Jaffe Juice

A face for radio

Don't be a chimp. Listen to Across the Sound.

Blogs are for losers. Podcasts are for winners.

Click here for proof (thanks to the folks over at Fresh Glue for the "podcast placement")

RFiD

With apologies to my officemate, Louis....here is the a nifty acronym. Call it the other RFiD that matters:

R = Recency (last visit/active)

F = Frequency (repeat business/loyalty)

i = Interactivity/Involvement (participation)

D = Duration (time spent)

These are the metrics that matter.

SL + Blogging = Slogging?

I just met Sarah "Intellagirl" Robins AKA Intellagirl Tully in SL. She has a blog which is dedicated to Second Life as a research and educational tool.

I know it appears that Divo is TOTALLY checking Intellagirl out, but I assure you, it's just the avatar talking (and in any case, Cleon and Mitch were on hand to supervise)

In all seriousness, it's a great objective and the right kind of attention to be given to education. If you think about it, why shouldn't education and entertainment mash together?

I love the fact that Intella has the blog as opposed to her "Real Life" persona. Turns out that Intella is an avid ATS listener, and she even blogged about ATS #38, in which Eric Norlin and myself discussed digital identity.

A critique on the top 3 at Cannes

From time to time, Scott G sends me some articles on all things advertising. I'm not sure if and when I've met him, or if this is just a blog pitch...but in any event I did want to share his latest: No Cannes Do

He pretty brutally critiques all 3 of the top contenders for the Grand Prick. Do you agree with him? I'll give my thoughts on ATS #41

Jury's back: ATS has your vote!

It's more than a free coffee mug...actually it's not; it's ALL about the free coffee mug.

I'm really thrilled that Across the Sound - the New Marketing Podcast has won MarketingSherpa's Readers Choice Award for best Marketing Podcast.

I share this prop with all my fellow CAPOW (Communications and Advertising Podcasters of the World) colleagues and cohorts.

But most of all, I share this with each and every single ATS listener. There's a reason I hug you every time I meet you for the first time (irrespective of whether you want me to or not) I am nothing without you...your attention, time and committment and increasingly nowadays, your contributions (+1 206 203-3255 or acrossthesound@gmail.com - ABC my friends: Always Be Commenting)

PS If you're still in the dark and wondering what podcasting is all about, give it a bash ala carte style at Across the Sound (left click on the mp3 link to play now or right click to save for later) or subscribe at your local podatcher such as iTunes.

Son of a Pitch: Garfield must be stopped

Pitch me, I must be dreaming. I just got pitched by a blogger...or at least a bobber. That crazy NPR guy who gets off slagging 30-second slops has been secretly plotting to take over the world.

I should have seen it coming when he interviewed me for his doomsday lead piece in Ad Age, affectionately titled, "The Chaos Theory" and other bedtime nightmares. (I'd give you a link, but it's behind a well-guarded wall) And I should most definitely have read the writing on the wall when he delivered his next body blow, titled "Listenomics"

So now I get an e-mail which directs me to "check out my latest post and then do what feels right". Fair enough...I will now comment on "Avian Flu Virus Mutates" Second thought, I think perhaps Bob was referring to his other article, "Listenomics: The Online Book Project Starts Now"

So here's my 2c: Garfield is writing the book you wish you were writing. He's doing it the way you wish you (and even me) were doing it. He's beating his fellow offline and even online correspondents, journalists and editors to the punch in the process. I just love the fact that the "creative guy" is the person leading the charge and revolution. If you think about it, that's the way it should be.

So am I supportive? Without question

Will his open-source experiment success? Who cares, but I certainly hope it does. Experiments are good.

Am I listening? YOU BET I AM (I always was)

PS Bob, any help/contribution/endorsement/etc you need, don't hesitate to shout

PPS How about a friggen' link back to my blog from yours? Oh I forget, yours isn't a real blog, right?

What's the difference between broadcast and cable?

About one click of the remote.

AdJab posts on a MediaPost article which reports that upfront movement in cableland isn't so dissimilar to the lethargy that the networks are feeling right now.

No question that cable has the added value/benefit of composition versus reach - and with composition comes better built-in targeting and therefore less waste. That said, the industry is still very much stuck in the mud of one-size-fits-all and buyers will always try and get the most potential audience using the least amount of steps in the process.

It's a one-two sucker punch really.

BUT, things are changing. Marketers are finally coming around to the realization that caution (in the form of calling the old Moonvess bluff of "come early or miss out") is the better part of valor when it comes to the premature committment of their precious budget.

This is one of those (few and perhaps only) times where slow is better.

Making the case for mediocre advertising

This is slightly twisted and turned, but if you think about it...it kind of makes sense: In any business/sector with a direct or indirect service component, great advertising can actually work against you.

Take Citi's whole identity theft campaign. It's breakthrough and award-winning, but at the end of the day, it's a bank that - when last I checked - acted like a bank.

Or how about American Express. You don't get more aspirational than "My Life. My Card" or how about their "OPEN: for small business" value proposition/promise. We understand you and your business is a great selling point, provided of course there's any semblance of authenticity. There's also Visa's "Life Takes" thrust, which is as open-armed and amorphous as can be. But does Life also take hold times, reenter your card number and 15 direct mailers in your box?

Here's where great advertising is akin to running a marathon with your laces untied - you might see the finish line in sight, but you also might slip and break your neck. When a consumer sets foot into your store/bank/site and/or dials your 800-number, do you they encounter they same aspirational high-ground? Do you they get their frustations solved and solutions "Delivered"?

I guess my point is this - if your follow-through; your customer service; your after-sale support is anything less than the advertising which sets it up, then you're being set up for failure.

Perhaps you should find an agency capable of delivering truly mediocre advertising solutions (thankfully, these are the norm nowadays as opposed to the exception) or manage your customers' expectations accordingly by setting the bar incredibly low.

'cos investing in your CRM/RM side of the business isn't exactly going to send you to Cannes, now is it?

Marketing to Avatars

Hard to put into words the surreal experience of attending a panel discussion in Second Life...not to mention the fact both FIR's Neville Hobson and Twist Image/6 Pixels of Separation's Mitch Joel attending with me....so I won't.

Instead, I'll point you to:

• Mitch and Neville's extensive blog posts about their experiences
• The transcript of the panel discussion
• Mitch's podcast which includes our 3-way Skype call
• A PPT deck which has images from the experience (with brief notations in the notes section) Download marketing_to_avatars.ppt

One blog, one vote

MarketingSherpa extended their deadline for their Readers' Choice Blog and Podcast Awards to Monday midnight.

• Jaffe Juice is up for best advertising blog
• Across the Sound is up for best marketing/advertising/pr podcast

I would be humbled by your vote and support.