Quick Summary: How do today’s tech startups launch and scale big and fast? By using a new union of traditional and direct marketing and business development that adds up to one thing: Growth. How can radio and other media brands become “growth hackers”? Ryan Holiday is the former Director of Marketing for American Apparel. He has promoted the works of authors like Tim Ferriss, Seth Godin, Marc Ecko and Tucker Max. He is a devious genius when it comes to the art and science of

The debate-of-the-week in the radio business is: What do we do to monetize our stream?  Do we simulcast what’s on the air and throw it in as added (non) value, or do we treat the stream as an additional component in our brand arsenal and monetize it as such? Look, there’s no magic in adding what amounts to a second distribution channel for the same content and running the same spots on it to sell it in bulk to agencies which like to buy in bulk and ratings companies that like

In too many cases, Groupon and various Grouponalikes are destroyers of value.  I’m going to tell you why, then explain why I think deals driven in association with media outlets like yours can do better. Today in my email I find a deal for “71% off a 4-class yoga pass” for $13.  After subtracting the cut to the deal aggregator (which was not Groupon in this case), the studio walks away with just over $1.50 for the same class which normally brings in between $10 and $15. Anyon

It’s a question vexing many broadcasters, especially those charged with leading the radio industry: Is Pandora “radio” or is it something else? I’m going to put that to rest right now. Yes, Pandora is “radio.”  And you are “Pandora.”  Get used to it. That is not to say Pandora is identical to “radio.”  Whether or not the two are the same is irrelevant to users, advertisers, and broadcasters alike.  You don’t have to be the same as radio to be “radio.” You simply have to be us

Blockbuster once defined the video business.  Now in bankruptcy, it has shuttered thousands of stores and fired thousands of employees. Flash back 25 years, and Blockbuster was revolutionary.  All the videos most folks wanted – and all in one place and easy to rent. Blockbuster quickly became THE way to experience movies at home.  It became the established way. The analogy to radio is obvious.  The established way to consume content – check.  Purveyor of the hits most people

“You’ve joined the conversation, now what?” So begins a piece from Morgan Stewart in MediaPost illustrating that social media is about much more than being on Twitter and having a Facebook page.  In fact, it’s about that single critical element that broadcasters claim they don’t have the time or the talent or the staff or the motivation for. It’s about content. Stewart writes: We got a unique glimpse into fueling conversation yesterday when Groupon launched its first-ever nat

“One of our remaining competitive advantages relative to blossoming competitors is simply this – we’re local, they’re not.” But what do we mean by “local”?  And how is this an advantage rather than a convenient cliché, a poorly understood talking point? “Local” is usually used to describe a broadcast signal area which, give or take, means a city or town of license.  It is, in other words, strictly a function of geography at a relatively broad level. Unfortunately I think ther