Ian Fernando Docs Tool Helps PPC Marketers Determine Keyword Quality

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For you so-called PPC "marketers" who write "intuitive" ad text and bid just as intuitively (read: wastefully), a thoughtful guy named Ian Fernando put together a Google Docs tool to (quantitatively!!!!) determine who clicks on what keywords, and how keywords convert.

It is useful. So use it.

Read his explanation.

by Angela Natividad    Jan- 3-08    
Topic: Online, Tools



Contextual Fuckery Solved by Actual Humans (Who Knew?)

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Now this is cool. We've already got contextual ads. We've already got behavioral ads. But we all know how much fuckery can sometimes come from those automated solutions. Wouldn't it be cool if the content of banners were matched to the content of the page by an actual, intelligent human being as opposed to a garbage in/garbage out, brainless computer?

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by Steve Hall    Dec- 5-07    
Topic: Agencies, Good, Online, Tools



Post-Beacon, Facebook Still Snooping

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Even though Facebook has backed off its Beacon advertising system which many people called invasive, a recent Computer Associates study finds Facebook still snoops into user's affiliate site activity. Computer Associates PestPatrol Research Engineer, writing on the company's blog said, "Facebook is collecting information about user actions on affiliate sites regardless of whether or not the user chose to opt out, and regardless of whether or not the user is logged into Facebook at that time."

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by Steve Hall    Dec- 5-07    
Topic: Bad, Online, Research, Social, Tools



Sit Still for Four Minutes; You May Just Learn Something

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Here's a handy video on Intimis PURLs -- personalized URLs that tell you more about your individual site visitors than analytics that normally just show you traffic and conversion number per landing page.

Put together by Proctor & Stevenson, it's damn informative -- but after the :30 mark we wanted to tear out our hair. It's to our credit that we watched the whole thing and learned Intimis can increase your hypothetical conversion rate from one in three, to two in three, without much increasing follow-up time.

Where's our spoonful of sugar, Intimis?

PS. We're also a little pissy about the comment spam you passed us in one of our company surveys. Not cool, Intimis. Not cool.

by Angela Natividad    Nov-30-07    
Topic: Specialty, Tools, Video



Facebook Fucked Up

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Did anyone really think they'd get away with plastering people's images alongside ads as mini-endorsements? 50,000 people didn't and signed a petition forcing the company to change is Beacon system so people have control over whether or not they participate in it.

Why, in the first place, they thought everyone would willingly become a buzz agent is mystifying. Is there a social network out there that can can the right mix of human interaction and capitalistic commerce?

by Steve Hall    Nov-30-07    
Topic: Online, Social, Tools



Google Slams PayPerPost, Vendors Reviewed, Victoria's Sneak Secret

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- Ha, ha, ha! Serves the company right. Google is penalizing paid editorial ad company PayPerPost by removing the PageRanks of blogger who use the system. Won't be long before bloggers bail on the system leaving PayPerPost with nothing but a lot of unsold inventory and a pool of red ink. Give it up guys. The ad model was dead from the moment it was conceived.

- If you're wondering if that vendor you are considering working with is any good, you might want to check out Agency Vendors, a site on which people in the ad industry who have worked with various vendors can post reviews for the rest of the industry to check out.

- If you ever wondered what happened to the Fatty Turkey from Fatty Turkey Brand Whole Frozen Turkeys, you can get the story here. Hey, it's advertising trivia. Great conversation starter fodder for that next cocktail party you go to.

- Here's a sneak peek at the 12th Annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show which occurred last night at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood but won'r air on TV until December 4.

by Steve Hall    Nov-19-07    
Topic: Online, Television, Tools



Taglines Analyzed, Ads Pumped, Songs Given

- If your looking to create that perfect tagline, you might want to check out Nick Padmore's analysis of 115 taglines dubbed the best by some ad wankers in 2000. He's come up with five key points which make a great tagline.

- MediaBuyerPlanner reports, "Internet advertising revenues exceeded $5.2 billion in the third quarter of 2007 - yet another historic high for a quarter and a $1.1 billion increase, or 25.3 percent, over Q3 2006."

- I'll have a GAP ad with that tank of Super Unleaded and a Coke ad with that bag of Doritos.

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by Steve Hall    Nov-14-07    
Topic: Promotions, Research, Tools, Video



Geeks Attack Facebook Ads

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Geeks need things to do to keep their skills up to date and marketers give them plenty of opportunity to fulfill their coding fixations. In this case, with the onslaught of ads on Facebook, the geek squad has developed several Firefox add ons which will remove ads from Facebook pages. These tools allow for the removal of Sponsored News Lisitngs, Feeds Ads or, if one is so inclined, everything. Ah, but what's a Facebook experience without a little commerce plunked right in the middle of your friends newly added pictures, recent pokes and iLike queries? Come on, geeks, we want to be part of the Facebook party too. Don't hate on us.

by Steve Hall    Nov-14-07    
Topic: Online, Tools



Flashcards Get Facelift, Come Back 'Thumbelievable'!

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Remember the "flash" or index cards you used to remember spelling words in grade school? Now they're pegged to a key ring and proffered by Thumb Cards for a future in promotions.

Well, it's not the worst idea we've ever heard (toilet paper rolls? Branded college-ruled looseleaf?).

by Angela Natividad    Nov-13-07    
Topic: Direct, Promotions, Strange, Tools



Get Down with the Homies with the ad:tech NY Ad-Jive Dictionary

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You can't call yourself a new media advertiser if you're not hip to the jive, and ad:tech is a great place to brush up on this crucial skill-set.

But it can be tough to keep up. With that, I give you the 2007 edition of the Official ad:tech New York Ad-Jive Dictionary. Use this knowledge well, and you're sure to be the life of the break room.

Better still, you'll confirm your CEO's conviction that burning $5K to send you to an ad conference was a very intelligent idea.

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