K Street’s get-rich-quick business model is under attack, reports Politico.  For years, international public relations and advertising firms have bought up Washington lobby shops looking to pad their bottom line. And many lobbyists were happy to take the big bucks, stated Politico. 

According to Politico piece, there’s still plenty of money to be found on K Street, but a string of major defections from big-name firms has some rethinking the system

By Joy Han, MDB Communications

Advertisers are constantly encouraged to think outside the box, which in most cases, is a suitable mantra for an industry promoting creativity and new ideas. Humor, for one, often helps advertisers catch the eyes of their targets, but this cannot take place until the agency thoroughly understands the personalities of its clients’ brands.

MGH in Baltimore conducted an online survey to see if consumers’ TV viewing habits changed during election years. Specifically, they looked to see what action viewers may take when an informative or negative political advertisement airs during regular or news programming.  Key findings include

According to a report by Opower, which looked at the correlation between email address and electricity usage across 2.8 million American households, Yahoo Mail household uses 11% more electricity per year than a Gmail household. Opower said it was “a sizeable, statistically significant difference.”

Internet advertising revenues for the first quarter of 2012 set a new record for the reporting period at $8.4 billion, according to the latest IAB Internet Advertising Report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PwC U.S. It is the highest first-quarter revenue ever measured by the IAB and PwC and a $1.1 billion--or 15 percent increase--over the $7.3 billion figure reported in the first quarter 2011.

D.C.-area TV stations are going to head-to-head with newly created teams of investigative reporters and producers, reflecting renewed interest in watchdog reporting around the country, reports TV NewsCheck.

Much of the ramped up activity in the eighth-largest DMA stems from NBC-owned WRC and Gannett's CBS affiliate WUSA. Both have staffed up their investigative teams in the past year and say their efforts have already been rewarded with improved ratings, stated the story by Diana Marszalek.

Carousel30 released a white paper titled “Creating a Digital Strategy for Nonprofits, Part 1: Building Blocks of a Digital Strategy.” The 39-page document covers: Process, Goal-Setting, Audiences and Personas, Digital Landscape, Technology Infrastructure, Content Strategy, Defining Success, and Analyze and Adjust. 

By Kurt Roberts, RP3 Agency

I was recently asked why we work with outside video production companies but avoid outside digital production companies.  I mused on this for a while and realized that my argument actually lines up pretty closely with a piece of prior art, the Manifesto for Agile Software Development. The Manifesto came from the software industry – some of the earliest agile efforts were actually in departments that made accounting software – but models principles that we hold rather dear as marketers.

By Susan Waldman, ZilYen

Recent headlines gave us two great examples of companies balancing truth and honesty with what the law deems allowable. In the court of public opinion, both Kashi and Apple may have teetered over the line of acceptable behavior and gotten caught in the powerful spotlight of the public’s new and enthusiastic voice on corporate ethics.  In both these cases, the public is clearly voicing its desire for companies to do what’s “right”.

By Ivette M. Achong,  West Glen Communications

With May being National Military Appreciation Month and as we approach Memorial Day on May 28, I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight a special public service campaign called OPERATION: PAVE (Paving Access for Veterans Employment) which was recently distributed by WestGlen on behalf of the national nonprofit organization, Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Capitol Communicator and WB&A Market Research surveyed consumers in the DC and Baltimore markets about the economic downturn that began in 2008, their perceptions of who was responsible, and what they feel should be done moving forward. We also explored consumers’ current economic sentiment, their optimism for future economic conditions, and their confidence in institutions preventing another downturn.

By Lisa Nirell

I recently attended the Mid-Atlantic Marketing Summit at the Gannett headquarters office in Vienna, Virginia. This information-packed day of keynotes, panels, and nonstop networking was worth the price of admission.

If you are seeking answers and major breakthrough ideas, then my takeaways may surprise and disappoint you. I did not discover any new technology breakthroughs. I didn't meet a plethora of hot customer-centric growth companies, although CustomInk has great potential and will be featured in a future post.

By Elizabeth Shea, CEO, SpeakerBox Communications

Two of the most respected news organizations in the DC-metropolitan area, Capitol Communicator and Potomac Tech Wire, collaborated to create the inaugural Mid-Atlantic Marketing Summit (MAMS) which brought together over 350 marketing professionals from the region for an all-day session. The conference was held, April 20, in the beautiful Gannett facility in McLean, VA, and headlining sponsors included Gannett, Citybizlist, Comcast Spotlight, 522 Productions, Rocket Fuel and many more who helped pull the conference together.

By Cary Hatch, CEO, Brand Advocate, MDB Communications

Lee Clow, one of the most celebrated creative geniuses in the advertising business, really tells it like it is. Like many others, I listen intently when a luminary speaks on the value of ideas – and how that translates to our everyday agency business practices – and resulting compensation.

Capitol Communicator and WB&A Market Research have released the findings of their survey of communications professionals in the DC and Baltimore markets. In early 2012, communications professionals in the DC and Baltimore regions participated in an on-line survey aimed at understanding their perspectives on the current economy and job market, as well as their optimism for the future. This study will be used as a baseline for an annual survey

By Stanley S. Zeitlin, West Glen Communications

“Mike Wallace is here.” It’s been said that those are the four scariest words a business executive could hear. Happened to me. Eighteen years ago.

By Dan Rosenthal

We all have war stories. Mine is funny now but devastating at the time. Maybe I'll shoot myself. If I do, you'll see it on this "advertising war stories" site that a friend of mine in California sent me. The story goes like this.

By Cary Hatch, MDB Communications

Like many in the advertising field (and much of America) I was tuned into the Season 5 premiere of MAD MEN Sunday night. Even above the noise of the debuting Hunger Games, MAD MEN still seems to “have it” when it comes to capturing the hearts and minds of a legion of fans. After a 17-month hiatus, the heralded series roared back with all the boozing, womanizing and beautiful cinematography we’ve come to know and love.

By Jay Selway, RP3 Agency

It’s time to ditch the word “user“, from the user experience profession. It’s self-limiting to the industry and to the value we seek to create for our clients. I believe that we should focus our energy on designing great experiences, not just great user experiences. We create for people, not for depersonalized users.

By Allison Langfelder Hamilton, WestGlen Communications

In the current presidential election year, parts of the country that aren’t seen as political hotbeds year-round become swing states and stomping grounds for candidates working to earn their party’s nomination. In Washington, DC, the political landscape is part of our lives. We live in the “center of democracy,” after all. We’re used to it.

By Nichole Paro, RP3 Agency

It’s happening. We’ve all seen it. The prized “agency of record” relationship is becoming an endangered species. Project work is increasingly the norm in this industry, rather than the exception, and our worlds are forever changed.

By Steve Markenson, WB&A Market Research

A few months ago, on my way back up the driveway from wheeling out the blue recycling bins to the curb, the question occurred to me, “What does it mean to be a green consumer these days?” Doesn’t nearly everyone recycle aluminum, plastic, glass, and paper? I also thought about my county’s about-to-be-implemented 5 cent plastic and paper bag tax and the impact that would have on my behavior and that of my fellow county residents. This raised the question, who is most responsible for protecting the environment—corporations, the government, or perhaps---me?

By Richard M. Coad, MDB Communications

Three men in prison recently appeared before a parole board that included a criminologist, a social worker and a judge. Their crimes were similar and each prisoner had completed at least two-thirds of his sentence. One prisoner appeared before the board at 8:50 a.m. The second appeared at 3:10 p.m. The third at 4:25 p.m.

The prisoner who appeared at 8:50 a.m. was the only one who received parole. The other two were denied. The decision had nothing to do with the men’s ethnic backgrounds, crimes or sentences.

By Susan Waldman, ZilYen (published Feb. 22, 2012, in The Washington Post)

Great brands and communications are always built on a foundation of who you are and what you stand for in the world. Ask Susan G. Komen For the Cure about what happens when your supporters disagree with your values and, by extension, your politics.

By Paul Duning

“Marketers have always been able to target people, but never in the course of human history has there been such a networked eco-system of peer-to-peer decision making behavior that is actually driving what we buy. So now what?”

As Social Media Week kicked-off, R2integratd CEO Matt Goddard led the DC Chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMADC) in the first of a series of
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By Matt White, White+Partners

The "depression" years followed by the "war" years had created the perfect backdrop for the "let's have some fun years." That was the 60's, or at least the early 60's. Americans were young, we had money and our lust for material goods was being fueled by men who were only too happy to make these new products seem essential to our everyday lives.
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By Phil Rabin

A just-completed analysis of 2011 broadcast public service announcement airings by WestGlen Communications offers positive news for those considering or launching PSA campaigns in 2012. WestGlen found a 20-percent increase in PSA airings over 2010 and, as in years past, strong airings in top markets and during waking hours. 

Capitol Communicator and WB&A Market Research surveyed consumers in the DC and Baltimore markets on their green attitudes and behaviors. We asked consumers about specific actions they are taking to improve the environment, their purchase behavior when deciding between a product which is more environmentally friendly or less expensive, how consumers are defining “living a greener lifestyle”, and their expectations for the environment in the next 20 years. We also explored:

By Cary Hatch, MDB Communications

With the 2012 presidential election, the summer Olympics and emerging positive economic growth on the horizon, the advertising industry is expected to experience exponential growth. Importantly, these events bring new advertising opportunities, which many advertisers are bound to capitalize on now. Today, the economy is in a much healthier state than it was back in 2008 and 2009, and companies are reinvesting in their advertising efforts. These developments will Read More »