Entries from January 2007 ↓

I’ve spent most of my career working at companies best described as Ad Networks. My role has been to work directly, or lead teams that work directly, with publishers who host advertising on their websites. The web publishers host the ads as a means of supporting the web services they offer the public for free. Most see the results of my work as the banners that appear on sites like Dictionary.com or Tribe.net. In the past, I’d often spin my role within greater society as “I help keep the internet free.” A noble cause in the face of flashing banner ads imploring you to “punch the monkey and win $20 banana bucks” to be sure. In many respects, this is really not a very fun job. Serving as the middle man between publishers who believe they’re entitled to more targeted advertising from more relevant advertisers at higher rates, and advertisers who want results from every penny spent and will cancel at the first sign of lack of ROI, could be thankless at times. It’s a tough business, but an admittedly interesting one as the internet and it’s marketing vehicles have evolved into new implementations. Take, for example, some of the video creative that allows the user to initiate a play of the ad, like this one for Sin City. Creativity is driving new ways for users to engage in marketing messages that are continually evolving.
I hear a lot these days from firms desiring to form their own ad network. In fact, the founders of the first ad network I worked for, Flycast, even started a company whose primary offering is to power the technology of ad networks with the idea that you could potentially power hundreds of niche gatherings of web publishers. The flavors run the gamut from Mobile Gaming Ad Networks to Specialty Blog Networks like John Batelle’s Federated Media, and F*#$edCompany’s founder, Pud’s gigantic ad network, AdBrite. There isn’t a single firm that doesn’t seem keen on building an ad network– and I’m flattered with a lot of recruiting calls as a result. But a word of warning: running an ad network is no picnic. It’s an already hugely competitive market, with a number of large players from AOL’s Advertising.com, publicly traded ValueClick and my previous company, Tribal Fusion dominating the top 3 spots. It is hard to gain traction in an “up” market where at the end of the day, the advertiser just wants clicks and sales and the publisher just wants high rates and a big check each month. I’ve done it once before and I wouldn’t wish building an ad network from scratch, in this market, on anyone.

I had a birthday last Sunday, Martin Luther King’s is today. Here’s an insightful quote from the man himself:

“Power, properly understood, is the ability to achieve purpose. It is the strength required to bring about social, political or economic changes. In this sense, power is not only desirable but necessary in order to implement the demands of love and justice. One of the greatest problems of history is that the concepts of love and power are usually contrasted as polar opposites. Love is identified as a resignation of power and power with a denial of love…What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.” - Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I left my trusty Mach3 razor that I had been using since college in a hotel while I was on business a few weeks ago, and went to the store to buy a new one. Turns out they sell replacement razors for them, but no more Mach3’s. I cursed myself for losing my beloved as I perused the other options available. The Mach3 was the first multiblade razor of its kind and it was great. Now-a-days, it seems all the kiddies have been gullible enough to believe 4 and 5 blade razors are where it’s at, and I was reminded of a saturday night live commercial parody for the “Mach14, 14 blade razor”. My choices limited between, bottom of the line disposable 2 blade razors and the highest option razor, the Gilette “Fusion” 5+1 razor, I figured I’d give it a shot. Turns out, this razor’s unbelievable. Someday, perhaps, if he’s lucky, my grandson will shave with the Mach14, but for now 6 blades is doing me right. At left is a screenshot from Gillette’s website where the “Doctor” asks if you’d like to “Slip into something more comfortable.” I want to point out that my razor did not come with a lab coat for me to slip out of when the mood strikes me. For this reason, I give the razor a B+.