Here are my notes on a Web 2.0 workshop on bringing advertising into the distributed age I’m moderating Wednesday morning. Any reaction from anywhere welcome.
The participants are: Brian McAndrews of aQuantive, Mark Pincus of Tribe and more, Chas Edwards of FM Publishing, Matt Cutts of Google, and Dick Costolo of Feedburner… plus, most important, everyone in the room. I prefer this to be an unpanel, following the model of Bloggercons.
The question: How do we bring advertising into web 2.0: the post-mass-market, distributed-media, citizens’-media era? What metrics, tools, standards, and technology do we need? What new opportunities are there for advertisers and for publishers of all sizes and stripes? (Let’s skip the dangers for now.)
A few buckets to serve as background and frame discussion:
MEASURING:
Advertisers need distributed media to provide metrics. Distributed media also have an opportunity to measure (and monetize) new assets, such as trust, influence, timeliness, interaction, engagement, and also to measure (and monetize) new behaviors, such as swarming around people and tags.
* We need to rally round cookie sets and data reporting on the publisher side.
* We need other tools to serve cookies and report data (i.e., RSS readers).
* We need audience demographics and behavior.
* We need publisher data (subject matter, demographics, content safety…).
* We need protections against spam.
* We need to establish trusted networks.
All this should allow advertisers to select the “best” media, however they wish to define that — audience, demographics, influence, etc. — or allow publishers to serve the best advertising; it should increase efficiency and value for all and will support the growth of new media.
SERVING:
Today, it is hard for advertisers to find a critical mass of the best distributed media (will they bother to go to multiple networks or even individual sites and can those sites handle advertisers’ needs?).
* Do we need an open-source ad call that allows both advertisers and publishers to exploit the best opportunities on an ad hoc basis? Does this require some centralized auction marketplace?
* Do we need a network of networks?
* Do we need a sell-side (aka publisher-driven) structure that allows publishers, rather than advertisers, to place ads.
* We need the means to serve ads — and verify serving — in other media types — audio, video, RSS, etc. — and across other distribution channels —
MANAGING:
Advertisers will want to measure, act on, and audit performance. ‘Nuff said.
TRUST:
How will we create trusted networks of distributed media?
AND:
* What are the new and revolutionary forms of marketing that come from taking advantage of distributed media?
* Do we need a trade association for citizens’ or distributed media to set standards, do research, and sell our cause?
