Jaffe Juice

Sticking it to the 800-pound number

Have you heard about Paul English. Check out his blog and especially his IVR Cheat Sheet (getting quite a bit of press), which details the quickest way to get hold of a human being at your favorite corporations and brands.

Is it conceivable that the ability for the blogosphere to embrace this...add to it...and disseminate it...could bring these automated pieces of time-invaders to their knees? If you agree, press 1 and if you disagree, press 2. To continue in English, press 3.

Reuters Media and Advertising Summit

Happening right now in New York City. Check out the oodles of video content. Here's one with me and my buddy, Les. (Consumers take greater control)

IAB parties like it's 1955

Yesterday, Adweek IQ reported that web video advertising would double over the next 2 years (thru 2007) and this morning, the IAB released it's video guidelines for pre and mid roll advertising (MediaPost reports)

The remote control was introduced in 1955 and I feel like this announcement puts us somewhere circa that time. The convenient cap is at 30-seconds (gee, where have I seen that arbitrary constraint before...let me get back to you on that one)

The guidelines state:

...at a minimum, viewers should be able to start and stop the ads and adjust the volume. The guidelines also say it's "recommended and acceptable" to give users the ability to fast-forward, rewind, pause, and zoom during the ads--but also state that the fast-forward button need not be enabled while the ad is playing.

I'm a little confused, as the article also reports that the committee (largely publisher and supposedly advertiser comprised) felt that a fast-forward button was not a viable option. Well, which one is it?

Where is the ability to extend viewing (commercials frozen in time I call it)? Where is the non-linear consumption opportunities? Where is the interactivity component? Where are suggested and evolved pricing guidelines that build in engagement, time spent and interactivity?

What kind of standards are we talking about when a) there does appear to be clarity on issues like fast-forwarding AND the so-called standard being offered is nothing more than a lowest-common-denominator plonk TV online and watch the cash roll in?

Pitiful.

PS IAB - considering some turn to me for creative guidance and opinion, you might want to think about involving people like me in your esoteric agenda-setting sessions. And if not as an independent and objective counsel, at least think about reaching out and engaging the bloggers/blogosphere...you of all entities should know better.

My wishlist: American Express picks up their socks

Juice to go Podcast: Check out Amex's new campaign "My wishlist" which quite frankly left me wishing it would just go away.

Download my_amex_wishlist.mp3

PS You can subscribe to Jaffe Juice (Juice to Go) on iTunes

Pay per Channel

Just saw an interesting clip on CNN in the Crown Room Lounge at JFK about the FCC (hope I got that right) pushing the cable companies to offer ala carte pricing on channels they offer. This way, consumers only pay for what they want.

Not surprisingly, the cable companies are pushing back saying that pricing on individual channels would shoot up say for families with kids who would now have to pay a large amount of moolah for NickJr/Cartoon Network etc. But isn't this a blatent admission that families without kids are footing the default bill in the process?

Thoughts?

Bottom up budget setting

I often talk about the need to move from a top-down budget setting agenda and methodology to a bottom-up approach.

Church of the Customer blog (courtesy of a Bastiaan shout out) posts the encouraging news via Carl Howe at Blackfriars Communications that non-traditional marketing now makes up about 14% of marketing budgets (the third highest category)

I'd certainly like to find out more about Carl's methodology/base for this assertion. What are the other two categories (besides "traditional")? Carl?

Grrrrr....AP

Chris Thilk over at AdJab, this one's for you! If you thought I was dancing before, now I'm fully doing the Macarena (and it looks a little awkward I might add) As reported in Ad Age, "Gap's celebrity-endorser marketing strategy bombs."

This is one giant, steaming "I TOLD YOU SO" as blogged here (March 25) and here and here.

To think, if the folks over at Gap and their agency had just read Jaffe Juice, they could have literally saved tens of millions of dollars. Oh well, no biggie...there's always the 2006 Budget to draw from. Until then, don't choke on your eggnog as you try and justify why and how you flushed your shareholder's money down the toilet.

Giving Thanks to Podcast Listeners

Steve and I took a slight break this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Due to the fact show #11 came out on Wednesday, we felt that with the holiday it would probably only be listened to this week...hence our ability to take a breather, which I guess is ok 'cos this is podcasting, not terrestrial radio after all.

Now that you've indulged us for a week, we'd like to repay the favor with a show specially dedicated to our listeners - this is our way of giving thanks to your loyalty, feedback, interaction and ultimately, faith in our content.

So send in your comments, audio promos and feedback to us via e-mail, phone (1-360-365-9834) or waxmail and we'll do our best to get you in the sound for next week's show! (audio comments are preferred and please try and keep 'em to about a minute)

VGC - Voter Generated Content

Eran, from the extra small country that makes a lot of noise as he puts it (Israel), sent me this CGC promo he put together as both a prelude and buzz-generating mechanism for his blog which will be launching soon. He calls it voter generated media and is designed to help engage his community in the upcoming elections (remember Howard Dean?)

No matter what your political affiliation, it's another expression of a consumer using his talents and the tools at his disposal to express himself and reach out to those around him.

Now if someone can just help him replace the apple with a Jaffa Orange, we'll be all set!

[insert brand here] Fasttrack

Heathrow Airport (and no doubt many others) has a really great little "feature" called Fasttrack, whereby you essentially check through security in a shortened line and in expedited fashion. I flew American (upgraded with miles) and used this feature as part of a bundled Business Class experience. Yes, many airports offer separate check in for first and business class passengers, but what made this special was the fact that I received an "invitation" to move through immigration and customs on the way in and security on the way out.

It made me think of a few applications/offshoots:

1. In this day and age of increased security (esp. at airports), it's encouraging to see that this does not necessarily have to come at the expense of service excellence and making people feel special

2. The US is woefully behind in terms of figuring this out in general...and again, epecially at airports. Not all airports offer expedited check-in. There's a real inconsistency problem. Business and first class passengers can't access the business lounges which are all privatized. This is ridiculous that I can get in with an American Express card, but not with a business class ticket...

3. As I'm sitting in Starbucks right now and staring at a seemingly endless line, I'm wondering why brands and companies don't offer a similar fasttrack service. Starbucks is a prime candidate. Many hotels have separate check-in for their rewards customers, except no one is ever behind the counter and even so, a Premium customer is made to feel like they're cutting in line by moving to this separate counter. But back to the idea at hand...think about the impact of a Fasttrack mechanism in highly trafficked and frequented establishments and what this would do to increase loyalty, retention and sales....