This is not rocket science, but you can't convince Sears. Buy a refrigerator from Sears on Monday and delivery for your address area will be the following Monday. Buy a refrigerator from Lowes, and they ask you what time today would you like it delivered. And then they hand you a form to get a 100% rebate of the delivery fee. Price being equal, from which store would you shop for appliances? –Goldsboro, NC

Delighted to see someone using this fascist old man for something useful, for a change. But I don't see the problem. The images aren't doctored. The voice track hasn't been changed. What's the problem. OK, if Webb had Photoshopped Reagan's head onto a hooker's body and broadcast himself penetrating aforementioned hooker, that's different. Although funny. Whine whine whine, complain complain etc. Republicans have even less sense of humour than the Swiss. –London, LO

Careful, Bob. You have a criticism of Islam there. You might have to apologize soon or face a Fatwa. –NEW YORK, NY

You have to hand it to Ronald Reagan, he was one of the few politicians in modern times who understood how to modulate his voice and how to use a microphone.

Modern politicians on both sides seem to believe that they need to shout. That might work for some preachers, but it doesn't work in politics in my humble opinion.

Elliott in Nashville still looking for No Acumin. –Nashville, TN

what's there email address? –norwalk, CT

You guys forgot the part about how if you're a black or hispanic or asian agency then you're not even allowed to even compete for AOR status regardless of your capabilities, size, reel, etc. You can be a "boutique" bill under $50 mill or be a 15 person shop, and if a group a white men and women walk in the room, then you can be considered for AOR status. But if you're ethnic, then you're subjugated to the back of the bus and the much lower billings of "ethnic shop" status which among other issues includes, waiting on a GM shop to set the strategy, etc., etc. Anyone care to address these issues? –chicago, IL

Do you live on a two way street? How do you treat vendors? Do you ask multiple composers to deliver demo tracks for little or nothing (perhaps for your pitch) so that they can later be in the running when it comes time to choose an original music provider (for the new or alternate concept that the client demanded that wasn't what the composer wrote a demo for; meaning he's got very slim chances)?

Do you do the same with the post house when you want an animatic for presentation? Do you whine about not having any budget (YET! --hint, hint), then when the job is awarded, call the post house and say that the job has been awarded to a turnkey production company?

Do you have a client contract with a "three bids for every vendor category" clause (a state lottery perhaps)? Do you regularly make "potential" vendors run around in circles producing numerous bids and bid revisions when you know exactly who's going to get the work?

It goes on and on... unpaid talent "auditions" that are really being used for presentations, demos, etc. Animators, designers... and it goes on at all levels --not just at small shops.

Just curious about what some of you see when looking in the mirror. –Cincinnati, OH

I'm an consultant to agencies, but got out of the agency search side of things early on when I experienced and observed the disrespect that some client-side executives and their search consultants have for business. Now I try to sell a service that is absolutely needed by agencies and clients. (Sorry for the commercial, but this is really needed.) I call it Intercept - Proactive Mediation. In short, I conduct periodic, sometimes randomly timed, reviews of the agency/client relationship to "intercept" situations that instigate agency searches. That makes sense to me rather than going through these horrendous trials, for both sides, trying to find the "right" agency, when often the "right" agency is their agency. Nuff said about that. Congrats to Strum Consulting. I, too, like the idea of a search consultant who "gets it." –Dallas, TX

Very cool, Marc. Thanks for the tip. I've encountered some of the same frustrations you have with consultants and gotten the "we only consider agencies over $100 million" line too. So it's great to hear when an agency consultant is open to us smaller-to-midsize agencies. As well they should be. In fact, it'd be nice to know of more consultants like the one Marc mentioned. If anybody knows of search consultants that actually get it, plug away... –Boca Raton, FL

Refreshing to see that there are some people who get it. –new york, NY

Am I the only one in apoplectic shock over a man, who combs the internet in search of a blog authored by a cartoon cat, accusing someone of having a "mini (note the correct spelling) brain?" What are YOU good at, Gerry? Besides being a massive tool. –Fort Washington, PA

I don't know if I see the same story you wrote. Sounds to me more like a lack of communication. Regardless of how well it "tested" the CMO never liked it. While he didn't say that upfront, I give him credit for going with his gut. As for testing, it's beyond archaic, it's useless. These folks they get are regulars who know they can make $100 and lunch for spending a few hours with you and are jaded before they sit down. And while large agencies struggle to be creative, use small guys are making effective advertising. I know I have increased sales for some of my clients by 40%. Just don't tell the big guys, they'll try to copy what I do. Walter Graff- NYC –Amherst, MA

Absolutely. I find the entire thing wrong. One has to understand that the time given to these groups to go through a campiagn versus the actual time a normal guy spends on an ad print or any other medium is totally different. And in my experience, people try and act more intelligent than they actually are and at times end up making such silly comments, which can ultimately make or break a campaign. –New Delhi

Focus groups are not intrinsically bad, no more than a hammer is bad - they're just a tool that is too often misused. We wouldn't use a hammer to put in a screw (I hope!); and so we shouldn't use focus groups to 'test' advertising. Focus groups are great for helping us get a better understanding of what people are doing in their lives and why. But using them to test work is dangerous, not to mention unnatural - when is the last time you watched an ad while sitting around a conference table with 5 strangers? –Deerfield, IL

I am not the one for any research. No 35 or 500 people can decide the future of a brand. Researches can help in finding some key insights and consumer understanding but ultimately, one has to go with their instinct and what they truly believe in.. –New Delhi

Focus groups are the ultimate means to ensuring mediocrity...or worse, lowest common denominator...to good ideas. Them client. We agency. It's the nature of the game. –Bethel, CT

Im sure you know this much better than I do, but I will say it anyway for the hell of it. Brands are like babies; companies protect, nurture, hold on to and coddle them as if they are their own children. Certain parents are more carefree with their kids, they let them run and play, explore and find things out for themselves and some shelter their children to the point of rendering them anti-social. A good idea is a good idea but when it comes too close to threatening the sheltered brand the client will sometimes freak out. I experienced this recently when we pitched two ideas, one really awesome and one very safe, guess which one won. This was for a major brand and unfortunately the client wasn't willing to take the chance on mixing things up a bit. I guess part of the frustration of being a service company in the ad biz is that the companies that own the brands call the shots regarding how loosely they can be played with. Some concepts are the perfect fit for the overprotected brand and some are the Eddie Haskell of ideas where the potential for any type of controversy or out of the box thinking is scrutinized by meaningless research that creates room for doubt. A few posts back we discussed what makes for a successful campaign and many people agreed that the formula wasn't tangible rather that mystical gut feeling that you get when it all seems right. Ultimately it's the client's ball and they need to choose if they want to let everyone play with it or not. Frustrating... –new york, NY

well some young promising canadians are continously getting blown to bits in afghanistan....as a part of the 'coalition of the willing'!!!! –Toronto, ON

why are people from Canada chiming in? EK, LIC, NY –Sunnyside, NY

Bob- great point. Military service is serious business and should be treated with a little more dignity.

Stacy, you know, this whole "If you disagree with (fill in the blank) then you're attacking the men and women in uniform" schtick is getting really tiresome. My father served as a Naval officer for 20 years. I have a great deal of respect for people in uniform. Yet, I can disagree with the current administration's military policies. Get it?

Actually, anyone with an IQ over 80 understands that criticism of government policy is not a crticism of those who are following orders. –Planet Claire, NM

the day we loose the ability to laugh at ourselves......is the day we kinda loose critical objectivity. bob would love to see you on the 'daily show' rapping with john stewart.

dALBATROSS –Toronto, ON

Congratulations, Gerald! You've earned enshrinement in the Mailbox! -- BG –Anytown

Gees I happened on this Blog assuming it was the Cat Cartoon Character, instead I found a mouse with chip on his miny shoulder, supporting his angry yet miny brain.

I agree with Stacy, stick to what you are good at......what are you good at Bobby?

GH NY, NY –Northport, NY

Good article Bob, if only military advertising didn't throw a smokescreen on most americans by playing pretend on strong patriotic views then we wouldn't be in these Vietnam cloned war. –Miami, FL

Stacy- The carelessness and utter disrespect you display as it pertains to Bob Garfield's blog is disgraceful. Usually, I like your smart-ass tone, but this is over the line. Perhaps you should consider keeping your comments to yourself. Quite frankly, if you were a politial commentator I wouldn't pay an ounce of attention to you. Stick to what you're good at. Which is nothing. Paul heehawmarketing.com –DALLAS, TX

Many a true word is spoken in jest! Thanks for your wit and wisdom. –TORONTO, ON

The carelessness and utter disrespect you display as it pertains to this nations Uniformed men and women is disgraceful. Usually, I like your smart-ass tone, but this is over the line. Perhaps you should consider keeping your political views to yourself. Quite frankly, if you were a politial commentator I wouldn't pay an ounce of attention to you. Stick to what you're good at. –Milwaukee, WI

During the mid-1950's, Salvador Dali painted "The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory." If alive today, Dali might be painting "The Disintegration of Privacy." With the prolific creation and subsequent collection of consumer data, it is clearly possible to achieve an unprecedented level of target marketing. But should that continue to be the focus for marketing professionals? In your article you offer, "... marketers should pay close attention to emerging digital platforms because they provide a trail of electronic bread crumbs to help identify and track consumers' media behavior. A high degree of addressability will create greater targeting precision than ever before and holds the potential to morph standard media targeting into hypertargeting." And, "...Comcast and Cablevision, indicated they would like to offer household-level hypertargeting in key test markets.... Some are working through privacy issues relating to subscriber information they will make available for targeting..." Technology has brought about a marketing paradigm shift, you bet. Will hypertargeting become all the rage in 2007? It already has, but the lose of consumer privacy doesn't mean that consumers will lose control. Everyone agrees that rapid advances in technology have changed your ability to precisely target your audience. And, more importantly, there has been a significant shift in power from the advertiser to the customer. The consumer, now more than ever, has the power to choose. What is more important; hypertargeting your market or the shift in power to the customer? The paradigm shift resides in the understanding that the consumer is now, and likely forever more, in control. The rising tide of consumer choice coupled with customer-to-customer conversation is outpacing the collection and manipulation of consumer data. The key resides in understanding that the customer can choose the messages he or she would like to encounter. Focusing on the content of your message, consistent across all media channels, is more important now than ever. Content, and not the target audience, is and will always be King. The right audience for a particular product or service knows who they are and social networks will spread the good word. In the near future, consumers will possess full control to choose the messages they want to receive, digest, and disseminate. Marketers will come up short if they believe hypertargeting is in itself the answer; prospects will just change to another media channel where they have the option to choose. Hypertarget the media channels that offer your target customer's the opportunity to choose. You'll know your target market is reading your message, because they independently selected to learn more about your offer. Isn't this the ultimate goal? eoecho.com | Greg Magnus –Glen Allen, VA

Great commentary! Nice to know someone in the ad business gets it. Ironically, print periodicals that use variable data printing can already achieve one-to-one targeting by simply using a digital color web press. I know this because my publication is doing so. Both advertising (display and classified) and eventually editorial can be personalized to each and every subscriber and reader. This reality is already in place. Whether or not broadcast media catches up is a good question but I think cable is about there already. dante@webpagesnews.com. –CHICAGO, IL

Directors often make factual changes in films to help it "flow" better, to make it easier for the viewer to understand, or simply for convenience. In this case, however, the factual change is inexcusable. By showing the airline ignoring a flagged individual who went on to board THAT flight and kill thousands of people, the film purposefully points the finger at that organization. Viewers WILL be soured on American Airlines because they will assume this "documentary" is completely factual. Viewers tend to forget that before 9/11, they would have rolled their eyes at being held up in the line because another passenger was flagged. Now that we all have knowledge of what happened after the fact, 'ignoring Atta' becomes more paramount and it's only natural to assign blame to the person who could have stopped Atta from boarding. To represent that the incident occurred directly before the boarding of Flight 11 (instead of in Maine where it actually happened) IS outrageous and AA deserves a retraction and apology from ABC. –Vienna, VA

Wish everyone who is now complaining would have been as concerned about inaccuracies when Fahrenheit 911 was released and Michael Moore was being embraced by the media. His right to interpret events was okay and ABC's is not? Why? –Rexburg, ID

Terrorism will be curtailed when each of us, as individuals and companies, stop blaming others and avoiding responsibility for our actions. A combination of corporate culture, bureaucracy and "protect my ass" mentality enabled the terrorists to get through the most expensive security net in the world. While American Airlines may have been misrepresented, it would be more appropriate for them to invest their funds on improving internal security than taking ABC to court. It's a blame culture that undermines individuals in performing their jobs effectively. While AA is busy suing ABC, who will celebrate the courage of the customs officer in Washington who prevented mayhem in December 1999; the immigration officer who ignored his supervisor to prevent one irate Saudi with a one way ticket from joining the 911 hijackers: and the lady police officer in the Philippines who first spotted Youssef the bomber? The only beneficiary of an orgy of law suits based on the veracity of specific events and statements in the ABC dramatization will be the legal profession. Furthermore, the associated publicity will only serve to prevent the corporate and personal soul searching required to ensure such tragedies do not reoccur. –Vancouver, BC

Expecting the worst, I watched the entire program. It was obvious that cuts were made to the film. ABC didn't hide 'where' those cuts were.... however, I think that the responsibilty clearly lies in everyones laps in the film. It was a series of issues that allowed those monsters on a plane. We missed opportunities, and that was the message of the film. We are all aware now of where we screwed up. Not a partisen issue... it is a life or death issue. Those that want to sue ABC should think about why. It won't bring back those people who died, and it won't change the fact that millions did view the movie and will take from it what they will. Get over yourself people!! –Bellaire, TX

What ABC has done overall with this fiction-drama, presenting it as fact, is just outrageous. They ought to be ashamed. –NEW YORK, NY

What piddle. The wiki community also has the ability to sniff out "activists" and mischief-makers who manipulate the facts and post false or defamatory information. Any company that let's that kind of thing stand deserves what it gets, as wikis continue to decline in credibility and become fodder for The Onion. –London

There is a page for companies to comment - the article's talk page. However, if the negative statement can be properly sourced and verified, don't expect anything to change. –Louisville, KY

A distinct section on Wiki for official company complaints is unnecessary (and detrimental to the goal of Wikimedia); it would just turn into another empty pit of comments from PR flacks expressing their "disappointment" in the comments other people make. Wiki already moderates their comments, so if anyone has problems with the postings, they can make a claim. –New York, NY

I think that's the famous animator from Akira... I do believe. Which if I am correct has a huge impact on who this campaign is targeted to. Its worth noting that as a film Akira was really the spear head of a huge push of Japanese culture into North American homes, and one of the major reasons that every kid knows the words Anime and Manga today. That's a brilliant move, showing international thinking and planning. –Toronto, ON

With all respect: Who is the audience for your comments that are only comprehensible to teen-age media freaks? Are the top level advertising executives who subscribe to Adage interested in this yenta speak? Can they even understand it? Rather, wouldn't they prefer to hear serious discussion on the new leadership at Time and Newsweek, for example, two publications long out of touch with living readers. Did you see these two on Charlie Rose trying to distinguish between themselves and working to defend any reason not to declare them totally irrelevant. Jim Meachem, Newsweek's new editor, said the magazine's mission will be to follow the trailblzing work they did when they broke the Monica Lewinsky story during the Clinton administration and almost closed the country down. That will be their model, the Monica Lewinsky story. You're the Media Guy. Aren't you worried about the media? The rest of us are. You've been fearless in the past, taken serious risks. How about taking on some real issues? Thanks... Selma Ehrenfeld –New York City, NY

They're not stating for the ad industry to pick under qualified minorities. I think the message is that if they're both even, pick the minority. Why not? It's worked very well for white people, why not for minorities? –NYC, NY

This is pathetic. Whatever happened to hiring the best and most qualified person for the job. –Southfield, MI

On the one hand, Omnicom has pledged money for education to an african-american populated college... That's good. Does it mean that Omnicom will have its agencies pursue an active recruitment policy from this very school? I seriously doubt it! On the other hand, When did poor diversity/minority hiring practices in the advertising workforce suddenly become "african-american" only? Did I miss something? It was my understanding that these conglomerates were being scrutinized for having failed (once again) to improve their minority/ diversity hiring & promotion practices. My understanding of the definitions of "Minority" and "Diversity" trascends "African-american" ... or maybe I'm just daft. I've been working in the advertising industry for over 20 years - never once have I had to bring my ethnicity (Hispanic) to the table in order to get hired or promoted - that would actually be an insult to me. I've worked hard and have earned every bit of my success. Did I meet bigots along the way? Of course! Merely obtuse individuals that should be pitied for their lack of intellectual responsibility. It is disturbing and yes, sad, to see that the more things seem to change the more they seem to stay the same. M. Rocafort-Mercado Principal Hispanic DM Solutions San Antonio, TX –San Antonio, TX

ad agencies should reflect the demographic of the marketplace.in other words they should be a microcosm of the marketplace. thats when interesting ideas and a dynamic creative environment is given further impetus and the agency truly represents the pulse of popular culture from which it draws/reflects its ideas. –Toronto, ON

Omnicom is the only brave one here. Signing is the easy thing to do but will only lead to inappropriate hiring and promotions. Instead Omnicom invested their money into everyone's future. That donation will not only brighten the future of those students but all the agencies will benefit from an enlarged pool of qualified minority candidates. Agencies don't care about skin color--they care about expanding their business. They would have been more successful at by now if they'd had good candidates available. This isn't anyone's fault, but Omnicom actually took action while everyone else is simply giving lip service. –Dallas, TX

If signing the Human Rights Commission diversity agreement represents nothing more than an opportunity to "shunt this potentially embarassing issue to the background, " as Matthew Creamer and Lisa Sanders seem to suggest, shame on our industry. As the leading publication of American advertising, ADVERTISING AGE should be mindful of the signals such language sends. Unless, of course, your publication takes the position that advertising's stunning lack of diversity is merely an embarassment, rather than an injustice. Valerie Graves Chief Creative Officer Vigilante New York City –New York, NY

The whole "issue" is ridiculous! Any agency, no matter how big or small, as a private company operating in a free market should have the solemn right to select and hire its employees based on TALENT, SKILLS and QUALIFICATION, and NOT on skin color! Actually, the comission request is much more racist in its core - as it will mean that, for example, a white Copywriter or Creative Director with better portfolio or more appropriate experience should be neglected in favor of a black candidate, just because of the "minority quota"... Such quota would be understandable for government and city jobs, but for the private sector? How about Wall Street then? How about Silicon Valley? And how about the percentage of black student in Ivy League colleges? And do you ever wonder how many white vs. black candidates apply for each top agency position? Of course, when 90% and more ARE white, the end result would be obvious... Milko Stoyanov Chicago –Chicago, IL

So if McDonald's is searching for a new marketing chief, who should the Board of Directors look for? Someone to carry the firm for another ten years? A food service executive adroit at revamping restaurants, creating winning 30 day promos and new products, a restructuring specialist, someone who can remove employees from the book, test new kiosks and other points of distribution? Another real estate guru? McDonald's is already the world's largest real estate owner, aren't they? Or should the firm look at the next 100 years, as did Ray Kroc? Dick and Maurice McDonald were great restauranteurs, but lousy business men. When they sold one of their first franchises to a man in Arizona, he asked if he could call his restaurant "McDonald's." He was told "no" because "the name McDonald's does not mean anything in Arizona." Dick and Maurice had very little business vision - though when Ray Kroc bought his first franchise to use as a prototype in 1961, he could envision a nation, a world of McDonald's - so he brought his best real estate buddies in, all taking significant salary cuts. What's next form McDonald's? Not a vision of more franchises, or promos, or organizational changes. McDonald's needs to address the nation's infrastructure and pick a transportation chief. The problem is not that you can't generate an incremental usage occassion for a BigMac. I can do that. The problem is that you just can't get more people to McDonald's. Manhattan's East Side Drive, Southern California's 405, 10 and other freeways are always going to be jammed. You can add 10 lanes each way, and human driving behavior will still bungle it up. Boston can complete it's big tunnel project to alleviate traffic congestion, but when you add people behind the wheel to the mix, it too will become a bottleneck. Just as Ray Kroc was a real estate futurist, McDonald's needs a transporation visionary (with government and auto industry connections for the next 100 years. Martin Calle Chairman Calle & Company www.callecompany.com blog: http://advertising-age.blogspot.com –Villa Park, CA

Congratulations Mr. Garfield. Somehow you've managed to make appealing to a brand's target audience seem lame and uninspired. You criticize agencies for foisting their sometimes painfully hip aesthetic upon unsuspecting middle Americans, and then when they don't, you give them lumps for ads that lack panache. Of course, youve successfully excised the client and their responsibility in this travesty. If only advertising criticism were made to force through the eye of a similarly narrow needle. I wonder if you would ever get anything printed? –San Francisco, CA

Bob, you want to see ANOTHER boring and banal campaign for Lee Jeans? Only this one is for the French market. French agency TriBeCa produced some of the most out-of-date and dull ideas that I've laid eyes upon of late. Street, guerilla, blah! http://www.marketing-alternatif.com/?page_id=669 Maybe Lee Jeans brief to agencies the world over was the same? Dull it down. Better still, Kill off the brand... –NORTH MIAMI, FL

evolve or perish.looks like lee has thrown in the towel and aims to milk the last remnants of its existing brand equity.sad we wont see it around in the near future.they actually fitted me the best. –Toronto, ON

Introducing the New Lee!!! OK. Humm. New. So what's new? The song is 20+ years old. The font is just as dated. The film is a bad rip-off of the old "Gap" stuff. The jeans with their square big butt pockets look just as old and dated as ever. And even their iconic "Lee" button is the same as ever. So what's new? - AB –Santa Barbara, CA

Consider the brand. Despite Buddy Lee, they have never been perceived as a "hip" product and probably never will be. Suggesting that Lee should compete in any other space besides "vanilla" is like suggesting that Toughskins should become more like Phat Pharm! –Bethel, CT

hmm....methinks this campaign is aimed at the wholesale trade media. its missing the 'hurry, offer valid until stocks last' –Toronto, ON

I disagree with your characterization of middle americans not appreciating hip or edgy. True, they shop at Kohls and JC Penney because that's what they can afford..not because they are boring and banal. They also probably respond to people who look like they do, but that's about kinship not banality. I think you are letting Arnold, and every other adversting agency off of the hook if you think that appealing to average americans means being boring and unoriginal. –Auburn Hills, MI

I agree with all of your commentary. Interesting to me that you did not mention their use of toothpick thin models to show off jeans that are typically purchased at JC Penny or Kohls because of the easy relaxed fit for more robust and rounded womens bodies. Their use of child models for this add was offensive and not real world. I was turned off by the brand because of this ad. –Lansing, MI

Rather than cross post, I'll quote only the last paragraph of my response to the previous blog:

In the final analysis, the measurement of how respectful your agency is of a balanced life for you and your employees, is only part of who you are. It's giving respect for balance in the lives of others throughout the food chain that makes you a standout agency and a humane participant in this business that resides at the intersection of art and commerce. –Cincinnati, OH

Live to work or work to live? It's the age old question of what your living for, are you so wrapped up in your work that if you were away you would be anxiety ridden because your not plugging away 24 hours a day or is it that you realize that you work and you succeed so that you can go home at night feeling fulfilled and walk in the door with a smile on your face exuding confidence and a feeling of satisfaction and can bring that home to the spouse and kids and lead a meaningful life? No one answer is correct, there are people who simply want to dedicate their lives to their careers and have no other interests but success, but then again there are people who work hard from 9-5 and make every one of those hours meaningful and productive and achieve the same level of success because they are driven by the fact that their adorable baby is at home waiting for them to come and play. Balance and knowing what you're living for is the key. I wonder what percentage of the industry is family oriented versus single or married without kids. –new york, NY

she made it to tbwa/torontos homepage a couple of days ago

i guess the planners are gonna pounce on this one and add it to the strategy deck.

soon most brands may have lonely lost consumers who suddenly evangelize the brands benefits, halfway through finding their true innerself....all on cyberspace. –Toronto, ON

As someone who has been selling alternative internet advertising for two years I can tell you that the answer to question is. The general feeling is "it's coming but not on my watch". They haven't even gotten over the idea of putting ads on the net for fear they will be pirated and toyed with. Here are some of my favorite comments over the last two years: 1. It costs millions to make a thirty second ad....how can homemade video compete with that; 2. Why would people want to discuss our product? 3. They might say something bad about us; 4. Do teens "REALLY" swap videos; 5. (less than six months ago) Nobody is going to watch video on the small screen.. And one of my favorite agency defensive moves from the last year: An advertiser was convinced by his agency that UGV was not of good enough quality. They decided to get kids to submit video projects and get them shot by a pro television company. The spots got shown on a sunny Saturday afternoon with (you guessed it no audience) and a make-whole was done at two in the morning (with ...no audience). Cherry on the cake: when the advertiser asked for the videos to show them on their web site, they were told they belonged to the TV company. Hooray for the Agency. –WESTMONT, PQ

9. Are tens of billions of dollars really up for grabs? The nightmare scenario for advertising agencies and the mainstream media is that corporations realize their financial return on all forms of "advertising" is diminishing. So they stop advertising. The billions of dollars that support TV stations and print media gradually dries up until journalists, camera operators, editors and other technicians die of thirst. CBS and ABC could end up like NPR, reliant on the meager handouts of the heirs of industrial philanthropists. That is the bad news. The potential good news is that the managers of corporations learn to appreciate the skills of artists and storytellers, and start to pay them decently to create content that is informative and engaging. Right now few corporate websites can compete with videos created by teenagers spraying their butts with alcohol and setting themselves on fire www.nearlygood.com But I think most of us will get tired of this as soon. Hopefully demand will build for content like your blog, and the analysis of On the Media. I am an optimist. Everyone's quality of life will be enhanced when we no longer have to endure car commercials and ABC's propagandist docudramas. Let them R.I.P. Tom Beakbane - Beakbane: Smart Brand Communications –TORONTO, ON

9. What's the role of video portals (YouTube or Yahoo or Google) versus video platform and distribution that enables niches to become hubs? New services can turn any site into a video publisher or channel, then what becomes of big water-cooler gathering places? Will distribution occur at the head, or via a long tail? 10) Will the creators of content -- particularly the non-professional -- ever wake up and detract from the likes of YouTube, who offer no compensation and no copyright protections? 11) Why do you call it User-Generated Video, or UGV? What the "F" is a "user"? The "U", or "user", brings up images in my mind of heroine addicts poking themselves with needles. How about "consumer-generated video" or "consumer-generated multimedia" or CGM2. –New York, NY

9) How can the U.S.'s most important electronic medium (Public Radio) capitalize on these so-called orphaned advertiser dollars?

Elliott in Nashville –Nashville, TN

Pushing off the diversity hearings is a disappointment to say the least. The unfortunate truth is that unless companies are publicly embarassed about their diversity efforts -- or rather, lack therefore of them--very little will change. Most agencies will do the bare minimum to comply which amounts to little more than window dressing. So once again, agencies get to "dodge a bullet." Call me psychic, but based on this "agreement" I think the industry is going to be having the exact same discussion in 10, 15, 20 years. –ny, NY

I'm not sure where our colleague from Windham is coming from, but I'll add my 2¢. I don't think anyone is saying that unqualified minority applicants should be hired ahead of qualified white candidates, yet you wouldn't guess that from the usual comments. I know coming from the media side, its rare you see minorities in higher positions. I've worked at a number of agencies and I can say that in most instances,the bulk of minorities are in support positions (admin assistant) or clerical positions (billing, traffic etc). Look around your agencies, how many Directors/Supervisors are minorities? I'm all for the hearings, let's hear what the agencies have to say. - New York, NY –NEW YORK, NY

I didn't know that getting a job at one of New York's best advertising agencies was a "Human Right". With competition as keen as it is, no company can afford to reject talented people. This is especially true in the ad business. If discrimination has occured, then hire a lawyer and file suit. Otherwise, this appears to be more of an inquisition than an investigation. If the "Human Rights Commission" wants to play hardball, as they appear to be willing to do, then Madison Ave should remind the Mayor that NYC isn't the only place where space can be rented to ply our trade. –RAYTOWN, MO

I'm a young, educated black professional seeking to switch gears into the creative side of the advertising industry, so I won't go into where my sympathies rest with all this. I've been following AdAge's solid coverage for months, as well as the typical predictable provocative reactions such as those of the esteemed poster from Windham, ME above. Assuming nothing but a truly sincere, legitimate belief that no amount of intervention is warranted, would be effective, nor proximate to the actual offending parties, please tell me this, my brother: how much interaction do you have at every level with every person involved on each account? Would the cologne/body odor, jewelry, clothing, hair coloring, height/weight, shoes, tattoos earned in service to community and country vs. those created for aesthetic value-- get scrutinized by you, for everyone, men and women, old and young alike, on the agency and client side? And who would do that review for you? Are you breaking the law if you refuse to hire a person or agency with a minority of people that don't fit the image you wish to project? Yes, if you are stupid enough to admit it publicly. Is that bad business for you in the long run? Yes, it is if you can admit to yourself personally. It's not simply about diversity and quotas, it's about the value of perspective and talent, and mettle everyone brings to their work-- not how much metal they have in their face. As a side note, I hear Omnicom is going to do $2.5 million over five years for a diversity proposal of some sorts and to create a marketing program at Medgar Evers College. It was announced at the annual Congressional Black Caucus summit at Washington, DC. Ironic because Omnicom is the holding company of DDB behind the Bud Light "Steve and Zagar" campaign celebrating the a white guy and an "stereotypic cultured savage" (implied Yanomamo); as well as TBWAChiatDay behind the Starburst spot with a white guy pretending to be Jamaican. Still think a more informed diverse perspective in a more informed diverse America isn't warranted? –Washington, DC

Commitments and investments in this area are good for business, the industry, and our culture. Nevertheless, why not have hearings? Why not open up and face the complexity of issues and challenges, accept realities, and plan more comprehensive solutions? Why won't hearings be good for everyone? They are long overdue. –NEW YORK, NY

I understand that many people feel as if the NY commission is wrongfully targeting certain agencies, but as an educated, articulate minority working in advertsing, I can tell you that it is very hard to find an agency that can look past the stereotypes that exist for minorities. I applied to quite a few agencies after I graduated, and I only got phone calls from a couple of agencies - and I graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Advertsing/Communications program at Florida International University. At many agengies, it seems as if the number of minorities can be counted on one hand. I think the commission is just trying to create equal opportunity for all those people out there who are equally qualified to work in the Advertising industry. What's so wrong about that? –New York, NY

Another government program to keep racism and bigotry prominent. And, of course, the "diversity" issue is further reaching: Why must an agency or client hire help with lifestyles not consistent with their beliefs or the character of their company? Am I breaking the law if I refuse to hire a person or agency with people with metal hanging all over their face because that person or entity is in the minority; even though that's not part of the image I wish to project? People like John Kerry make one man's freedom another man's tyrany so that he can justify his existence in Congress. Public hearings? Sounds more like the Salem witch trials. –Windham, ME

If the business is yours, then you work for the first five years as though there is no tomorrow. If the business is not your, then it all depends how much of your uncompensated time and labor you wish to give as a gift to your employer. It is an extremely difficult decision to make -- that is, work only 40 hours a week. Very difficult decision that requires personal courage to stand up to the regime. –INMAN, SC

How many of you respect the need for balance in the lives of your vendors? --video editors, audio post houses, freelance designers, composers, DP's, colorists, et al.

You may leave at 5:00 to happily attend your kid's soccer game or take a relaxing dinner with the spouse at a good restaurant, but the video post house is tagging 37 versions of the spot to make the air date while the AE is telling the audio production facility that 15 CD's of the radio spots have to be made in time for the late FedEx drop. --and one of them is being sent to Keuka Lake. And the Art Director's change in the TV spot... well the end client is demanding that the graphic alteration be relfected in the print portion of the campaign --call the freelance designer; she'll get it done tonight.

In the final analysis, the measurement of how respectful your agency is of a balanced life for you and your employees, is only part of who you are. It's giving respect for balance in the lives of others throughout the food chain that makes you a standout agency and a humane participant in the this business that resides at the intersection of art and commerce. –Cincinnati, OH

Loved this article. For 20 years, much of what you mentioned kept me in the ad game. However, it was the travelling that finally made me pack it in. You don't mention if you are married and/or have kids....While I absolutely LOVED my career...I loved my husband and 2 young children more and after years of miraculously "doing it all"...something had to give....any advice to others on how to handle heavy travel coupled with long hours in the office (with clients who don't like teleconferencing/conf calls)?...I couldn't find a solution....maybe there is one so others don't have to give up. Christina Lunny New York p.s. While I still miss my "traditional" ad career....it's amazing how many related career options opened up for me since I've left that allow me to spend more time with my family and work around my schedule. I'm surprised that I feel "fulfilled" skill-wise in a different capacity now. You never know.... –Bedford Hills, NY

What a wonderful article. The "balance" you refer to is something I have struggled with for most of my carreer. I'm awfully close to accepting the idea of contiinually making your family and clients happy is a feat only a superhero is capable of. - But yet, I still try. Thanks for finally putting in words, what I've been thinking for many years. Greg Fiore, Los Angeles, CA –Los Angeles, CA

A saner work- life....very good. Try to picture this. We usually have to produce tv on weekends because during the week its almost impossible because...yes, the work. Now, imagine that the commercial you shot on sunday is in youtube.com on MONDAY morning.....yes, a rough cut of your commercial posted by a bi-stander in the location...so we are, in the middle of a street, someone we never noticed is doing a video and post his own personal version and laugh about it......of course he sent a copy to my agency because he knew what agency was doing it.....so, this might not have anything to do with the balance you mentioned but it is definately INSANE and I thought it might make me feel better if I complain in your space....thanks....oh yes. LOVE what you think about the balance. I agree. THANKS !! –Mexico

Here's another small agency owner's Labor Day weekend...worked until 6:30 on Friday (who said anything about an early close!?) to help a team get a client's brochure done and in FedEx. Came in on Saturday for a few hours to clean up my office and archive files. Came in on Monday to go over a few RFPs with business partner, and turn slowest computer on creative side into music server and blog-station (complete with iSight Cam). The good news is that my family came in to keep me company and help with many of these tasks (thanks a million Laura!). Because the balance thing cuts both ways...in order to attend a few family social functions on Friday night and Sunday relatively stress free (ie, not thinking about work every second), I needed to come in to get a jump on the already shortened week. I find your point about the New Zealanders interesting. A former creative partner was from there and I've always felt he had one of the most SANE work/life balances I'd ever seen. Shout outs to Mike D. Good on ya, mate. Alas, Noelle, it costs money to buy/rent that cottage and wine. –Branchburg, NJ

Great post. A work/life balance in our business is not only achievable, but I argue that it MUST be achievable if you want a healthy culture and wish to attract and retain top talent. I've seen more than one shop acquire the poor reputation of a "churn-'em-and-burn-'em" agency that hires kids right out of school, works them like dogs until 2 AM and burns them out by the time they're 28. All for the honor of working on this or that brand. Look, we all want to do amazing work, add to our portfolios, win awards, grow our clients' business and so much more. But the agency that understands its people need a life outside the office -- and I don't care how cool your office is, people need to escape it eventually -- is the agency that will offer something more. And of course, it needs to be conveyed in consistent actions throughout the year and not just some "we care about you" lip service. Not company picnics. Not any kind of company outing. What are you doing right now to encourage your people to have a life that has nothing to do with your agency? And by the way, if you think that's not your problem, it will be when your people bolt across town to that shop that lets them do great work AND have a life. –Boca Raton, FL

Im glad someone finally said it! How true it is, I am a big believer in personal time because like you so elegantly said, how can we deliver to our clients when we can't deliver to ourselves. Our clients rely on our creativity and ability to perform but if our jobs are taking away from our lives at home how can we possibly perform at our best when we are in the office? I admit that I am on the computer way to much when I get home, but recently I have simply turned it off, I have a lap top and what I do is put it away so it's a bother to get it out and set it up, the Blackberry gets left in the bag and before I walk in the door and have my dog and my kids all running in my direction I take a breath and separate myself from the stresses of the days pace. Weekends and holidays are my time that I must devote to my family and in turn they inspire me to come into the office on Monday invigorated and ready to tackle whatever comes my way. Balance is the key, it's the secret to success, when a person is able to properly balance their own lives it will spill over into being able to balance more work during the day and when clients see how calm and clear you are it will only result in more confidence from them because they feel good that they know the people working on their projects are happy and love what they do and that the balance and serenity that they accomplish personally is now value that is added professionally. It all evens out. –new york, NY

TV is not going away. Radio is not going away. Print magazines are not going away. They may not be as powerful as they once were, but these media will be here, selling advertising, for decades to come. So can we please stop talking about how some stupid video of some stupid kid playing guitar is going to put William Shatner and Paula Abdul out of work. We should be so lucky.

Johnny Bartlett, San Francisco –San Francisco, CA