JIM NICHOLS - HIS BLOG: 2012-04-29

Friday, May 4, 2012

Industry Links for 05042012

LEADING COMPANIES

It's not TV, it's Zuck TV: Check out FB's IPO roadshow video

LinkedIn buying SlideShare for $119M

Ouch: Groupon stock dips into single digits

Vibrant launches contextual photo ad product Lightbox

STARTUPS

Mom power! Pinterest rises to #3 soc net

Badoo hits 150M users!

Hootsuite raising $50M at $500M valuation

Personalities-from-photos startup Tidepool raises $1.5M

BRANDS AND AGENCIES

Banking on a new agency: B of A moves to WPP

RESEARCH

Great Pew report on teens and video is here

SLANDER AND SCUTTLE

Yahoo CEO in hot water because of resume lie – said he had a CS degree but he doesn't. Resignation rumored

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Simplifying the Display Landscape

I wanted to draw your attention to something that was published on iMedia Connection this AM. Penned by Dave Yovanno of Mediaplex, it describes a new vendor neutral tool that they developed to help marketers get a better understanding of the Display industry, the classes of vendors, who does what, etc. I won't paraphrase the article, but do read it. It points out some of the communications issues of our industry, and the tool itself is very helpful as a starting place for understanding which end is up in Display.

The other reason I like the tool so much is that I know that Dave developed it in conjunction with Justin Fibich, a former Catalysta and now a rising sales star at "The Plex." I have no economic connection to Mediaplex, so don't think this a self serving shill.

But I do think it says something about them that they developed a vendor neutral tool just to help further understanding of the Display space among marketers and agencies. Yes, yes, they do benefit when Display gets more attention. But anything that helps take some of the absurd complexity out of this ridiculously overcomplicated industry is a real public service in my book.

I also envy them a little their ability to simplify the morass of solutions into such a simple illustration. While I flatter myself that I know a ton about Display, I could NEVER have created such an elegant, succinct, eminently helpful tool.