cup and water $2 a bottle? New data though ends the tie. It’s over. The winner is water. Compared to tap water, it’s 2,000 times more expensive, less…
Paul Dughi.com 