THE POLITICS OF MOBILE VIDEO. AOL TO FOLLOW THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD
This post is being written while I am in the Green Room at Fox News during a webcast of “The Strategy Room.” I saw in the (online) paper today a post about AOL having built, started, opened for business, an online destination for campaigns, advocacy groups, and companies interested in targeting constituencies online.
What like… um…. Facebook?
So far yawn, right? AOL? From the 90’s? Are we talking about THAT AOL? They’re dead right? Just like the Twilight Vampires…. they’re back.
The AOL Advertising Politics hub connects to Ad Desk for Politics and Display University,
Pause….
AOL Advertising? Display University?
I hate any online destination that brands itself with the designation “University.” But I guess desperate brands will try anything. A quick annecdote.
I worked for a…. Gulp…. Telemarketing (there I said it – can you handle the truth?), outfit named Sturner & Klein when I lived in Flagstaff Arizona back in the turn of the century. Sounds funny but we can say that.
My job was to call people who had recently disconnected, try to get as far into a script before the yelling would start. Then when it was my turn I would tell them how empathetic I was, how to resolve their technical issue by (90 percent of the time), deleting their temporary Internet files and their computers would run faster. And to demonstrate how badly AOL wanted the generally fuming customer back, I had been specially deputized and authorized to offer not one, but TWO free months if they would just give AOL another chance.
All they had to do was Follow The Yellow Brick Road. Follow The Yellow Brick Road? Yes, just Follow The Yellow Brick Road!
Of course, if the customer was peaved about AOL’s predatory billing practices… well, the chickens came home to roost.
I eventually was allowed to adopt an alias. One day, a guy I called said… “You know who you sound like…”
I paused… as if the jig was up.
“Uh… No…. I… Um…”
“You sound like Ray Suarez… From PBS.”
I’m LMAO
“Well I um… You see…”
“Is this Ray Suarez? I didn’t realize things had gotten so bad….?”
And a telemarketing legend was born. But in the end, in the words of the great Tantillo, People Buy Brands Not Companies, and there was nothing AOL, Time Warner, or even the great Ray Suarez could do to help the flailing AOL brand.
Now back to our story…
“….to educate and enable political marketers to more easily purchase display advertising.”
Political Marketers, Advertising, AOL… This doesn’t sound like Yellow Brick Road (Elton John), more like The Long Road To Ruin (Foo Fighters).
BUT, Rena Shapiro, recently joined AOL from Google, where she created their political team in 2007. Google can’t be bad right? Shows brains….
“As more campaigns and issue advocacy groups begin to understand the power of the Web, AOL’s original content and advertising technology puts us at the forefront of political online advertising,” said Shapiro, director of political and issue advocacy accounts.”
UGH. She’s right but has a long road and all the rhetoric still ain’t helping your brand. Where’s the Yellowbrick Road? Mobile Video? Viral Video – why the portal? AOL is dead right?
Hmmm, maybe it’s coming into focus and involves helping political mouseketeers using display advertising to help fund raise, build name recognition, organize their field operations, persuade voters, respond in real-time to negative press or competitive messaging, get out the vote, and educate voters about the issues relating to a campaign or cause.
AOL’s Ad Desk meanwhile is just another cloud type software bundle like “You’ve Got Pictures” that the great Ray Suarez, lol, used to sell from his cubicle in Flagstaff. Only this is for underdogs who don’t have a budget and don’t have a chance. Or don’t they?
Just ask Senator Scott Brown…. that’s REPUBLICAN Senator Scott Brown…. from Massachusetts no less.
Who traveled all the way down The Yellow Brick Road to Wins.
Here’s a rare clip of Elton John doing Yellow Brick Road on The Muppet Show. My cousin Keith Appell loves the Muppet Show. He just had a big campaign win in the Republican Primary in Florida.
This clip is dedicated to him.
Tomorrow night – Part 2 – Integrating Mobile and Viral Video.
Currently in Beta, SplashVideo.tv syndicates to 150 Viral Video and Social Media Sites as well as mobile content to 70 countries. A little about myself, I head the digital media and emerging technologies division of GCMP.tv. In addition to being a leading New York media strategist, Brian specializes in social commerce, webcasting, building your own network (BYON), ghostwriting and blogging. Brian McLane is an expert on Mobile Politics, and specializes in Live To Phone Technologies, mobile video and marketing strategies from his base in New York City. I am also an expert on webcasting and am frequently called upon to execute webcasts from in studio and remote locations. I am a leading New York Based Streaming Media Encoding Technician.
JOB WOES. DOES OBAMA STILL WANT THE JOB OF PRESIDENT? IS HILLARY CLINTON BETTER SUITED TO TAKE OVER?
JOB-HUNTING WOES. COULD BE WORSE – YOU COULD BE PRESIDENT OBAMA
JOBS, JOBS, JOBS…. wear are they? Total nonfarm payroll employment declined by 131,000 in July.
Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown. People who are going to be voting in this midterm cycle will probably wonder what if anything has changed. Wasn’t Change the whole premises upon which the Obama Administration rode to power on? Not that John McCain would have done any better – GOD! It most likely would have been a LOT worse.
But we’re still fighting in two wars, the drug violence and immigration problems on the Mexican Border are at this point OUT OF CONTROL, nothing has been done of any significance regarding Global Warming – and it goes on.
There was a time when you couldn’t turn on the television without seeing Obama. Now – I can’t turn on the television and see him. He’s on the Internet – that’s another issue – but he’s MIA on TV with the exception of people talking about him on the PBS Newshour or on the Sunday Morning Liar’s Club shows. Presidential Graying though – seems to be in effect just like George Bush Jr., and Clinton before him.
And then one says to themselves – why would anyone want the job of Governing.
What’s the incentive for the risks one takes and the toll on one’s health, mind and spirit. Obama so far doesn’t seem to be all the worse for wear. But constant dropping wears away a stone as they say – which is perhaps why we see him in his jubilant moments less and less. There’s nothing to celebrate! Everyone’s for hope and change. But, we as a people know that it’s all just rhetoric and that elections all seemingly boil down to a voter’s having to choose from the lesser of two evils. Or… not vote. Hmmmm….. there’s a concept. Such is the case in the Florida Gubernatorial Primary (see previous post on Rick Scott who held a slim 5 point lead a week ago and now “are about as close as they can be 45-44 in a virtual dead heat.” But don’t worry, neither Alex Sink nor Rick Scott will wear out their welcome. And truth be told, it’s better to wear out than to rust out as Rod Blagojevich.
But the wear and tear has to be taking it’s toll on Obama who certainly doesn’t appear to be wearing his presidential fingers to the bone – though he does wear heart on sleeve. He of course does need to wear more than one hat, commander of the military, social cheerleader, environmental advocate…. and the nation was ready to see him do it… but it’s wearing off as his approval rating is down to 45%.
Maybe he’s having a problem wearing the Presidential pants but regardless he’s worn out his welcome and we’re all the worse for wear. He to his credit has reached out to the right but apparently not enough. If he does decide to seek a second term, you can bet the gloves will come off. Which makes these mid-term elections all the more important regarding any mandate he has.
When we do see him like during his State of the Union Speech the other night, he looked worn and very much like he didn’t want to be there, playing out the string. I seriously question if he will run again. And at the same time, Hillary Clinton is making overtures that she’s tiring of the wear and tear, and traveling that being Secretary of State demands. Him, sounds like Hillary could take all that foreign diplomatic experience and kick back in the White House. One wonders if there was a deal to let Obama win the 2008 and run Clinton in 2012.
Regardless, I am convinced Barack Obama no longer wishes to be president.
So – Birth, School, Work, Death.
Here’s the original video by The Godfathers.
CLICK FOR DOES OBAMA STILL WANT THE JOB OF PRESIDENT? IS HILLARY CLINTON BETTER SUITED TO TAKE OVER?
Currently in Beta, SplashVideo.tv syndicates to 150 Viral Video and Social Media Sites as well as mobile content to 70 countries. A little about myself, I head the digital media and emerging technologies division of GCMP.tv. In addition to being a leading New York media strategist, Brian specializes in social commerce, webcasting, building your own network (BYON), ghostwriting and blogging. Brian McLane is an expert on Mobile Politics, and specializes in Live To Phone Technologies, mobile video and marketing strategies from his base in New York City. I am also an expert on webcasting and am frequently called upon to execute webcasts from in studio and remote locations. I am a leading New York Based Streaming Media Encoding Technician.
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