Jacob Porpossian

Sixty years ago Marshall McLuhan made the bold suggestion that the Medium is the Message. I wonder what he'd say about today's media-fragmented society? To simplify McLuhan's theory: He argued the way we communicate a message (the channel) has a direct impact on how that message is received. In The Wall Street Journal this morning Suzanne Vranica writes about how brands are moving away from television advertising and redirecting those dollars to mediums that are more relevant to targeted audiences like TikTok. It's clear that Prime Time television in the U.S. is no longer "must see TV" but when advertisers leave it then decline is inevitable. The same thing happened to another medium - newspapers. In a mass media world, should the medium be dictated by what entertains the masses most? I worry that if we continue to go down that road the result will be little more than dumb show and noise. It all makes me think about this Edward Albee quote from "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf": "Dashed hopes and good intentions. Good, better, best, bested” In this instance, prime time TV was once good, then cable came along and was better, eventually we had streaming and social media and some thought that was best. In the end maybe all it has amounted too is the message (and maybe truth) getting bested. If you want to be part of the conversation on attaining Relevance with key stakeholders subscribe to The Relevance Report. Subscribe on LinkedIn https://lnkd.in/dqccYc9z #BeRelevant #PublicRelations

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Everything Gavin Bridge says here about the opportunity for FAST (Free Ad Supported Streaming TV, eg Tubi) is why streaming platforms are a partnership and ultimately exit opportunity for MakeLoveNotPorn, because our 'human curation layer on top of the internet' offering represents the partner/investor Holy Grail - how to monetize sex, safely: 'FAST services shouldn’t shun brand extensions from adult brands, especially given the interest in the genre and their higher than average adoption of FAST. .. At the end of the day, capitalism will ultimately see that the most money to be made is made, and it is for reasons like this that I think what’s outlined here will happen sooner than later.' https://lnkd.in/etq9KYJe

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In advance of the Sunny Side of the Doc conference in La Rochelle kicking off June 24, BIG Media's Ronan Hand has some thoughts about producing documentaries that not only resonate with viewers, but that work for all parties financially. He looks at a concept that was introduced a few years back when big-budget docs were popular, but unsustainable in the long run, and provides a 2024 perspective. Read more about Ronan's "new chip 2.0" doc theory in Realscreen and be sure to let him know if you agree when you see him at Sunny Side! #documentaries #documentarybusiness #sunnysideofthedoc #streamingtv #newchipdocs #internationaltvbusiness

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Great insights from Jack Murphy on Waystar's S-1 filing! As the IPO market heats up with Waystar following #Rurik, #Reddit, and #AsteraLabs, it's essential for comms teams to understand the strategic elements in these filings. Check out how Waystar uses various levers like customer testimonials, AI integration, and its diverse client base to help build investor confidence. A must-read for anyone navigating the path to public markets. If you have an IPO on the horizon, check out our IPO Playbook: https://lnkd.in/gc-VvN5h ....or get in touch with the Brands2Life team. #IPO #CommsStrategy #Waystar #AI #CustomerSuccess #InvestorRelations

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Masterclass with Razorfish at POSSIBLE. Do you know the difference between influencer vs content creators? If not, you could be missing the mark when it comes to authentically connecting with your customers!

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The Hearst DevHub continues to focus on building practical AI-powered tools for our local newsrooms, and we're excited about our latest initiative: Emcee, a quiz-generation engine. 🧠 Emcee (M.C. = multiple choice) is built on the back of our newsrooms' reported, edited and vetted work. No hallucinations here. We scrape our most popular stories, use gen-AI to turn the stories into a multiple-choice format, spin up one of the DevHub's interactive Quiz templates, and alert the editor, whose job is to read through the questions and answers, edit for taste and accuracy, and then publish the quiz manually. No direct publishing to the web; a human is in the loop and in control of every piece of content. We're live in our (Albany) Times Union, Hearst Connecticut Media Group and Houston Chronicle newsrooms, with more programs on the way. The newsrooms are smartly taking this quiz tech and turning it into a weekly program to engage new readers. Win-win. Check out paywall-free examples, and if you're in New York, Connecticut or Texas, test your knowledge: ❓ Albany: https://lnkd.in/efbA-ekJ ❓ Connecticut: https://lnkd.in/eFy7_jUu ❓ Houston: https://lnkd.in/eFTeRDGK

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Friday Idea Day. Today, on #WorldPressFreedomDay, The Washington Post, New York Times and Wall Street Journal came together again to "shine a light on the missing and detained journalists across the globe." "The need for factual and reliable information has never been greater but threats to journalists around the world are more prevalent then ever." I grew up in the Public Relations and Communications Industry, where I learned the power of a good story and the power of good trusting relationships with journalists and reporters. While the industry has evolved greatly, the need for "earned" stories hasn't diminished (debate me here if you disagree). The Idea: The Power of a Free Press To... While not the most lyrical title, what if the world's best public relations/communications agencies teamed up to promote the need for greater objective, fair and honest reporting and elevate the journalist profession? In a world where every agency and company is chasing AI (rightly so), we can't forget about the human intelligence (and smarts, fortitude, persistence) of reporters, editors, photographers who can present the truth in our world. For those who grew up in this century, in which a term like "fake news" became a norm, I believe the industry has a responsibility to take on a campaign like this to demonstrate the need for a free press, and the power it brings. Any takers? I'd love to join.

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This article has been written many, many times in my career, yet very little changes. I post this not to rant at the system, but to continue to acknowledge the obvious disparities. Advertising must do better. Let me know what you think, or simply vent. I think we at least deserve that. #advertising #diversity https://lnkd.in/eHmGk-yv

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See below what happened in #BloombergTech in SF yesterday! Learn all about the latest in Tech, AI and even Space! Excited for #BloombergTech London that is coming up this October :) Get in touch! #techsummit #BloombergTechsummit #AI #tech

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The media measurement landscape is as complicated as it's ever been... but it doesn't have to be. Backbone Media's Data and Analytics team is launching a new series, Measure What Matters. In it, we will break down the challenges and the opportunities for brands. For far too long, we've all relied on clicks and pixels and ROAS... it's time to open up the aperture and look at how media can drive business goals and results.

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I never take for granted the privilege of having a career I love. Coupled with the opportunity to collaborate in projects with talented filmmakers like Esteban Pedraza and Alexandra Qin, truly creates the perfect recipe for a thriving career. One of those projects was a public service announcement (PSA) campaign developed for the Crisis Line of the Sexual Assault Center in Tennessee, aimed at affirming that the Crisis Line is a safe and supportive space for all survivors. The PSA prominently featured individuals from the LGBTQ+ community and diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, ensuring that every survivor could see themselves represented. The campaign portrayed individuals discussing how past assaults continued to affect their daily lives and provided education on what to expect when calling the Crisis Line. This initiative was crafted in close collaboration with Crisis Line staff to gain a deep understanding of the call process, the data, the challenges in reaching diverse audiences, and the common misconceptions that deter people from seeking help. Culture Shift Team (CST) discovered that a fear-based narrative was less effective and that a tone of gentle encouragement and empowerment was essential. The campaign strategically depicted survivors in typical daily situations, showing the pervasive impact of sexual assault on their lives and illustrating how reaching out to the Crisis Line could bring relief from the persistent thoughts that haunted their day-to-day experiences. Ultimately, the PSA aimed to empower survivors, encouraging them to seek help and illustrating the positive outcomes of doing so through the experiences of the actors featured in the campaign. Our firm, Culture Shift Team, Inc., is a leading consultancy specializing in multicultural marketing and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), committed to driving equitable change through data-informed and culture-driven strategies. To learn more about our work, visit the link below. https://lnkd.in/gtGWy2Xa #cultureshiftteam #DEI #culture #inclusivemarketing #multiculturalmarketing

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Let me know if you would like an introduction.

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Protecting professional journalism is and has always been a primary TRUSTX focus. To reinforce this AdExchanger story, let me share a data point that demonstrates how news performs for advertisers willing to invest in the medium. One of our brand-side clients invested 59% of their campaign budget via TRUSTX in news. Through other SSPs, their spend was much less concentrated in this category. The brand tracked their cost-per-acquisition at 63% lower on the TRUSTX news-heavy campaign vs. the average across other general market SSPs. I think it’s pretty clear …. NEWS PERFORMS.

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Great insight from Alphonse Daudré-Vignier of Weber Shandwick in PRovoke Media on the challenges and real opportunities that generative AI brings for crisis communications, and the exciting ways we are embedding it at every step of crisis response and issues management. #crisis #genAI #crisiscommunications https://lnkd.in/eS-9zrbS

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Following the Pride preparedness panel hosted by the Human Rights Campaign and Edelman Out Front, Gerry Rodriguez (he/him) and Tom Hubbard wrote this piece for Creative Salon Worldwide, examining implications for the UK. Thank you Stephen Lepitak for the opportunity to share our thoughts. 🌈 Decisions grounded in data rather than rhetoric will be poised for long-term success. Despite pushback (and extremism) the data overwhelmingly supports LGBTQ+ rights, providing brands with a unique opportunity to engage. Pride isn't just about a month or a parade; it's a year-round commitment, especially crucial for Gen Z, who expect authentic action from brands. With nearly 30% of Gen Z adults identifying as LGBTQ+, brands aiming to engage with this generation must pay close attention. A Gen Z strategy must include LGBTQ+ representation, just as it must be fully multicultural. #LGBTQ #Pride #business #leadership #multicultural #genz #global #brands

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Brit Morin, Jessica E. Lessin, Sam Lessin and Dave Morin had a really interesting conversation on a podcast this week about media businesses, the tribulations of the The Washington Post and how it's losing piles of money and subs. The discussion dipped into something Chris Anderson coined 20 years ago, perhaps before their time, called "long tail" content. Essentially his thesis called on creators to hyper-focus only on their niche, becoming the expert in hacking heat pumps or the best practices of dog grooming. Now, I'm one of those always looking to appeal to the broadest audience possible so naturally I've pushed against this framework, considering it too limiting. Then I met and worked under Robert Allbritton at POLITICO, where in spite of many in the company not on board with the philosophy, he talked about starting the company to deliver value to a sliver of the audience: those most powerful in the halls of government and soup of politics (and charge significant money for it). Needless to say it was a winning approach, because it's unlikely Axel Springer paid a billion dollars a few years ago for the ad-supported general news side of the house - as terrific as that content is. It was the subscription "Pro" product that overdelivered to that wonky sliver. And while the chatters on the pod did not say so, a similar strategy could well work for the Post: Turn 80% of the operation toward finding a little white space in the "political and policy makers" space, and become an absolute authority there ... and then, of course, license all that to the LLMs ;-) (But that's a story for another post.)

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For Day 3 of our Cannes series of first-mover partnership announcements, Omnicom Media Group turned its focus to connecting influencer investment to sales - a goal that takes a quantum leap toward realization now that Omnicom’s Flywheel digital commerce division is an official TikTok Shop partner.    TikTok Shop is defining a new shopping culture—one that is rooted in discovery and fosters connections among sellers, creators, and the TikTok community. With more than 500,000 merchants in the U.S. alone, sellers are effectively utilizing the platform's unique blend of social media and shopping to drive sales​​​​.    Becoming a TikTok shop partner is the critical step in enabling Omnicom clients to leverage the explosive growth of this marketplace. Combining Flywheel’s proven record of managing and scaling digital commerce operations for brands and sellers across the world with OMG’s data-driven integrated influencer practice and AI-powered Q cultural insights solution, Omnicom’s cross-network team will connect commerce, content, and culture to unlock incremental sales and grow share for our clients on TikTok.    Another day, another giant step forward for OMG clients as we enable capabilities that directly connect upper funnel spend to purchases, thereby advancing investment KPI’s from media metrics to sales metrics. #TransformExperiences

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Graham Sweet I loved this too. It’s hard not to like a story like this - it’s designed to rally us agency folk, to rise up etc. a story perfectly pitched to our creative egos. Another reason or line of provocation to level at our dull aspiring clients. Ha ha Anyway made me wonder where and when such conversations can really take place. Overall yes in principle a CMO / CFO might agree on a creative ambition. But where can an assessment of dull take place that’s not retrospective of an ad, an execution? Is this only valuable to critique past work or set a new agenda - I’d wager no one sets out to create dull. As planners we’d hopefully not write a brief that got to that. But I suppose we do intentionally or otherwise. Can a dull assessment be made at a strategic phase, during concepting? I’m not sure. Finally, I love the provocation that there is a dull cost penalty, but an equally interesting flip could also be 'interesting costs less'...

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"Why are marketers so invested in social media if public trust in it continues to decline? Furthermore, why are media groups so focused on platforms they rent space on when those very platforms are taking their ad dollars and audience?" Jason Barrett asks great questions. For media companies, it's not enough to simply set a strategy to use social media platforms. To do it effectively, meaning in a way that helps your bottom line, you have to start by asking yourself some questions. Questions like... - Why are we using this platform in the first place? - What results are we hoping to achieve by posting here? - Which types of posts will help drive my results (and which ones won't)? - What happens if our customer gets used to consuming us here and then suddenly our ability to reach them gets throttled or we're charged a toll to reach them? I look at this way... Each media brand is a standalone store. For most of us, your store existed and was successful long before the social media "malls". While the foot traffic that occurs in those malls is exciting, the malls are also jam packed with every brand under the sun clamoring for people's attention. If we pack up our stores and move into the mall, not only are we are relinquishing control to the mall landlord but we are putting ourselves in an environment of intense competition for attention. I'd much rather use the activity in those malls to pass out flyers, put up advertisements and give out free samples to drive traffic to my standalone store that lives outside of the mall. Use social media to drive traffic to your media brand. Don't use your media brand to drive traffic to social media. #media #radio #broadcasting #socialmedia

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