Hey, Look at Me

January/February 2006 Issue: Page 120

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In this noisy marketing world, it's all about standing out from the crowd.

I'm still recovering from ad:tech in new york way back in November. Talk about a Big Apple Circus. Top show sponsors were decked out in crazy costumes for a session that was supposed to make it easier to discuss topics since no one could possibly be "puttin' on airs" while wearing a gigantic clown-like purple hat. On the flip side, it's hard to have a serious business discussion when a potential partner is wearing glasses from the Elton John Collection circa 1975.

Standing out from the crowd seemed to be a theme at the show, which has grown to feet-aching proportions. Web MasterRadio.FM's vice president of sales and marketing, Brandy Shapiro-Babin, was scampering around with a microphone in hand broadcasting (sorry, podcasting for all you youngsters) the show's events as they occurred. She was hard to miss, as was Matthew Lesko.

You know the guy. You've seen his infomercial every time you roll in after the bars close and turn on the tube. He's got the wardrobe of the Riddler and the charm of Urkel. His book promises to get you free money from the government. He was roaming about Ad:Tech wearing his trademark suit with question marks all over it, sporting his horn-rimmed glasses, crying out for the attention of anyone that would listen.

However, there were some exhibitors that couldn't get any attention. Maybe that's because the scope of the show is so big now that many paid good money to have a booth, only to be jammed in the back near the bathrooms or the catering facilities of Siberia.

Speaking of things going down the toilet. Insiders claim noted affiliate educator Jim Martell has been having a tough time of late. Martell, who has books and online seminars on how to become a successful affiliate, has seen many of his top students leave the fold. Many of his sites are now being delisted and several of his protégés who were earning beaucoup bucks are now struggling just to make it over the four-figure threshold. Martell hasn't communicated what's happening to his devoted students, leaving most confused, very frustrated and ticked off.

Google is also attempting to further stand apart. The Google boys are testing out a new service called Pay-per-Call, which offers a free and fast way to speak over the phone directly to an advertiser you find on the Google search results page by clicking on the phone icon.

While Google foots the bill for all local and long-distance calls, cell phone calls incur airtime fees.

Google already knows way too much about me, and now they'll have my phone number as well. They claim they won't share my telephone number with anyone. Supposedly, phone numbers will be blocked from the advertisers. However, the advertiser's number will appear on your caller ID when Google connects you, so you can save the merchant's number for future callbacks.

Google stores on its servers your phone number, date, time and call length for no longer than four months after the last time you use the service. Then the information is permanently deleted. I'm far too paranoid to believe that.

Actually, I don't believe much of what I'm told. Much of my hard-worn skepticism is directed at government officials, but regardless of my personal or political views (let's save that discussion for a dark bar and my fourth bourbon) I appreciate and admire the men and women serving in the U.S armed forces.

In November, the U.S. Army called to active duty Thomas Deierlein, COO of Dynamic Logic, a market researcher that measures advertising and marketing effectiveness. He will serve for 545 days, first at Fort Jackson, then Fort Bragg, and is likely to eventually be deployed to Iraq. Deierlein, a West Point graduate and an Airborne Ranger, has been in the Individual Ready Reserve for 12 years. Deierlein has been with Dynamic Logic since 2000. Previously, he was the New York City branch manager for NetGravity (now part of DoubleClick).

Glad I could be of service to you. Meanwhile, contact me if you've got any hot industry gossip or juicy information. I want the skinny, and if I use your tip in the next column, I'll send you a Revenue T-shirt. TheSpider@RevenueToday.com or call the hotline directly at 415-732-7456.

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Tags: horn rimmed glasses, matthew lesko, martell, crowd, beaucoup bucks, marketing, apple circus, trademark suit, crazy costumes, purple hat, urkel, babin, riddler, serious business, question marks, flip side, infomercial, aching, shapiro, airs,

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