The Sternberg Effect
Blog
Apple introduces new headphones
In this economy? Plus media job losses this year. Hoo boy. Two items today on my mind. Apple AirPods Max Businesses don’t do things by accident. Yes, companies often make mistakes, but everything leading up to that mistake is a decision—or a series of decisions. With this frame, I am curious as to why Apple … Continue reading
What buyers think about when they think about the future of media
A cookie-less world, yes. But also new media plans. It’s December, which means prediction season. I was curious about where media buyers think media is heading (especially since the beginning of the year had everyone just a bit nervous) as they’re the ones that build the plans and then make the buys. The conversations weren’t … Continue reading
The Atlantic has a new C.E.O.
Journalists becoming executives is not entirely new or unusual. Yesterday, Nicholas Thompson, editor-in-chief of Wired, said that he’s moving out of the newsroom and into the corner office as The Atlantic’s new C.E.O. This seems like a good fit, as Thompson has led The New Yorker into the digital age, and then has shepherded Wired … Continue reading
LinkedIn has an ad measurement problem
Class action lawsuit alleges ‘unfair-competition, fraud, and breach-of-contract claims.’ David Nyurenberg ran a LinkedIn advertising campaign for his company Valor Digital, a digital vendor for agencies and brands. Nothing out of the ordinary, he said. A couple hundred bucks pushed through his personal account to get some awareness for his company. And then in November, … Continue reading
The pandemic has forced all of us into the disruptive dilemma
What will stay, what will go, when we get out of this maze. You know how on social platforms, mainly Twitter and LinkedIn, we see the posts of “10 years ago these companies didn’t exist”, emphasizing how much (or in some cases how little) things change? Tweets like this: By the way, here’s a good … Continue reading
Agencies and small businesses say their Facebook accounts are getting suspended for no reason
This is having a major impact on SMBs, as they aren’t getting the answers they need. Brittanie “Bebo” Boe is no stranger to the Facebook ad management system. She started using Facebook ads about 7 years ago, and she said she’s had “incredible success” using Facebook ads to help drive people to a Kickstarter for … Continue reading
Taking 'Just Do It' to a different conclusion
How Nike attempts to balance messaging with reality. Welcome back. Hope you had a relaxing and safe Thanksgiving. Back in June, as companies showed their support for Black Lives Matter, we talked about how brands need to look into their own affairs before glomming onto movements or ideas that could diminish the effect of their … Continue reading
The problem with media isn't a filter bubble. It's deeper than that.
Systemic challenges are exactly that: systemic. Challenge those, and we can improve. Some housekeeping: So I am *pretty* sure I will be taking next week “off” (funny phrase, ain’t it, as I’m technically not working so every day is technically “off”). It’s been 7 months of writing every day (minus that one week in August … Continue reading
Some loose thoughts on BuzzFeed/HuffPost
Digital media consolidation continues; how it plays out is anyone’s guess. Wasn’t going to blog today, but the Wall Street Journal just reported that BuzzFeed is acquiring the HuffPost, which is really quite the shining example of today’s digital media ouroboros. For starters, according to the WSJ: The acquisition is part of a larger deal … Continue reading
Newsroom diversity isn't just about hiring
It’s everything from policies to pay to sourcing. A short one today, as I’m feeling burned out. I may take the advice of a good friend and take a few days to relax. Something I don’t know quite exactly how to do. The media industry is at an inflection point, trying to course correct decades … Continue reading
How to not have your brand end up 'on the asshole of the internet.'
A discussion with the co-founders of CheckMyAds Nandini Jammi and Claire Atkin want to make the marketing world a better place. It’s a tough task, given the realities of a system that has wrested brand stewardship away from the brand. The duo is optimistic that their approach, through their consultancy CheckMyAds, can help companies not … Continue reading
The tricky art of advertising during a pandemic
Eight months in and we’re becoming fatigued. As the pandemic rages on, one thing that I’ve been paying attention to is how companies are using the coronavirus as part of an advertising messaging strategy—whether that’s as an ancillary character, narrative driver, or not at all. I was watching TV last night and saw this Ikea … Continue reading
What have we learned in 8 months?
A lot, but also nothing. The last time it was Friday the 13th, it was March. On that Friday, the CDC reported 1,678 coronavirus cases and 41 deaths. The NCAA canceled its tournament. And the White House issued a “proclamation on declaring a national emergency concerning the novel coronavirus disease.” Eight months, 10.6 million cases … Continue reading
If you thought the 24-hour media cycle was bad now
The Trump circus will never end. There’s a weird calculus in the news business in the Trump era: Organizations are seeing record traffic, but not fully monetizing it, leading to massive layoffs across the industry. Even before the coronavirus destroyed the industry, media companies were taking it on the chin. 7,800 people lost their media jobs … Continue reading
Remembering Mike Yuhas, Adweek's copy chief
A man who hated ampersands and struck fear into every journalist. He will be missed. No takes today; just a few thoughts on the guy who made my (and countless reporters’) words … work. I learned yesterday, via a flurry of texts from my former colleagues, that Adweek’s long-time copy chief, Mike Yuhas died. He … Continue reading
Unnecessary Journalism Phrases
- How about “lifeless body” when describing a dead person? Here’s a good (bad)...
- bobbymacReports: A growing number of stories with a growing number
- Alliterative Journalism Phrases
- Apologies on the lack of posts
- While not necessarily an unnecessary journalism phrase, friend...
- 50. Old Man Winter - 11/7/11
- Push The Envelope Submitted by unretrecissement and her...
- 49. A.M. in the Morning/P.M. in the Afternoon/Evening, at Night - 11/3/11
- 48. Emergency Situation - 11/2/11
- 47. Roll(ed)(ing) in his/her grave - 10/31/11
