Tag Archives: Amy Ralph Mudge

Jun 11

Response May: Curiosity, Technology, Humility

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Response‘s May issue was a little slow in developing, as we wanted to make sure we got full post-show coverage of MTC Expo included. However, it’s been online for about three weeks and likely landed in mailboxes right before the month’s end. The issue’s cover story centers on an interview with SurveyMonkey‘s Sun Lee. Our biannual media buying and planning guide takes a look at the ad opportunities being created by content providers and distributors in a dawning age of connected TV, and is backed by our annual Cable Network Directory, which features contact and demo info from more than 150 TV outlets. Due to space constraints, our quarterly technology spotlight piece became a Web Exclusive, and is worth a look. Let’s take a deeper dive into how the May issue was built!

  • Our team’s first contact with SurveyMonkey was by freelancer Pat Cauley, who spoke to the company’s Lakshmi Hari for our January issue feature on the digital goods market. When he turned in that story last December, Pat suggested I reach out to SurveyMonkey’s PR team to gauge its interest in a possible cover feature on the company’s recent brand refresh. Working first with Irina Efremova, who passed the baton to Teresa Brewer when she went on leave and eventually connecting with the company’s Jarmila Henn and PR agency Sutherland Gold’s Samantha Spielman, we landed on Lee, the company’s VP of brand experience, as the interview subject. Forthcoming, thoughtful, and circumspect, Lee spent more than an hour answering my questions during a March phone call. What SurveyMonkey is up to using performance marketing tactics to generate leads and build brand is worth a read. If you missed the link above, click here: Curating Curiosity
  • Freelancer Bridget McCrea connected with leaders from DISH, Hulu, MeTV, and Havas Edge for the spring edition of our media buying and planning guide. The usual buzzwords surrounding TV media are here — addressable, programmatic, etc. However, there’s also talk about the growing use of 5-minute blocks, as well as the burgeoning U.S. Hispanic space. Here’s the link, once again: Ahead of the Curve
  • As part of our spring media package, our annual Cable Network Directory — featuring contact and demo info not only from the major cable nets, but also broadcast, satellite, and other outlets — grew to its largest size yet with more than 150 outlets represented this year. It’s a treasure trove of info sure to come in handy for any performance marketer considering TV. Bookmark this link: 2018 Cable Network Directory
  • Artificial intelligence (AI). T-commerce. Voice search. Freelancer Doug McPherson dove into some of the newest technologies being used by marketers and media outlets to expand their reach among consumers. Due to space constraints, the story was held from the print edition, but given its topicality, it’s perfect as a Web Exclusive! The link, again: Tech on Deck
  • Fourth-quarter 2017 short-form DRTV media billings take center stage in our monthly direct response TV and radio media billings research. Though the quarter saw a hefty $139.6 million dip,  total-year 2017 short-form results remained in the black, finishing more than $222 million ahead of 2016’s annual total. By finishing the year with $2.85B in spending, short-form DRTV posted its best results in three years. For a full look at 4Q 2017 short-form DRTV media billings, click here: A Fourth-Quarter Dip, but Short-Form Billings Finish Best Year Since 2014

  • John Yarrington and I congratulate Havas Edge CEO Steve Netzley on his induction to the DR Hall of Fame on April 26.

    Don’t miss the extensive MTC Expo recap: here, here, and here.

  • The May issue also includes a pair of contributed columns:
  • Finally, my Editor’s Note column riffs off of our publisher John Yarrington‘s opening remarks prior to the keynote event at April’s MTC Expo. Yarrington spoke about — and showed how leaders — overcome their fears with humility in order to drive change and advancement. The ideas deserve another reflection. Here’s that link to the column one more time: Overcoming Fear, Becoming Leaders

Thanks again for reading and interacting with Response!

Feb 09

Response January: Square, Soccer, and Going ‘Native’

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Response January 2016It’s been a while, eh? I’ll blame the annual Response calendar, which generally revs up when we return from the holidays, thanks to Response Expo’s spring dates. Honestly, from January through the end of Response Expo, each year, the close-knit Response staff is essentially doing full-time double duty. So, I’m taking advantage of working a little late on a Tuesday to put together this look back at our January issue, which has been online for a few weeks now. We started 2016 off on the right foot, thanks to a former Response staffer turned freelancer who pitched, earned, and wrote the cover feature on Square, stories on sports marketing and finding the right mix between organic and promoted social media, and — finally — some positive news for the long-form media billings market. Let’s take a deeper look!

  • While researching an assignment on the business solutions market for our November issue, Nicole Urso Reed — a former Response senior editor and a long-time freelancer for us — saw something interesting in the efforts of Square, which most people think of as that little attachment you put on your iPhone to process credit card payments for your small business. She saw a deeper story — one about Square’s work in partnering with their clients, providing marketing assistance, back-end data, and more. Essentially, she saw a business that had used performance-based media to market itself on TV and online that was actually a true B2B service provider, helping entrepreneurs reach for their dreams. Turns out, she was right. Her interview with Kevin Burke, a former Visa CMO who now heads customer acquisition for Square, as well as conversations with a few of the company’s leading clients make for an intriguing look at how important data can be to building a business with a certain style of guerrilla marketing. If you missed the link above, click here: Big Change for Small Businesses
  • Appropriately, when looking at the changing marketing landscape for sports marketers — which is a natural fit for expanded social media marketing along with traditional outreach for ticket and merchandise sales — our Doug McPherson dug into the growing success of Major League Soccer (MLS). Soccer’s ascension in popularity — driven heavily by millennials and the younger sect of Gen-X — is hard to miss, especially in cities like Portland, Columbus, and San Jose. And marketers from other sports are taking notice of that success, including those in the NFL, NBA, and Major League Baseball. If you missed the link above but want to check it out, click here: Hitting the Goal
  • One of four contributed columns in the  issue, the Legal Review piece from Venable‘s Jeff Knowles and Amy Ralph Mudge about the FTC‘s recent guidance on so-called “Native Advertising” is a crucial read for any marketer doing business today. And, honestly, as a writer, I might be the only one involved in the magazine or in the industry who’s happy about the FTC’s attempt to set some standards to clarify the continually blurring line between editorial content and advertising. If you missed the link above, here you go: The FTC Goes ‘Native’
  • Our monthly direct response TV and radio media billings present a bit of a surprise, as third-quarter 2015 long-form DRTV billings broke the market’s three-year losing streak. Sure, the 5.5-percent increase compared to the same quarter in 2014 leaves the market a long way from its peak during the middle of the last decade. However, any sign of stabilization of the beleaguered space is welcome. For a full look at 3Q 2015 long-form DRTV media billings, click here: 3Q 2015 Long-Form Billings … Rise? Yes!
  • Finally, in my Editor’s Note, I kick off 2016 looking at something I dubbed the three “Cs” — competition, cooperation, community. How do they fit together? And how can you be a part of building a better marketing business? If you missed the link above, here’s my take — and a call to action — on the topic: Community and Cooperation Can Boost All Competitors

Thanks again for reading and interacting with Response!