Accountability in advertising

Fighting words from Gabe Laydon, CEO of Machine Zone, one of the largest buyers of advertising in the world. Definitely will spark a debate between those on all sides of the advertising ecosystem. 

I don't agree with everything he says ... in fact, for some companies, at certain stages in their evolution, brand advertising matters a great deal. However, his call for accountability, traceability and precision in media spend, and in particular the need for trackable ROI, is compelling.

Excerpt below and the full video from the original re/code article.

“Do you hate TV ads? Gabe Leydon does, too.

Except, unlike you, Gabe Leydon buys lots of TV ads: He runs Machine Zone, the game company behind all of those Mobile Strike ads with Arnold Schwarzenegger you’ve been seeing for the past few months. And the Kate Upton Game of War ads you saw last year, too.

Leydon buys those ads because he says he has to buy those ads. But he thinks they are terribly inefficient, as is almost all brand advertising: The stuff that Google, Facebook and everyone else on the Web would very much like to move online.

That’s a terrible idea, Leydon told the crowd at Code/Media last week, because almost all brand advertising is nothing more than a slush fund that feeds lazy advertisers, publishers and networks, who want to avoid accountability.

Real advertising, he argues, is the kind he buys for his games on mobile platforms like Facebook, which provide instant, precise accountability for the dollars he spends.

When Leydon laid this out for the Code/Media attendees, he freaked out most of the room — presumably because he was telling most of the room that they needed to get new jobs, stat.

It’s also possible that Leydon’s argument isn’t as strong as he thinks it is, since many advertisers want to sell things that can’t be purchased via your phone the way mobile games are. And that figuring out how to sell that stuff is always going to involve science and art, as MediaLink COO Wenda Harris Millard argued at the end of Leydon’s session.”

Sunday Sessions: Experimental Reggae

Sat down this weekend to work on a new track, and in fact, a completely new genre for me.

Despite having been born in Jamaica, I have never tried my hand at Reggae, although I have always been a fan.

This track, built with the help of the Black Arc Expansion pack from Native Instruments, blends some Reggae, Dub, Cuban and Calypso inspired themes. Still a work in progress.

Passing Time On Planes

I fly somewhere between 340-400K KMS each year, and that (obviously) implies spending hours on planes.

Although I tend to work one way, often catching up on the deluge of eMails that piles up in my inbox, I try to take some time and recharge on the way back.

In my case, this involves writing music. For me, it's not only a great way to stimulate a completely different part of my brain, there is something about the process of creation that is all consuming and makes time pass very quickly.

I carry a very smart little keyboard from CME called the xKEY. It is low profile, fits in any knapsack or shoulder bag alongside a laptop, and yet is velocity sensitive, complete with after touch. In fact, all you need is an xKey, a Laptop, and your favourite DAW, and you have a fully functional recording studio at 40,000 feet. 

On the flight back from London yesterday, I spent some time on a new piece of music, enjoying and leveraging some fantastic instruments from Edwardo Tarilonte in addition to a new vocal instrument from Output, called Exhale. I would recommend you checking both of them out. I have barely scratched the surface of these libraries, and they are unreal.

So for what it's worth, here is the track that kept me occupied on the 7.5 hour flight across the atlantic yesterday, as did the unbelievable "alien" clouds (as you can see in the picture below). Caveat: the piece is still very much a work in progress. 

Latest Remix Project: Carmina Burana

As a challenge, perhaps jokingly, a friend suggested that I try a remix of Carmina Burana.

This is a wonderful piece of music, but not a trivial one to work with as (a) it changes key, and (b) it often changes tempo ... not to mention having a wide range of moods and tonality.

Here is the first draft (and very much still a work in progress) of three of the movements. The main elements of Carmina were extracted using Native Instruments Traktor, with additional voices  from the Komplete library played in on an AKAI MPK225 and a Native Instruments Komplete S62.

A work in progress remix of Carmina Burana, re-imagined with some Dub overtones. Traktor used to extract some of the components, original voices and arrangement added on a Komplete S and MPK 225 using Komplete Ultimate Library ... assembled in Bitwig Studio.

Update On The Four Horsemen

A must see presentation from Scott Galloway of NYU Stern, on the Four Horsemen of the internet (Apple, Google, Amazon and Facebook), who is winning and who is losing, and why Apple may very well be the first trillion dollar company. 

Fasten your seatbelt, it's an action packed few minutes. 

Another 2 hour project

Another cold weekend by the fire, and another 2 hour project in the morning while the family sleeps; this time, starting with the excellent NEON Maschine Expansion Pack from Native Instruments, and selected components from the demo track "Fever Line". A wonderful way to explore what is possible with Maschine and the Komplete Library.

Another Weekend Project

On a snowy, cold day in Toronto, what better way to pass the time than working on a new track. This time, a down tempo, chill-out vibe ... perhaps inspired by the dreary conditions outside, and the dream of warm outdoor evenings that surely must only be months away. 

2 Hour Project

Sat down on a dreary Toronto morning and gave myself a 2 hour window to deliver something end-end. This track leverages the excellent Drop Squad Expansion Pack for Maschine. 

I gave myself a bit of a head start with the "Back To Dub Roots" sample project. The rest was played in on Maschine Studio, and my tiny CME xKey travelling keyboard. Track was mastered on-line with LANDR.

Despite having used Bigwig for a number of months now, getting back to Maschine was a breeze thanks to the workflow of Machine Studio.

Physically Playing Virtual Instruments

One of the frustrations with using keyboards as the predominant way in which to encode digital music is that they are a poor input device for capturing the nuances of wind and bowed instruments. Well, that's all about to change, as Hagai Davidoff illustrates in this video.

By using a Leap Motion controller, and the Reaktor "Ensemble Serenade III", he is able to mimic the motion of a bow on strings, and generate a richly textured set of outputs.

If you are interested in experimenting with the Leap Motion controller for making music, you need to check out the  Geco Midi Controller (http://uwyn.com/geco/) as can be seen in the video below:


Mobile is Eating the World

Benedict Evans, who is now a partner at Andreessen Horowitz, is a must watch. 

Here is the full audio and visuals of Benedict Evans' presentation on the future of mobile (which happens also to be the future of tech). The talk was delivered at a16z's 2014 Tech Summit. WATCH: 13 minutes

For more insights, you should check out his blog at http://ben-evans.com.

Latest Remix: I am Your Shadow

Spent some more time crossing back and forth across the Atlantic last week, took some much needed downtime to work on a new remix. This one a is a bit more moody ... that's what staring out into a dark sky at 35,000 feet in the middle of nowhere will do to you ... call this a "late night feel".

Downtime Matters - Make Time For It.

As an entrepreneur, there never seems to be enough time to do it all ... work, travel, spend time with family, sleep, exercise, eat well, explore your passions ... dare I say just have fun.

As entrepreneurs we get a great deal of enjoyment from our work, but it's important that you leave time for a rich and stimulating life outside of work ... in doing so, you will be healthier, you will be a more effective leader and you will gain both valuable perspective and improve your ability to innovate.

Work hard, yes. But remember that life is a marathon, not a sprint. Take the time to explore and celebrate the other parts of yourself, and your life. Heck, just leave time for fun. You will likely accomplish far more that way.

Get out there ... and have fun.

Get out there ... and have fun.


 


Latest Remix: Live from 34,000 Feet

Making music is truly the best way to pass time on transatlantic flights, although you so sometimes get strange looks depending on the setup you are using at the time  :-)

This time I leveraged a Traktor remix deck (faster then cutting up the track yourself), double checked the timing in Traktor, then imported the deck into Bitwig Studio (which is rapidly becoming my fave DAW). The first pass of the remix was then done using a Launchpad S, much to the amusement of the flight crew, who kept stopping by to see what I was doing.

The mobile setup.

The mobile setup.

How To Lead Your Team Through Change

Abigail Phillips gets it right in this article on leading through change.

“Business demands fluidity, which requires leaders to embrace change and take risks. Put simply, if you’re not ready to lead change then you’re not ready to lead full stop.

Mark Zuckerberg once said, “In a world that’s changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks,” and he was right. Leadership is not a static endeavor. Successful managers not only acknowledge the need for business development but also are willing and able to navigate their team through change.

The prospect of change can be daunting. But if managed correctly, the process doesn’t have to be painful. In today’s fast-paced society, the difference between success and failure can lie in a company’s ability to adapt.

Fail to grow your business and adjust to new ways of thinking, and your business will stagnate and die. Change in the business world is not an option, but a prerequisite for success. And leading change effectively is essential for development.”
— http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/235832

She goes on to highlight a simple but useful roadmap:

“1. Create a plan.

Every business requires change in order to survive. If a company doesn’t innovate and react to changing market demands, it will collapse.

But make sure to not to make changes just for the sake of it. Before embarking on a journey of transformation be sure to have a solid business plan. Identify the areas of the business that need to be updated and put a plan in place for its execution.

2. Understand the end goal.

It’s critical to understand the end goal and objectives before starting out. Ask, Where is the company today and where does it need to be?

A change leader must have the confidence and capability to change tack, though, if another path looks clearer and makes more sense. Listen to employees, be bold enough to adjust the direction the company is headed toward and dispense with pride if another route makes more business sense. The path for change and innovation is not set in stone.

3. Communicate clearly.

Communication is king when it comes to corporate change. From Day 1 it’s critical to have all members of the team be behind the leader. Be sure to keep everyone fully abreast of developments and ensure that employees understand the end goal.

Keeping the lines of communication open and involving employees in the change process makes it more likely employees will get on board. Give them the opportunity to share ideas, concerns, comments and suggestions throughout the period of change.

Corporate change should be an exciting, rewarding and worthwhile experience, with effective communication being critical.

4. Identify key players.

People react differently to a transformation in the workplace and the leader’s duty is to identify change advocates as well as potential saboteurs. Get key players on board from the beginning and take the time to walk them through the anticipated changes.

These team members are likely to be instrumental when new processes are put into practice and can encourage skeptics to participate and help sustain the morale of the rest of their departments.

5. Delegate tasks.

Leading from the front is important. But an individual leader cannot implement change alone. Delegate tasks to individuals across the team and assign firm deadlines for completion. Be sure to follow up with each individual and provide support when necessary.

While going through this period of change, be on hand to answer questions, provide guidance and offer support. By giving people responsibilities, more will get accomplished as others are encouraged to take ownership of the prerequisites for change.

6. Set realistic objectives.

The leader should not set up himself (or herself) and the department for failure. During a period of change it’s reasonable to expect key team members to put in extra time and effort, but set realistic targets.

If the expectations are too high, not only will quality be compromised but also deadlines won’t be met, morale will plummet and people will become alienated. The result? A despondent, unhappy and floundering workforce.

7. Manage expectations.

The worth of any business leader can be measured simply by analyzing his or her ability to manage expectations. When leading a department through change, managing expectations is more critical that ever. Clarify what is expected from employees, and conversely figure out what they expect from the leader.

8. Hold people accountable.

Hold employees accountable for implementing change. To do that, equip them with the proper tools, talent, resources, responsibility and authority necessary for finishing the race. ”
— http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/235832

Couldn't agree more ...