Topics for the 11/8/09 Show

Here are the proposed topics for this week's episode of The BeanCast. Please feel free to send in your thoughts and questions.

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Please keep your comments succinct. Wordy comments need to be interpreted and I may not capture the essence of what you are asking. That's why I encourage the Tweet option to help keep the question or thought targeted.

This week's panel will be Ana Andjelic (i [love] marketing), Brian Morrissey (Adweek), Walter Pike (PiKe's Thinking) and David Vogeleer (The Martin Agency).

TOPICS

Who Owns Brand Management?: The firestorm piece of the week was Ana's over at Ad Age on whether Digital Agency's Can Lead an Account. But the resulting criticism points to a bigger issue. Is any agency that's fighting for voice, recognition and budget share, the right choice for brand stewardship in the first place? Aren't the points about lack of follow-thru true of all agencies, since the agency's first concern is revenue for itself? Even when one agency or agency group is tasked with everything, isn't the brand still the responsibility of the client? Why don't more clients step up to the plate on this issue? Why do clients even pick a "lead" agency these days? Doesn't that dynamic just work against their best interest? Is the lead agency model an anachronism of a time when advertising consisted of a more finite set of tools? What would be a better model? Should planning be separated from the agency? Should it go client side? What models are the most effective brands out there following?

Maybe The DVR Isn't the Enemy: As always seems to be the case with new technology, people screamed that the DVR would kill TV. And now we find...not so much. Apparently the numbers from DVR viewership are more reliable than broadcast numbers, are helping to bolster viewership ratings and even...gasp...not significantly reducing commercial views. Is there a lesson in all this for marketers? Why are consumers willing to sit through ads when they could easily skip them? Do we think this behavior will change over time? Does this mean that if broadcast commercials follow some of the lessons of online video they will stay relevant? Any predictions about the relationship between advertisers and DVR/cable companies?

Ad Scammers Go Analog: It's not enough that online ad scammers are inserting their malware through ad networks. Now they're walking in the front door. News this week that people posing as ad executives walked into Gawker and the NYT and managed to place quick-insertion ad-buys that harvested user account info. First, is the fact that they're resorting to such brazen efforts mean that security on these sites is actual thwarting their other efforts? What is the danger to consumers? What do publishers need to look for? Is the fact that these efforts worked a sign more of lax security or desperation for dollars? Is the fact that they had so much inside knowledge of the agencies they posed as worrisome?

What We Need is More Google: Another week, another new Google service. This week it's Google Commerce Search that let's Google handle a retail site's backend catalog functions faster than anything available on the market. Is this a threat to Amazon A9? Is it a good deal for retailers? $50,000 is a lot of money. I would assume this is only a solution for large retailers? What other advantages, if any, does going with Google offer retailers? Will this enhance their external SEO and visibility in rankings? Is there anything scary about Google owning this piece of the marketing pie?

We Got Your Map Right Here: AT&T is none too happy with Verizon's "There's a Map for That" campaign, launching a lawsuit for false advertising claims. Is this pure sour grapes or does AT&T have a case here?