TV is still King of all media?

There's been a lot of debate around the office regarding the role of television in our lives as professionals and our relationship with it as private citizens. This same discussion is happening, in the industry rags, blogs and even Twitter.

Arguments usually go one or two ways:
Nielsen says numbers have never been stronger. All this about the death of TV is a bunch of hooey.

Or:

I never watch TV anymore and my kids don't watch it either. They're too busy on Facebook to even pay attention to it.

I think both of these arguments are too simplistic.

As a society our relationship with television has changed. Just a few years ago, my wife had appointment TV viewing with friends coming over to watch Six Feet Under. Life is more complicated now with kids and me to contend with. Fortunately she can now watch everything on the DVR or her iPhone. And she does. My kids don't even understand that TV shows are only broadcast at specific times. "Dora isn't on now" doesn't compute.

My role at the agency is primarily as a copywriter. My job is to create communication based on the brief first. Then to think about adding value to the equation. Frankly, I find myself looking to new ways to communicate a message whenever I can. Because in today's fractured environment you never know which communication is going to stick.

"More with Less"

"More with Less." Clients say it, bosses say it, the Media says it. And we all feel it.

These days were asked to go to the well more often and in a quicker time frame than ever before.

But it's not just the work load. Agency employees are expected to be able to fill in gaps as others are laid off and new technology emerges. If you're not learning the newest media and technology, you're not ensuring your value to your employer.

Today, we can't expect our employers to send us to a conference to get smart on the latest technology. We must develop skills ourselves and be able to display knowledge or at least an opinion when a boss or client asks, "what do you think about Twitter?"

This isn't all bad. If you're reading this, you must be a curious person. And there's never been a better time for the curious to set themselves apart from crowd. So learn how to program flash, become a Twitterati and find out how to produce digital. You'll make yourself more valuable and keep yourself engaged at the same time. That's what I'm doing. Keeping the portfolio fresh just isn't enough anymore.

Good thoughts on media and Twitter. Even better response to Dowd

Great comeback to Maureen Dowd's moronic assault on Twitter. Unfortunatly, he could give an education to many of America's ad executives. It's not that folks don't care about it. Clients are asking. And agency types are formulating responses. Unfortunately, much of it negative. "Why would anyone care what you're having for lunch?"

Geoff hits the nail on the head we he says it's a new media that people have the possibility to do whatever they want with it. Maybe Maureen is just angry cause her media is evolving, withering.

I'm a fan of Marshall McLuhan and a point he makes is that different media create different perceptions of the communicator and also have different effects on individuals and societies. One example he used was once a person gets in a car, to another driver the person has become a car (yes, he belived a car was media). Remember saying, "that car just cut me off."

OK. I'll get to the point. It's just that Twitter isn't just a new version of a ballpoint pen or a typewriter - it's a new way of relating to one another that's not fully understand. The telephone bent time and space. Twitter is fracturing social boundaries, creating conversations and distributing information in a giant global conversation.

Don't believe me. Spend some time with it. Really spend some time with it.

A few great points about the unbiquitos iPhone app concept

Guess you marketing directors sure are seeing a lot of iPhone apps in presentations these days. It funny how when when creatives types are asked to think outside of the box, we often go to the same place.
"Let's hire some actors"
"Let's paint something on the street"
"What you really need is a Facebook Application"
"Are you on Twitter?"
"I've got it, a flash mob"
All are valid ideas if done correctly and for the right reasons.