steve olenski

Are CMOs Deeply Dissatisfied With Traditional Digital Advertising?

Source: ncedogroup.com
Source: ncedogroup.com

The title of this post is a bit of a paraphrase of something Mike Sands said to me not long ago. Mike is the CEO of Signal, a leader in real-time people-based marketing. And his company recently released the findings of a study done in partnership with Econsultancy that highlights the rise of addressable media amongst buyers and marketers.

I’ll get to more of my conversation with Mike in a bit but for right now let’s look at some of the findings from the study, entitled “People-Based Advertising: Evaluating the impact and future of addressable media” — which may give credence to Sands’ belief that indeed CMOs are deeply dissatisfied with traditional advertising.

Right out of the chute was the fact that the majority of advertisers and media buyers have embraced people-based advertising with nearly seven in 10 advertisers reporting that they have used Facebook Custom Audiences while a significant majority plan to increase people-based advertising buys even further in 2016.

Read more

Pages: 1 2

This is the Top Publication Shared By CMOs

Leadtail is a social strategy firm that has built a panel of over 1,000 B2B and B2C CMOs and marketing executives located in North America and active on Twitter that develops social insights reports on CMOs and other decision makers.

They recently released the results of analysis of over 60,000 Tweets during the month of October and determined Forbes to be the #1 publication shared by CMOs during that month. As a Forbes contributor myself, specifically to the CMO Network, I am not surprised to see it come in #1 for we have a great group of contributors for sure.

Here’s a quick legend regarding the colors and what they represent followed by the full list:

Blue = Did not rank in the Top 50 in the previous month

Green = Moved up in ranking over last month

Red = Moved down in ranking over last month

Black = No change over last month

CMO_Domains_October_Chart

 

Some Lessons From Jerry Rice For All Marketers

This past January, not long before Super Bowl XLVIII, I published an article entitled What A CMO Can Learn From A Super Bowl Winning Quarterback. In that article I shared some of the many things a CMO, or anyone in marketing quite frankly, can learn from a certain Super Bowl winning QB.

The QB in question just happened to be one half of the greatest quarterback/wide receiver combinations in the history of the National Football League, in my not-so-humble opinion.

I am referring of course to Joe Montana, he of the four Super Bowl rings. Yes, that Joe Montana.

As I wrote back then, there is a tremendous amount of similarity between the sports world and the world of marketing and advertising. There are many lessons that crossover between the two worlds for sure.

Read more

When It Comes To Marketing And Advertising Not Just Any Visual Will Do

Back in April of this year, I wrote a piece entitled A View To A Thrill: Why Marketers Need To Get Visual, Fast. The article essentially served as a not-to-gentle reminder (at least that was its intent) to those in marketing and advertising of the power of the visual when it comes to reaching and engaging consumers.

What I wrote then is surely true today.

The power of visuals in marketing and advertising is not the future, it is the present.  Ok technically it’s the present AND the future but my point is this is not something that’s coming down the road nor is it a trend or a fad for that matter. Consumers want and quite frankly, expect to see some kind of visual aid, if you will, when it comes to marketing and advertising. These visual aids resonate and connect with consumers and spur them to take action.

However, based on new research it may not be just any old picture or image that will do when it comes to fully engaging and resonating and in turn prompting a consumer to take action AKA spend their money on your product, service or ware.

Read more

Social Media And Branding: A One On One With A Harvard Business Professor

As we approach the end of another March Madness — and as a mega sports fan it’s truly one of the most wonderful times of the year, I figured it was appropriate to infuse a hoops-theme in the title of this article, as it were.

And while I’m not sure of my guest’s basketball prowess, if his hoop skills are anything like his knowledge of social media and branding, I may be in trouble if indeed we do ever go one-on-one. His name is Mikołaj Jan Piskorski, his friends call him Misiek and he is a Harvard Business School professor and author of the book A Social Strategy: How We Profit from Social Media.

Read more

In Brands We Trust – Why Brands Must Treat Trust Like Gold

Back in January of this year I wrote a piece which spoke to the need for every marketer to remember a certain nine-letter word: Relevance. And while I firmly stand by what I penned then I am here to tell not just every marketer, but every advertiser and brand under the sun as well that there’s a five-letter word that must be treated like gold for when it is achieved, wondrous things can occur.

The word is trust.

Now the word “trust” in it of itself has many different connotations and in the context of advertising, marketing and branding it comes in different shapes, size and meanings, too.

Read more

Why CMOs Need To Remember They Are Consumers, Too

Note: While this article is written directly toward CMOs, make no mistake about it, CEOs should heed this advice, too.

The time has come. The time to remind the leaders of marketing departments across the land that they are also consumers, too and as such they need to care about consumers and the business they bring to the bottom line; and that they need to care about things that go way beyond a marketing plan.

In other words they need to remember they are people, too, just like the person on the other end of that cash register, email, Facebook post, advertisement and on and on and on.

Read more

Why Music Plays A Big Role When It Comes To Branding

I know, far it be for me to write an article which brings together music and branding. I kid of course for by now you surely know of my love affair with the concept of marrying and meshing the worlds of advertising, marketing and branding with that of pop culture – in this case, music specifically.

Not long ago I read a quote attributed to pop singer Adele in which she says “I don’t make music for eyes. I make music for ears.”

Coming from an artist that makes perfect sense of course.

However, in our world of marketing and advertising — especially in today’s highly visual world where Pinterest, Instagram and other image-based platforms are becoming more popular with each passing day — the need is paramount for the right music to be married to the right brand.

Read more

Are Super Bowl Commercials Worth The Cost For A Brand?

I could literally just write that title then leave the rest of this article blank and let everyone chime in and fend for themselves as to where they fall in this debate. This epic debate, which it has become as the cost associated with advertising during the Super Bowl has escalated to super heights, if you will.

Those in the marketing and advertising space surely have opinions, and more than likely strong ones at that as to the merits and benefits of spending gobs of money for 30 seconds of air time.

A few days ago in Forbes, Rob Siltanen, founder and chief creative officer of Siltanen & Partners, a Los Angeles-based advertising agency, in his article entitled Yes, A Super Bowl Ad Really Is Worth $4 Million, stated categorically that he believes “the Super Bowl to be one of the smartest investments a company can possibly make. In fact, the Super Bowl makes more sense today than ever before.”

Read more