I Want a ClueTrain Stick

Albert Cheng, EVP Digital Media, ABC Television Group is speaking right now at OMMA. You'd think that by now, ABC would get a clue and figure out that there's an interactive component to this newfangled Internet thing. So far, from Cheng's comments, I gather that they want to... * Invest big in content * Build a "marketing platform" * Build "direct relationships," but mostly by using the Internet's pipes to push content.

OMG, he actually believes that ABC's "equity" that has been earned with "consumers" cannot be replaced.

Jeez, he said he also believes that video is the primary driver behind consumers connecting with brands. He uses Sears' online sponsorship of Extreme Makeover:Home Edition as an example, saying that Sears enjoys a halo effect advertising with the show and that association with a show with an "altruistic bent" is beneficial for Sears. Nothing on how conversations about Sears and its products are happening outside the Disney/ABC realm of influence.

Ugh.

Sorta, Kinda Liveblogging

There's wifi at the conference, so I might be posting here and there, depending on how long my battery lasts. Geoff Ramsey is giving the opening remarks, discussing where the growth is coming in the ad industry. He just made a joke about where TV's growth is and referenced Clara Peller. No one laughed - I'm convinced it's because no one remembers the old "Where's the Beef?" commercials.

Interesting stat from the ANA - 78% of leading advertisers think they're getting diminishing returns from traditional media.

Heading to OMMA Next Week

I'll be at OMMA West on Monday and Tuesday. I'll post some stuff about the panels I'm moderating a bit later.

Self-Promotional Comments

I'm going to let self-promotional comments through for a while. Not comment spam, mind you, but if you take the time to personalize a comment rather than submitting it via a machine, I think having self-promotional comments wouldn't hurt, as long as they're not submitted en masse. Had to think about this a bit when someone wrote a response to my Why (Free) Online Poker Sucks post. The post did link back to a poker site, but it was well-written and actually contributed something to the dialogue. Comment spam doesn't do that.

If I'm inundated, I reserve the right to change the policy.