Kanye West - fresh off his four-Grammy night on Sunday - will perform his first-ever Montreal concert in May, it was announced Wednesday.
oh god oh god oh god I’m so going. Go get the torrent of Kanye’s performance with Daft Punk at the Grammies!
Kanye West To Make Montreal Debut in May
Posted by vlad
on February 15, 2008
Monocle Podcast
Posted by vlad
on February 13, 2008
Monocle, the best new magazine in recent history, also has a video podcast. You can subscribe right here. The editor, Tyler Brûlé, also produced a TV show “Counter Culture” — a BBC series on consumerism in various cultures. The Japan and Russia episodes are particularly interesting.
Starcom: Clicks Are Dead to Us (For Branding)
Posted by vlad
on February 13, 2008
Starcom’s press release on “heavy clickers” is heavily discussed today.
The study illustrates that heavy clickers represent just 6% of the online population yet account for 50% of all display ad clicks. While many online media companies use click-through rate as an ad negotiation currency, the study shows that heavy clickers are not representative of the general public. In fact, heavy clickers skew towards Internet users between the ages of 25-44 and households with an income under $40,000.
What is usually neglected in the commentary is the most important conclusion: clicks are not a good measure of brand-building campaigns to begin with. And they’ve never been considered as such, anywhere outside of direct response objectives.
The real question is whether this 6% of online population clicks on punch-the-monkey and win-an-ipod ads, which constitute the majority of display advertising online, or are they represented across the whole display ad spectrum? Were torrent sites considered on the same level as WSJ or NYT? And how is the demographic composition different for search engine ad clickers?
What Do TV Viewers Do During Commercial Breaks?
Posted by vlad
on February 06, 2008
BIGresearch latest Simultaneous Media Survey
MediaPost - Three Fourths of Consumers Channel Surf or Chat During TV Commercials
Same thing as you. They channel surf and otherwise try to avoid ads, unless those ads are guaranteed to be entertaining (such as during SuperBowl).
(Curtesy of lapie)
State of Microsoft’s Advertising Union
Posted by vlad
on February 04, 2008
MediaPost Publications - Microsoft’s Brian McAndrews On The Eve Of The Yahoo Offer - 02/01/2008
The kind of thing Microsoft should publish more of. To this day AQNT is the best stock I’ve ever held on to.
comScore Releases US Internet Year 2007 in Review
Posted by vlad
on February 01, 2008
Somewhat different from the Compete.com movers report, and not as granular, but worth taking a look at.
Microsoft and Yahoo, At Last
Posted by vlad
on February 01, 2008
Almost feel dirty to be writing about this given the volume of news coverage the news generated (the most eloquent likely here by Paul Kedrosky), but this is clearly a good thing for everyone except Microsoft and Yahoo.
As with any merger, this means at least a year of inactivity, inertia, lack of innovation, and ultimately loss of revenue. Those who have gone through larger mergers know what it’s like. The list of those who will profit from it includes Google, of course, but also dozens of other companies that will fill the vacuum in advertising platforms that exists even now. PubMatic, Adchemy, OpenAds, AdBrite and many others will all have a good run. Keep in mind that Microsoft hasn’t even been able to make anything good out of aQuantive almost a year after that deal has finalized.
Compete vs. Quantcast vs. comScore
Posted by vlad
on January 28, 2008
comScore down, Compete moderately up, and Quantcast is going through the roof. Which one will open up and start collaborating with other platforms (in a simple way)?
I’d be the first to sign up.
Review: Starbucks in Montreal 2
Posted by vlad
on January 25, 2008
You may consider this as a confession of an addicted user.
It’s Friday, and I can’t help it but express my opinion about the multiplying Starbucks around downtown Montreal. Especially since the previous post is about Starbucks as well.
Ever since I came back from Japan I’ve been completely addicted to the nectar of gods brewed there. It all started in Tokyo because of a Starbucks right outside our hotel, it quickly became a daily ritual. Then a twice-a-day ritual, which is where it’s at now. Sometimes it’s more, but it’s rare. Fun fact: there are now 21 Starbucks locations in Montreal, compared to just a couple a few years ago.
So here’s the thing: all these locations are not all made equal. Here is the review, as a public service. From me to you, so to speak. In no particular order.
The one in Chapters on Ste-Catherine: Pretty good, but usually all-anglophone. I don’t know how to say “petit corsé” in English, so I end up always ordering in French. Service is good, but Chapters opens at 9AM. Not so convenient.
[rating:3.5]
The one in Cours Mont-Royal: Worst service ever. I’ve never seen anything worse than there, in any city in Canada or overseas. Slow, everyone always looks completely lost and depressed, not familiar with products. Overall bad vibe as well. Morning or evening, no change.
[rating:1.5]
The one in Place Montreal Trust: Pretty good, I would classify it as second best after the one on Ste-Catherine. Wait times are sometimes long because of all the traffic there, but it’s alright. There is a confrontational employee there (seen her engaged in verbal fights with customers at least three times), but she’s usually right so it’s OK.
[rating:4.5]
The one on Ste-Catherine: Best one in Montreal, as voted by me. Good vibe, good people, excellent staff, excellent location.
[rating:5]
The one in Bonaventure: Probably 2nd worst after Cours Mont-Royal. Long wait, clueless and depressed staff.
[rating:2]
That is all for now. If there’s some sort of a Starbucks detox I could go through, please let me know.
