I’m pleased to see savvy musicians like Matthew Ebel taking advantage of Feedburner’s RSS ad network:

I have come to understand that most music marketing campaigns are limited in range. In 2008, we are pushing our clients to adopt multi-pronged media plans that include the web, mobile, rss, video, and beyond. You’re definitely ahead of the game Matthew!

Filed under: Fixion Clients, Publisher Side, Vertical Ad Networks, Media Planning, The Future, Music Industry, Artists

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This year, the winter season doesn’t just mean getting your set of winter tires out of the cabana again. No, this is a time for intense political fervor. It is a time to reflect, to dissect, and eventually elect new leadership in America. But it is a tiring process to say the least with the same old arguments bandied around ad nauseam–the same old tactics–with not a lick of respectable marketing between all of the candidates.

And then I look at the Canadian political system whereby governance is mirror image of its elected leadership. I think of the Canadian population is neither much further ahead. But politics isn’t the point of this post per se.

In the mail today I received a renewal form for my Quebec Health Insurance Card. On one side of the page there is a simple form and on the other side “Important Information” pertaining to the process of renewing ones card. One paragraph in particular struck me and it may be insightful if you are not familiar with the kind Canadian way:

Consequences of late renewal (expired card)

It is important to renew your card before it expires. Otherwise, you will have to pay for the healthcare services you receive and then apply to the Regie for a reimbursement.

The “Regie” refers to the governing body charged with provincial healthcare affairs. I think it’s important to highlight that for an $8 photo fee (and of course prompt renewal of my card) that I am taken care of in the event of a medical injury, disability, or otherwise. What put me over the top was the threat that I would have to pay for healthcare services out of my pocket in the event of my card expiring. Meanwhile, the Regie will promptly refund the expenses anyway even if you were to renew late. Isn’t that hilarious? I hope I’m not the only one that appreciates how simple the system can be.

And this brings me to the fact that I am most thankful that we don’t have to debate the merits of universal healthcare a la Hillary Clinton. Our parliament would fall in a heartbeat if any government or political leader attempted to subvert the Canadian healthcare system. Granted our system has flaws but it is caused by a Prime Minister that opts to spend billions on reducing debt and war with very little left over for supporting necessary infrastructure.

The arching point is that our system works though just as it does in dozens of other countries around the world. And that’s a marketing touchpoint that Canada can take to the bank for generations to come.

Filed under: Politics

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While having recently topped $1 billion in Canadian online advertising spending, it is predicted that by 2011 that figure will reach more than $3 billion. Combined with the soaring Canadian dollar this could give canuck ad companies the ability to be more competitive both stateside and abroad. This would be of benefit to the North American economy as a whole.

More so, I can’t help but concur that the Canadian market is timid by nature. It seems that things do move a bit slower in Canada despite a near 10-point lead in broadband penetration versus America. I will defer to the eMarketer article on this point:

“Admittedly, Canada’s entrepreneurs tend to be cautious. Given the country’s small population, audience size and ROI are crucial. Advertising dollars need to work hard, and many firms have held back from online experiments to focus on media they know. But the situation is finally changing.”

While this is encouraging, I wouldn’t discount the overall strength of the advertising business in North America. Barring a recession, the picture looks rosy all around.

Filed under: Economy, Media Planning, The Future

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While it took a while to reach this decision for reasons that I can’t yet divulge, I’m please to finally announce that Fixion Media has entered into a service agreement with Adtech. Specifically, we will be using the Helios IQ advertising platform to manage our network. While we are currently testing the platform, a full rollout is expected by or before January 1st, 2008.

Tis a perfect way to start a new year and I’m confident that our publishers and clients will appreciate the upgrade in our technology. Gone are the days of open source servers and self-monitoring. Adtech will manage the technical aspect so that we can focus on our core competencies as a network.

Last year Fixion Media served more than 300 million ad impressions. Next year we’re shooting for a billion.

Filed under: Rich Media, Fixion Clients, Announcements, Publisher Side, Vertical Ad Networks, Atlas, Fixion Media News, The Future, Measurement, Adtech Helios IQ

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Who is they? Everyone. The list likely includes your competitors, clients, and a few operatives in between. As I’ve always had a penchant for speaking my mind I often forget that the world is listening, albeit quietly so at times.

I suppose that this point isn’t lost on most who read my blog. In my case today it was yet another reminder that the web is a great equalizer. Coupled with a bit of luck and karma we all have like opportunities.

With inspiration aplenty, I have to give a shout out to Mitch Joel on this one. With business being a people business, personal branding is paramount. Corporate branding is a quasi-sales ploy. I believe that progress and ultimately success if that is your goal comes from a point of purity in which one must stand up for his/her actions and reputation within the marketplace. The alternative I’m afraid is a grinding 9-to-5 job, one which I refuse to accept based on its limitations in name alone.

Filed under: Rants, Personal Branding, The Future

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…that is, according to AdAge. Yet a couple of paragraphs later it reads:

And while it hasn’t yet shown up on the bottom lines of most traditional agencies, it’s increasingly clear that Madison Avenue isn’t the Easy Street it once was. Shops are being forced to make do with less, forcing wholesale changes in the TV-commercial- production business.

We’ve come to accept that the media protects the interests of major corporations. Frankly, this type of reporting is getting old. The notion is transitive and it seems to originate by in large from major players that have frozen digital assets all the while posturing obliviously for the sake of the outside world. Us. And the the status quo lives on.

While I was in favour of this approach two or three years ago, it’s now clear that the ripple effect of hindering collective progress will start impacting the digital economy negatively. Luckily, I don’t think they can’t stall much longer.

Open the floodgates, I say.

Filed under: Rants, Economy, Politics, The Future

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The numbers are out and estimates are that Radiohead pocketed between 6 and 10 million dollars in sales for their “pay-what-you-want” release of “In Rainbows“. For detailed stats, visit comScore.

In typical fashion, the media has chosen to dig their heels into the 62% of “buyers” that paid zero for “In Rainbows”. Collateral damage I say! I wonder how that six-million plus dollar take compares to what any given major label artists earns from a big budget CD release.

Filed under: Music Industry

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Taking the lead from Andy Nulman’s recent post “The Day The Music Didn’t Really Die“, I wanted to expand on the notion of “hits”. First, a snippet from Andy’s blog:

Be you a restaurant, a seller of waste-paper baskets, a fashion designer, a blogger or a monopolistic software behemoth (Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer, at the recent Masters of Marketing Conference, bemoaned: “We need hits. Whatever a hit is, we need it!“), a hit product drives your business…and eventually gives you enough power to “eliminate the middleman” a la Radiohead and Madonna and so many more to come.

If the record labels go away, someone’s gonna have to find a way to make musical hits. And I ain’t talking languishing on the Long Tail with a few hundred sold here and there; I’m talking mass-market, on-everyone’s-lips, soundtracks-of-our-lives songs.

In similar fashion, I agree that we need superstars. The “soundtracks-of-our-lives songs” moniker is spot on. But I also suspect that we’re just in our awkward teenage years on this whole internet thing. People like Dane Cook though have made it to superstar status…

“…Cook pooled $30,000 of his own money from savings and retirement accounts and launched www.danecook.com, his own interactive website, to further his career and stay connected to his fans.[1] Later, Cook would also become one of the first celebrities to make use of the global networking site MySpace. To date, Cook has over 2 million fans listed as friends on his profile.” - Wikipedia

My overall point is that I don’t think there will be web celebrities in the future as we define them now. Dane Cook can sell out Madison Square Gardens. Back to back shows. He’s definitely a hit and I ultimately wonder if bands and musicians can take it to this level from scratch.

On a side point, we can’t also forget the logistical nightmare promoting a show, renting a venue, getting insurance, hiring a crew, hiring attorneys, and all that jazz. It’s a heavy burden for those who aren’t entrepreneurially inclined and I suspect that this is the initial barrier to any success, web or otherwise. Furthermore, there is a corporate blockade in place with deep roots in media and venue ownership that isn’t going away anytime soon.

My prediction is that artists will become more savvy and learn to work within the system to some extent. Retaining independent status simply helps the street cred. We need to then cross our fingers and hope that some artists will become profitable enough for the system. This in turn could incubate those “soundtracks-of-our-lives songs”.

I think we all can remember the good old days. Remember? Chairs glued to the ceilings, $2000-a-night penthouses in shambles, and all-too-obvious binge drinking and substance abuse? Superstar divas of all persuasions used to be our role models. Now we have nothing but Britney v. Federline–not even a catchy tune between them.

Filed under: The Future, Music Industry

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“For the first time since Xbox 360 launched their Xbox LIVE Marketplace, a full HD concert download will be made available to users in the United States for free. Finger Eleven’s set from the Berkeley Church in Toronto, Ontario will be available to all users gratis. The content will be placed on the servers on November 6, 2007 where it will be for sixty days.

[…]

Xbox Senior Global Marketing Manager Peter Orullian shared, “Xbox LIVE members are passionate about games, entertainment, and music. It’s great to have partners like Wind-up Records to deliver new music experiences to them. And Finger Eleven’s concert frankly rocks.”

Microsoft is using its Xbox Live Marketplace wisely as a marketing agent to the modern day record label. Beyond the increasing relevance of mobile marketing as a “third screen”, the music industry is scrambling to find alternate ways to promote their acts. This is one case that will quickly rattle the media base both online and off as dollars flood to controlled audiences. Case in point Xbox Live, which presents Microsoft with a unique ability to reach loyal, engaged users that are using the Live platform at any given time.

Also, did you notice that the download was free? I suspect this won’t always be the case but Xbox is making a great case for console distribution of music, films, trailers, and more. I’ve heard that Sony is also ramping up its efforts in this regard. It will be interesting to see how far these companies can reach beyond core competencies. It sounds like these guys love the media business.

Filed under: Mobile Advertising, Music Industry, Gaming

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