Advertising & Marketing

Apple, Disney, WarnerMedia, and just about everyone who can configure a streaming server is getting into the direct-to-consumer (DTC) content business. In a couple of weeks, you’ll have so many options to pay for content à la carte, you won’t really know where to start. Wondering what all this will cost? Forget your calculator, you’re going to need a spreadsheet. Continue Reading →

If you look at the numbers in a vacuum, Comcast is losing over 2,586 Pay TV subscribers every single day. At that pace, about a million subs will vanish in the next 12 months. Or will they? Continue Reading →

There are two basic camps in the world of marketing: numbers camp and pretty pictures camp. I live in both camps, and you should too. If you live in the numbers camp, I’m going to confirm what you already know. If you live in the pretty pictures camp, buckle your seatbelt, because this is going to be a fast, bumpy ride. Continue Reading →

You probably don’t have a Yahoo Group or know anyone who does. So you probably won’t care that Yahoo is shutting down Yahoo Groups. That said, while Yahoo is all but irrelevant today, there was a time when it was at the center of the online universe. The death notice says, “Beginning October 28, you Continue Reading →

Our new podcast, “Think About This with Shelly Palmer & Ross Martin” premieres today on the Westwood One Podcast Network. Subscribe at Apple Podcasts or literally anywhere podcasts can be found. The official press release says, “Hosted by visionary business adviser Shelly Palmer and Blackbird CEO Ross Martin, this podcast will challenge you to think Continue Reading →

According to eMarketer, the U.S. search ad market is expected to grow to $55.17 billion (up 18% YoY). Roughly 73 percent (approx. $40 billion) of that goes to Google. But Amazon is on fire. Its search business is growing fast and it is expected to reach almost 13 percent this year and nearly 16 percent Continue Reading →

Facebook is being pilloried for its unwillingness to remove a paid advertisement by President Trump’s reelection campaign after Facebook was notified by the Biden campaign that the ad contained false statements about Joe Biden and his son. On the surface, this seems simple, and Facebook’s decision not to remove the ad seems wrong. But there is much more to the story. Continue Reading →

Are data-poor organizations doomed? We’ve been running a data science experiment over the past few months. We were shocked, but not surprised by what we learned. Continue Reading →

Uber has introduced Uber Works. A shift work matching app that hopes to efficiently connect workers with gigs that fit their schedules. The app is currently available in Chicago. Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are about to dramatically change the world of on-demand car services. Viewed through that lens, Uber and Lyft’s current business models are doomed Continue Reading →

Mall staple Forever 21 has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It plans to close 178 of its more than 800 stores (although it may close more). The company also said that it does not plan to exit any major markets in the US. Nowadays, when a retailer falls on hard times the first thing Continue Reading →