Archive for Eric Picard

Showing 90 items

• Appearing Soon in an Ad Near You
  Imagine this: ads featuring you, your kid, and your ex-girlfriend! Why it's not as far-fetched as it seems. Sep 22, 2008
• Why Search Doesn't Really Matter
  Rules that exist for search advertising don't necessarily apply to other media. Here's why. Aug 25, 2008
• Supply and Demand in Online Advertising
  What's wrong with today's approach to buying and selling online display advertising -- and a proposal for change. Jul 28, 2008
• Counting the Streams in a New Media Age
  Media distribution is becoming fragmented much quicker than the currency can handle. Jun 30, 2008
• Is an Impression a Commodity?
  At what point does the delivery vehicle for digital advertising move from being a premium good to being a raw commodity? Jun 2, 2008
• Media Agencies vs. Ad Networks
  As an advertiser, why would you buy from an ad network that can mark up inventory to any amount it likes? May 5, 2008
• The Future of Advertising: A Conversation With Jeff Einstein, Part 2
  Is the obsession with ROI an exercise in arrogance? Last of a series. Apr 7, 2008
• The Future of Advertising: A Conversation With Jeff Einstein, Part 1
  Is the obsession with ROI an exercise in arrogance? Part one of a series. Mar 10, 2008
• Managing Your Career in Digital Advertising
  Today's online advertising jobs will translate into leadership roles for all advertising within the next decade. Feb 11, 2008
• Why Local Ads Aren't Coming Online
  Blame it on creative production and a lack of online inventory. Jan 14, 2008
• Counting the Streams in a New Media Age
  Media distribution is becoming fragmented much quicker than the currency can handle. Dec 17, 2007
• Are Analysts Wrong About Online Ad Growth?
  Analysts attribute revenue to the online ad industry in the wrong way. There's a better model. Nov 19, 2007
• The Left Brain and Right Brain at War
  Despite technology advances, the advertising business will remain incredibly creative. Oct 22, 2007
• Automating the Ad Agencies
  Agencies must find a way to scale their businesses, grow margins, and add significant value to the ecosystem. Sep 24, 2007
• Search as a Branding Vehicle
  How search might work for brand advertisers. Aug 27, 2007
• Ad Exchanges Are the Future
  Ad exchanges are where advertising's promise will be realized. This means new roles for buyers, publishers, and ad sales. Jul 30, 2007
• Starting a Company in the Ad Ecosystem
  A better formula for starting -- and selling -- an ad tech company. Jul 2, 2007
• Advertising on the Surface
  New technology from Microsoft just might change the world of online advertising as we know it. Jun 4, 2007
• Paid Search Doesn't Scale for Brand Advertisers
  Paid search is successful because it's a self-generating pool of highly targeted inventory that converts very well. But why doesn't it work for brand advertisers? May 7, 2007
• Ad Serving 101, Revised
  Time for an update to the introductory course. Apr 9, 2007
• Advertising's Toughest Tech Problems, Part 2
  Big, hairy tech problems that could break the back of online advertising. Last of a series. Mar 12, 2007
• What If We Don't Get Digital Advertising to Scale?
  Digital advertising isn't scaling. If this isn't fixed in the very near future, it could kill the industry. Feb 12, 2007
• Advertising's Toughest Tech Problems, Part 1
  Big, hairy tech problems that could break the back of online advertising. First of a series. Dec 18, 2006
• How to Succeed in Emerging Media
  Bringing a cool new ad technology to market? Read this first. Nov 20, 2006
• Content Distribution: The Final Media Revolution
  We're on the cusp of a media revolution to end all media revolutions. The new world will be ad funded. Oct 23, 2006
• How TV Is Killing Itself by Accident
  Selling by impression has a much higher yield online, but the networks have yet to figure that out. Sep 25, 2006
• The Importance of the :05 Video Ad
  Why the up-and-coming format is such an important development. Aug 28, 2006
• Internet Video: Imploding or Exploding?
  Want the Internet video market to grow? There are a few things to address first. Jul 31, 2006
• AJAX Counting Nightmares
  Recommendations for dealing with the unique counting issues AJAX produces. Jun 5, 2006
• How to Succeed in Emerging Media
  Bringing a cool new ad technology to market? Read this first. May 8, 2006
• The Emerging Digital Media Landscape
  What's next for Web, TV, mobile, and in-game advertising? Mar 13, 2006
• Home Networking over Power Lines
  A new bridging technology could shift the way people think about media consumption. Feb 13, 2006
• Stretching Out: Technology and Advertising in 2010
  Video on cereal boxes, and other interactive advertising predictions for 2010. Dec 19, 2005
• Will AJAX Scrub IAB Impression Guidelines?
  Digital advertising changes incredibly fast. Has AJAX already made the IAB's impression guidelines obsolete? Nov 21, 2005
• Art of the Start: Taking Advantage of Rising Tides
  Thinking about a tech startup? Check out these 10 tips. Oct 24, 2005
• The Emerging Digital Media Landscape
  What's next for Web, TV, mobile, and in-game advertising? Sep 26, 2005
• A Second Chance for a 3-D Virtual Reality?
  A 1992 vision of the Internet may be coming true at last. Aug 29, 2005
• On-Demand TV Will Increase Ad Revenue
  Things look anything but bleak for TV advertising. Aug 1, 2005
• Where's Digital Advertising Headed?
  It's not about the Web anymore. All media are becoming digital. Jun 6, 2005
• We Don't Need No Stinkin' Cookies! (Or Do We?)
  Best cookie practices, when deletion is cause for concern, and what the future holds for cookies. May 9, 2005
• Frequency Distribution and Fruit
  Many impressions are delivered to a small part of the audience, and a few impressions are delivered to a large part of the audience. It's an inefficient way to buy media. Why haven't publishers dealt with it? Apr 11, 2005
• Is CPA Dying?
  All indicators point to an era of online brand advertising. Mar 14, 2005
• Interpreting the IAB Measurement Guidelines
  There's been a lot of misunderstanding regarding the measurement guidelines. Here's some clarification. Feb 14, 2005
• A Declaration of Dependence
  For this columnist, it's going to be a very new year indeed. Dec 20, 2004
• The Inconvenience of Privacy
  Privacy comes down to convenience and security. Take care of those, and privacy will take care of itself. Nov 22, 2004
• Media's Believe-It-or-Not Future
  We consume traditional media primarily in a linear fashion. In the future, we'll consume media any way we like. Oct 25, 2004
• Let's Use Percentage of Audience to Buy and Sell Media
  Could buying and selling based on audience (instead of impressions) solve online inventory problems? Sep 27, 2004
• The Consumer Is Taking Control of Advertising
  Consumers control their media consumption and exposure to advertising. Get used to it. Aug 30, 2004
• The Ad Inventory Dilemma
  What can publishers do to reduce ad clutter, but not raise prices for inventory astronomically? Aug 2, 2004
• The State of Ad Serving
  Discrepancies, inventory control, and rich media issues in ad serving. Jun 7, 2004
• The Inconvenience of Privacy
  Privacy comes down to convenience and security. Take care of those, and privacy will take care of itself. May 10, 2004
• Why Do People Find You "Creepy" and "Annoying"?
  The playgroup as online advertising focus group. Apr 12, 2004
• Solve Marketing Channel Conflict
  What aspects of your online marketing work? In tandem with which others? How to get started with deep analytics. Mar 15, 2004
• Who Stole Santa's Pants?
  The growing secure-identity problem. Dec 22, 2003
• Marketing Technology: An Expanding Landscape
  Online marketing solutions are bursting with new features and capabilities. An overview of what's new out there. Nov 24, 2003
• Why Flash Could Disappear from Online Ads
  You've been warned: The new Internet Explorer release could wreak havoc on every Flash-enabled page on the Internet. Oct 27, 2003
• Mobile Marketing to the Masses
  How mobile marketing will go mainstream. Sep 29, 2003
• Cutting the Strings: Wireless Unleashed
  It isn't just a technology, it's a platform. How wireless will change our world. Aug 4, 2003
• Make Rich Media Richer
  Commonsense tips to getting more out of rich media campaigns. Jul 7, 2003
• Control: The Killer App
  Control is the Web's real killer app. Hand it over, and you'll conquer online marketing. Jun 9, 2003
• Why Rich Media Is Suddenly Everywhere
  Six reasons why rich media is suddenly ubiquitous in online advertising. May 12, 2003
• Wireless Convergence: A Personal Quest
  Cutting-edge digerati spend their time researching products, brands, services, and CRM. It gets personal when Eric decides it's time for a new mobile phone. Apr 14, 2003
• Bring Sanity to Your Web Analytics
  A small company in a small state is doing big things with its Web analytics solution. Mar 17, 2003
• How to 'Fix' Online Advertising, Part 2
  There's a lot of talk about what's wrong with online advertising. Eric offers two solutions. Feb 3, 2003
• How to 'Fix' Online Advertising, Part 1
  There's a lot of talk about what's wrong with online advertising. Eric lays the groundwork for a solution. Dec 23, 2002
• @d:tech NY Rises Like a Phoenix
  Follow along with Eric as he takes a look at the technologies making waves at the show. Nov 25, 2002
• The Three Biggest Ad Headaches
  What needs fixing? Low media costs, ad-server discrepancies, and IE 6's cookie crunching. Oct 28, 2002
• Has Interactive Failed? Not the Way You Think
  Has interactive marketing failed? No, but our industry has. We can't communicate externally -- or even among ourselves. Sep 30, 2002
• The Future Is Coming! The Future is Coming!
  You'd think the slow economy would put the brakes on technological progress, but fear can be the strongest of motivators. Aug 5, 2002
• How to Play Nice With Technology Gatekeepers
  Tech gatekeepers are back in the saddle. Here's how to deal with them -- and how they should deal with you. Jul 8, 2002
• Flash Flood Rising
  You've heard the basics, but the details are even more dramatic. Here's why the latest version of Macromedia's animation software could bring significant changes to the rich media ad world. Jun 10, 2002
• Is Our Industry a Modern-Day Sodom and Gomorrah?
  Things are getting out of hand! Pop-unders were one thing, but their latest incarnation is outright evil. Apr 29, 2002
• Frosting, Engage, Alt.English.Usage, and Virtual Spokesmodels
  Ever heard of a cake sandwich? Learn how one goes about making one, and sample the tasty interactive marketing tidbits Eric serves up in today's column. Apr 1, 2002
• Rich Media Trends
  What's the zeitgeist in the world of rich media, and how can you take advantage? Eric shares the lay of the land. Mar 6, 2002
• We Have the Technology
  Waiting for the Next Big Thing in advertising technology? It may already be here. We just haven't learned how to exploit it yet. Feb 6, 2002
• Technology Partners, Not Vendors
  A technology provider isn't like the phone or gas company. Technology powers your business. Build a partnership with your provider rather than treating it like a vendor. You'll both come out ahead. Dec 26, 2001
• Advanced Ad-Serving Features, Part 2: Third-Party Ad Servers
  Choosing ad-serving technology? It's a big investment with a panoply of factors to consider. Server side? Third party? In the second part of this two-part series, Eric walks you through the major functions and features of the different technologies -- so when you're talking to vendors, you'll be asking the right questions. Nov 28, 2001
• Advanced Ad-Serving Features, Part 1: Site-Side Servers
  Choosing ad-serving technology? It's a big investment with a panoply of factors to consider. Server side? Third party? In this two-part series, Eric walks you through the major functions and features of the different technologies -- so when you're talking to vendors, you'll be asking the right questions. Nov 14, 2001
• Ad Serving 101
  I get about 20 questions a week concerning ad servers from sales people and customers trying to figure out the differences between site-side and third-party ad servers and regarding the ad-serving business in general. So let's go over the basics, with the objective of helping you understand why you might need one ad-serving solution over another. Oct 17, 2001
• Searching for a Hero
  Determined to find a lesson to take away from this tragedy, to hold close to our chests as a shield against terror and futility, Eric finds that there are many. Sep 19, 2001
• Rich Media: Damn the Standards -- Full Speed Ahead!
  Eric talks about the real state of rich media in this industry: What kinds of things we have seen -- what you can really run -- and what seems to be the trend among publishers and advertisers. Aug 22, 2001
• Wireless: Location Tracking Will Change Everything
  Eric's feeling a little frustrated about the state of wireless when it comes to advertising. The "best" idea he's heard on using the space for marketing was to fire Starbucks coupons at customers as they walk by store locations. And that's just plain stupid, he thinks. Jul 25, 2001
• Protect Yourself from Exploding Technology Partners
  Technology companies are going off like dot-bombs all over the place. So what is an agency or advertiser to do? The world is a dangerous place right now, and being prepared to see which companies are ticking time bombs can save you from a world of hurt. Jun 20, 2001
• Oh Say Can You See Convergence?
  One day, after watching hours of digital cable, Eric gradually saw the light... He'd uncovered some interesting issues at the convergence point of digital cable, interactive TV, game consoles, and broadband. May 23, 2001
• IAB Rich Media Task Force: One-Sided?
  The Interactive Advertising Bureau Rich Media Task Force will be setting industry-wide standards, but it's excluding rich media technology companies from participating. Here's an open letter to the task force with Eric's general recommendations for all formats. Apr 25, 2001
• Analytics: Beating Ad Clutter
  The outlook for online advertising is good for the long term despite the current dip. But isn't there something publishers can do to avoid ad clutter and optimize inventory? Mar 28, 2001
• Interactive TV: Don't Repeat Web Advertising's Mistakes
  Eric thinks the time is right for interactive TV. First, a look at how these new media models will play out during the early-adopter stage. Second, how we can make this medium work for advertising. Mar 14, 2001
• Rich Media: Time to Pay the Piper
  Why do we see ePod shutting its doors and Enliven's future in question? The quiet little secret is that advertisers and agencies want a free ride. But it ain't free -- and never will be. Feb 28, 2001
• Embracing the Promise of Interactive Advertising
  The explosion of rich media advertising in 1999 was just that, and it forced many traditional advertising agencies to evaluate how they could offer this exciting, dynamic interactive medium to their clients. While some successfully made the leap to rich media, too often the alleged limitations of the technology - or simply a fear of it - prevented people from tapping into the wealth of experience they had accumulated through ad creation in broadcast and print, as well as in GIF banners. Jan 24, 2000
• A Not-So-Brave New World
  There's a flurry of interest in rich media across the online advertising community. There are also some misconceptions about file requirements on host sites when it comes to rich media versus traditional banners. After contacting major portals, networks, and sites responsible for setting their own rich media guidelines, Eric Picard finds that the stringent requirements placed on traditional banners do not apply to rich media in most cases. Jul 9, 1999

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