Thursday, September 14, 2006
Gosh, Where Do I Start? That's the Problem with Today's InfoBuffet
Time, Inc. is selling a bunch of titles. Watch for more reshuffling there.
http://www.foliomag.com/viewmedia.asp?prmMID=6519
Dumb story in USA Today about how retailers manipulate their environment in the attempt to sell more.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2006-09-01-retail-cover-usat_x.htm
I was so annoyed by it I sent in a letter to the editor suggesting that they do another hard hitting story about why milk is all the way in the back of the supermarket and not the front (to make us walk by the other stuff on the shelves, of course) or perhaps an expose about why people shower before they go on a date. Or perhaps why evil executives would decide 25+ years ago to use color in newspapers to divert our attention away from the other papers at the newsstand. If it's published, I'll link to it. But I doubt it will be.
Oh no! Oil price declines may hurt the oil industry!
http://za.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=businessNews&storyID=2006-09-13T094533Z_01_BAN330169_RTRIDST_0_OZABS-MARKETS-OIL-FALL-20060913.XML
(from Reuters South Africa... watch for stories from Canada soon because the western provinces have been booming because of the run-up in prices over the past couple of years)
Speaking of that, many commodities prices are falling, signaling good inflation news ahead, a slower economy, and problems for paper companies. But at least they sold that timberland for inflated prices, and got out at a good time. (this link is likely to die very soon, so access asap) http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aAeXM0d.VU_E&refer=us
When I checked with some folks in the know, their scuttlebutt is that Steve Roach, their economist for this area, has called 'em wrong in the past, so most people on "the street" are not putting much stock in his claims. Most are viewing the pullback as temporary.
Forrester/American Business Media Powerpoint presentation about B2B media and how effective they are
http://www.americanbusinessmedia.com/images/abm/ABMIntel/Forrester%20Ad%20Campaign%20Presentation%206106.ppt
B2B ad spending report
http://www.btobonline.com/article.cms?articleId=29210
"Long Tail" interview in Folio
http://www.foliomag.com/viewmedia.asp?prmMID=6456&prmID=1
The New York Times is selling its broadcast properties
http://adage.com/article?article_id=111828
Well, so much for cross/integrated media... This is not a dumb move on its surface. They will be into streaming video, very soon, within 5 years.... literally, just watch. Baseball's mlb.com and mlb.tv are just the start of what will be almost exclusively on-demand TV in about 15-20 years. Think broadcast audiences have declined and will stop? Think again. They'll be plummeting more.
At the same time, the NYT seems to finally be getting a grip on reality: more people are getting their news online.
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,71740-0.html
Postal service expects rate increase in May 2007. The following prediction will be absolutely correct: there will be many stories about how this will be devastating to mailers. It won't be, because they have alternatives. Cost and expected return drive the media mix. Strangely, as physical aspects of mail shrink in size, the share of postage as a cost per piece goes up. Expect reduced frequency of mailings, lower page counts, shifts to direct mail... but wait! These trends have been around for ten years!
http://www.dmnews.com/cms/dm-news/direct-mail/38249.html
http://www.dmnews.com/cms/dm-news/direct-mail/38249.html
http://www.foliomag.com/viewmedia.asp?prmMID=6519
Dumb story in USA Today about how retailers manipulate their environment in the attempt to sell more.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2006-09-01-retail-cover-usat_x.htm
I was so annoyed by it I sent in a letter to the editor suggesting that they do another hard hitting story about why milk is all the way in the back of the supermarket and not the front (to make us walk by the other stuff on the shelves, of course) or perhaps an expose about why people shower before they go on a date. Or perhaps why evil executives would decide 25+ years ago to use color in newspapers to divert our attention away from the other papers at the newsstand. If it's published, I'll link to it. But I doubt it will be.
Oh no! Oil price declines may hurt the oil industry!
http://za.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=businessNews&storyID=2006-09-13T094533Z_01_BAN330169_RTRIDST_0_OZABS-MARKETS-OIL-FALL-20060913.XML
(from Reuters South Africa... watch for stories from Canada soon because the western provinces have been booming because of the run-up in prices over the past couple of years)
Speaking of that, many commodities prices are falling, signaling good inflation news ahead, a slower economy, and problems for paper companies. But at least they sold that timberland for inflated prices, and got out at a good time. (this link is likely to die very soon, so access asap) http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aAeXM0d.VU_E&refer=us
When I checked with some folks in the know, their scuttlebutt is that Steve Roach, their economist for this area, has called 'em wrong in the past, so most people on "the street" are not putting much stock in his claims. Most are viewing the pullback as temporary.
Forrester/American Business Media Powerpoint presentation about B2B media and how effective they are
http://www.americanbusinessmedia.com/images/abm/ABMIntel/Forrester%20Ad%20Campaign%20Presentation%206106.ppt
B2B ad spending report
http://www.btobonline.com/article.cms?articleId=29210
"Long Tail" interview in Folio
http://www.foliomag.com/viewmedia.asp?prmMID=6456&prmID=1
The New York Times is selling its broadcast properties
http://adage.com/article?article_id=111828
Well, so much for cross/integrated media... This is not a dumb move on its surface. They will be into streaming video, very soon, within 5 years.... literally, just watch. Baseball's mlb.com and mlb.tv are just the start of what will be almost exclusively on-demand TV in about 15-20 years. Think broadcast audiences have declined and will stop? Think again. They'll be plummeting more.
At the same time, the NYT seems to finally be getting a grip on reality: more people are getting their news online.
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,71740-0.html
Postal service expects rate increase in May 2007. The following prediction will be absolutely correct: there will be many stories about how this will be devastating to mailers. It won't be, because they have alternatives. Cost and expected return drive the media mix. Strangely, as physical aspects of mail shrink in size, the share of postage as a cost per piece goes up. Expect reduced frequency of mailings, lower page counts, shifts to direct mail... but wait! These trends have been around for ten years!
http://www.dmnews.com/cms/dm-news/direct-mail/38249.html
http://www.dmnews.com/cms/dm-news/direct-mail/38249.html
