What HBO’s ‘Succession’ can teach us about advertising

As an abashed former News Corp employee (thankfully at HarperCollins, one of the Murdoch portfolio’s least-offensive holdings), HBO’s "Succession" is my straight shot of Sunday-night dopamine. The show’s great even if you aren’t attuned to the devastating, thinly veiled media and publishing world portrayals—but it’s a lot more fun for those of us who are. And watching through the eyes of a current ad guy, there are still a lot of professional lessons to take away from the savage, but often insightful, Roy family and their various hangers-on. In anticipation of the season coming to a close this Sunday, when we bid adieu to our favorite deliciously dysfunctional and unscrupulous family of one-percenters until next year, I bring you my favorite ad-world lessons learned and reaffirmed in the first two seasons of HBO’s latest tentpole show. What's the protein? Roy family patriarch Logan’s go-to phrase, “What’s the protein?” is quickly becoming my internal mantra in all sorts of daily situations. Logan’s a busy guy who shoots from the hip, so he needs a quick phrase that helps get to the meat of the matter at hand—or points out the lack of substance in a given proposition (like his daughter Shiv’s much-mocked family memo). “What’s the protein?” is great shorthand for stripping the BS out of the equation and weighing whether there’s real substance at the core of an idea or it’s just carbohydrate filler. I’ve toyed with “What’s the protein?” becoming my new go-to filter in... Continue reading at 'Advertising Age'

[ Advertising Age | 2019-10-11 11:22:17 UTC ]
News tagged with: #nice reminder #parent brand #airtight positioning #ridiculous glut #streaming platforms #batting average #deliver non-stop #t-miss products #toughest test #warnermedia umbrella #three-dimensional chess-plotting #adland-relevant lessons #ad guy #hat tip #standout lines #publishing world #news corp

Other Publishing stories related to: ' What HBO’s ‘Succession’ can teach us about advertising '


With Second 'Podcast Upfront,' IAB Hopes Brands Will Buy Into Audio Advertising

Buoyed by the success of popular podcasts like Serial and This American Life, the Interactive Advertising Bureau is hosting its second annual Podcast Upfront this fall to bring together publishers, advertisers and agencies. Twelve media and podcast companies (up from eight last year) will... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2016-07-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #general manager #full list #commercial breaks


Yellow Kite summer party toasts to soaring success

Hodder health and wellbeing imprint Yellow Kite yesterday celebrated two and a half years since launching in 2014. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


How Hearst's New Trend-Predicting Platform Will Benefit Advertisers

For the past two years, Hearst has been quietly developing its own hit predictor. Called Buzzing@Hearst, the analytics-driven platform analyzes thousands of articles across Hearst's vast array of properties, from newspapers and magazines to local TV stations, to determine which articles are... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2016-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #individual parts #full potential #media companies #large portion #ad dollars


What Publishers Can Learn from Eat Drink Lucky’s E-Mail Success

Executive editor Gillian Britt explains the brand’s unique format. The post What Publishers Can Learn from Eat Drink Lucky’s E-Mail Success appeared first on Folio:. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2016-06-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Epic Success in Kids' E-Book Subscription

Children's ebook subscription service Epic, based in Redwood City, Calif., is one company that is bucking the naysaying trends. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #e-book subscription


BEA 2016: Sylvia Day Thanks Booksellers for Her Success

When Sylvia Day, author of many bestselling erotic romance series, was first starting out, she thought it was only a dream that she’d become as successful as she is. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sylvia day


BEA 2016: Jane Hamilton: Succession and Its Aftermath

After a rough patch of anxiety over the state of publishing, the reading public, and her own writing, Jane Hamilton has come up with a novel about heartland America that is being praised by a range of writers, including Karen Joy Fowler, Ann Patchett, and Tom Perrotta. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #reading public #ann patchett


SoA groups blast government rules on teaching writing

Members of the Society of Authors say current government policy on teaching children writing is destroying their enjoyment and creativity. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #teaching writing


Why Your Idea Of Success Might Be Making You Miserable

People desire excellence. We want to be healthier, well-liked, and successful. So we soak up articles instructing us how to get promoted, be more productive, and become better liked. We read books like Charles Duhigg's recent Smarter Faster Better in order to learn what science can tell us about... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2016-04-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


MoCCA Arts Fest Successfully Relocates (Again)

NBA nominee Noelle Stevenson, animator Rebecca Sugar, and programming featuring classic women’s underground cartoonists drew big crowds to the MoCCA Arts Festival’s new venue. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-04-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Can newspapers do anything to stop the advertising exodus?

Print is losing out to television, adblocking is on the rise and newspapers are struggling to prove their worth to ad businessIn August last year a consortium of Britain’s leading national newspaper publishers launched an advertising campaign to draw attention to the merits of their titles as... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-04-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #media agencies #ad revenue #money made #gloomy predictions


The Psychology Behind Buddha’s Teachings: PW Talks to James Kingsland

The former ‘Guardian’ science editor uses science to make a case for a connection between psychological well-being and Buddhist spirituality in ‘Siddhartha’s Brain.’ Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-04-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #science editor


Digital Advertising: A Shady, Shoddy, Fast-Growth Business

How can publishers make a business out of a series of shady practices? The post Digital Advertising: A Shady, Shoddy, Fast-Growth Business appeared first on Folio:. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2016-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital advertising #publishers make


Download: 5 lessons from the advertising agency roundtable

LinkedIn sat down with four marketing agency thought leaders – Lauren Goldstein (BabcockJenkins); Gina Michnowicz (Union + Webster); Thad Khalow (BusinessOnline); and Lee Odden (TopRank Marketing) – who engaged in a vibrant discussion of the key marketing trends to follow this year. The... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2016-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #post download #sponsor content


Fairfax Media posts $27.4m profit despite lower print advertising revenue

Property website Domain increases digital revenue by 37% and continues to prop up Fairfax’s overall profit as editorial restructure is announcedFairfax Media, publishers of the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald, have returned a net profit of $27.4m for the first half of the financial year... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #net profit #editorial restructure #financial year #print advertising


More Effective Native Advertising Is a Solution to Ad Blockers

If you believe what you read, and what you hear at events like the IAB's Annual Leadership Meeting, ad blocking is an existential crisis for the advertising industry, and even more so for the content publishing industry. At the aforementioned meeting, Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2016-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #universal declaration #human rights #put back


Review of 2015: heads of houses assess success

The heads of the UK publishing's four biggest trade publishers on the successes, and challenges, of 2015. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #uk publishing


For Success in India, Look to Local Authors and Translation

In India, reading local authors in many local languages is thriving, making translation a crucial strategy for Indian publishers to widen their reach within the country. The post For Success in India, Look to Local Authors and Translation appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-01-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #translation appeared #local authors #local languages #indian publishers


How Snapchat Plans to Compete With Facebook for Advertisers' Dollars

In an alternate universe, Snapchat would have become a part of Facebook when the social network reportedly tried to buy the mobile app for $3 billion in 2013. Instead Snapchat has set its sights on recreating Facebook's success, and its employees have been discussing with people outside the... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2016-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mobile app #$3 billion #ad business


Why Facebook's Audience Network Looks Like a Billion-Dollar Advertising Machine

Facebook is pulling back the curtain just enough to tout how much money it's making for publishers. The Menlo Park, Calif.-based company today said its mobile-focused Facebook Audience Network (FAN) had a $1 billion annual run rate during the fourth quarter for advertising spend, with "the... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2016-01-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mobile apps #private marketplaces #mediation services #ad server #ad services