25 years ago HIV was a death sentence. Those living with HIV were sometimes discriminated against and often shunned. And then came Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, director Jonathan Demme, and a movie called Philadelphia. That movie and the developments in HIV treatment which followed it changed the face of HIV and AIDS in America and throughout the world. In celebration of the 25th anniversary of Philadelphia, I am proud to announce a new two-episode podcast series: People Like

Today iHeartRadio announced their first-ever podcast awards to take place before a live audience in LA next January. And I’m proud to announce that our series – Inside JAWS – has been nominated! Hooray, team! What a pleasure and an honor to be on such a short list of great series! The way the winner is chosen is via social media prowess, so I would be grateful if you enjoyed the series enough to vote for it here. That said, the honor is really in the nomination as far as I’m

Photo by Jan Střecha on Unsplash How to blow up podcasting. And… 9 ways to innovate journalism – and media – online. Plus, rants and raves about Oscar’s new “Popular Film” category, the niche luxury brand of (wait for it) dental floss, and how 3 minutes of a podcast can generate tons of publicity for all the wrong reasons. It’s episode 86 of Media Unplugged with branding authority Tom Asacker and media strategist Mark Ramsey. Listen as we go inside media to reveal the ugly tr

Disney’s mistakes are costing Star Wars. And… Facebook is losing its cool among teens. Plus, rants and raves about what’s wrong with online reviews, the Onion’s desperate attacks on Facebook as their traffic sinks, and more It’s episode 85 of Media Unplugged with branding authority Tom Asacker and media strategist Mark Ramsey. Listen as we go inside media to reveal the ugly truth! Click the play button below: And if you’re reading this by email, click here for the audio. Samp

As of this writing Inside JAWS is at #2 on Apple Podcasts. #1 in the TV/Film category. Cue proof of performance… So what are the lessons from this (beyond the notion that everybody is listening to Inside JAWS so you should, too)? There are many but I’ll boil down a few: Do great work that you can be enormously proud of Collaborate with peerless, talented collaborators (thank you, Jeff Schmidt) Align with a network that cares about the content as much as you do and knows how t

You’re gonna need a bigger set of earbuds. I’m proud to announce the introduction of my latest collaboration with the peerless audio genius Jeff Schmidt. It’s the story about a classic movie and its inspirations. A tale of a modest thriller that became an ordeal and then a disaster and then a phenomenon and then a classic. A story of one man, a fresh-faced, inexperienced director who nearly wrecked his promising career and became the most important filmmaker of our era. This

Well, not “too smart” per se, but too well educated. And not “too well educated” per se, but so educated they are out of step with the rest of America, or as I like to call them/us: Regular people. Here’s the colorful proof, based on Census data and Edison Research data: Yep. 41% of Americans are graced with a High School education or less. Only 12% have Graduate degrees. Compare that to the regular Podcast listener. Only 15% H.S. or less. 30% have Graduate degrees – almost 6

Photo by Marian Chinciusan on Unsplash The end of authenticity. And… Will Amazon finally make TV’s smart AND friendly? Plus rants and raves about Ford halting production of most sedans, the phenomenon of micro-merchandising, and how Sherwin-Williams is using augmented reality. It’s episode 82 of Media Unplugged with branding authority Tom Asacker and media strategist Mark Ramsey. Listen as we go inside media to reveal the ugly truth! Click the play button below: And if you’re

Creating your own podcast: A big waste of time? And… NBC/Universal cuts primetime ads by 20% – should you? Plus, rants and raves about Tuxe – the fashion company that has turned its products into services – and Ring’s impressive acquisition by Amazon after being rejected by the Shark Tank crew. It’s episode 80 of Media Unplugged with branding authority Tom Asacker and media strategist Mark Ramsey. Listen as we go inside media to reveal the ugly truth! Click the play button be

Long live fake fame! And… Is Facebook killing comedy? Plus, rants and raves on what a famous handbag owes to the back of an airplane sick-bag, the wondrous origin of the most famous Coke jingle in history, and the mystery surrounding the seeming impossibility to recreate Beyonce in wax. It’s episode 79 of Media Unplugged with branding authority Tom Asacker and media strategist Mark Ramsey. Listen as we go inside media to reveal the ugly truth! Click the play button below: And

Inside the Epic Battle for Media’s Future. And… How Amazon’s New Convenience Store Changes Everything. Plus, rants and raves on the newest blockchain star, Kodak (?), the “shocking” finding that women over 50 don’t believe your ads, and more. It’s episode 78 of Media Unplugged with branding authority Tom Asacker and media strategist Mark Ramsey. Listen as we go inside media to reveal the ugly truth! Click the play button below: And if you’re reading this by email, click here

And… Amazon goes private label. Plus, rants and raves on the TV spot that’s a podcast that’s a local restaurant…or something, Facebook’s “fake news” flag that makes content MORE popular, Jack in the Box’s effort to monetize the marijuana munchies, and what happens when Netflix viewers know more about what they should see than movie critics. It’s episode 77 of Media Unplugged with branding authority Tom Asacker and media strategist Mark Ramsey. Listen as we go inside media to

Disney wants Fox…Now what? And… What consumers REALLY want from brands. And… Consumers are running away from advertising in droves. Plus, rants and raves about Netflix’s personalization not just of recommendations but even artwork images, James Franco’s terrific movie, The Disaster Artist, and more. It’s episode 76 of Media Unplugged with branding authority Tom Asacker and media strategist Mark Ramsey. Listen as we go inside media to reveal the ugly truth! Click the play butt

It’s one of the toughest problems facing any of us in the audio space: How do we leverage social media to spread our actual audio content? This problem is made tougher by the fact that various social media platforms are all in on video and images, but not so much all in on audio. There are a number of platforms available today that attempt to solve that problem and give your audio a chance to go viral. One of my favorites is WAVVE. In this video I’m touring the brand new vers

Is the NFL overexposed? And… The future of ad agencies may not be advertising at all. Plus, rants and raves about the REAL motivation between daylight savings time and Ikea’s “ingenious” pre-roll ad that wastes your time like a short movie. It’s episode 74 of Media Unplugged with branding authority Tom Asacker and media strategist Mark Ramsey. Listen as we go inside media to reveal the ugly truth! Click the play button below: And if you’re reading this by email, click here fo

I’m proud to announce that a special version of my podcast with Wondery Inside Psycho, is breaking new ground in radio – yes, radio. Beginning this weekend it will be the first ever native podcast to be broadcast nationwide on commercial radio. See the news here and here and here and in lots of other places. It will air throughout next week on almost 80 iHeartMedia radio stations across the country, including many famous names like KOA, WIOD, and the station I will forever as

Today is the day. It’s the day that the first two episodes of my new series for Wondery, Inside the Exorcist are released. Drop whatever you’re doing and subscribe here. Why should you listen? Because the series is really, really good. And because if you enjoyed my previous series, Inside Psycho, you’re going to like this one even more. This is the kind of audio that helped make radio famous once upon a time. And today it’s driving new interest in the on-demand category. Insi

Apple’s TV strategy revealed! And… Video wins online – but where’s the money? Plus, rants and raves about Dyson’s move into electric vehicles, the scale of Amazon’s investment in Alexa, 12 questions that will change your life, and my own new podcast about the people and the making of the movie The Exorcist. It’s episode 72 of Media Unplugged with branding authority Tom Asacker and media strategist Mark Ramsey. Listen as we go inside media to reveal the ugly truth! Click the p

I was floored by the amazing reception to Inside Psycho a few months ago, and I am now very proud to introduce to you my second collaboration with incomparable audio designer Jeff Schmidt and the terrific folks at Wondery: Inside The Exorcist. This project has been months in the making and I can honestly say I am as proud of it as anything I have ever done. Listen (if you dare) and I think you’ll hear some of the most compelling audio you will ever hear. That’s how good I thi

Daniel Craig as James Bond via 007.com Amazon is promising the NFL what nobody else can. And… Apple wants James Bond. Plus, rants and raves about a terrific new promotional app from TV’s The Walking Dead for Mountain Dew, the myth that the radio industry needs less regulation, and the strange phenomenon of “free range trees.” . It’s episode 71 of Media Unplugged with branding authority Tom Asacker and media strategist Mark Ramsey. Listen as we go inside media to reveal the ug