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 ]

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Last chance to book children’s conference tickets

The children’s publishing world has only 24 hours left to book tickets to this year’s Bookseller children’s conference, which is taking place next Tuesday (29th September). The day, themed around the idea of growing the children’s market by invention and reinvention, covers four key areas:... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Future of digital advertising: consumers and advertisers need a new deal

Free content on the web can only survive if consumers stop using ad blocking software but advertisers need to stop their ‘pay and spray’ approachThe sale of the Financial Times marked an important milestone in traditional media continuing it transformation into the digital world. Many... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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At Jewish Lights, Two Graphic Novels Exceed Expectations

Two graphic novels by Steve Sheinkin and former 'Village Voice' cartoonist Stan Mack each took the publishing world by surprise after becoming bestsellers for Jewish Lights recently. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Author seeks Refuge for Books donations

Author Lucy Beresford is launching an initiative to create a library at one of the London shelters for domestic violence charity Refuge.   Beresford said: “I'm launching an initiative called Refuge for Books, asking all my friends in the publishing world to send me a copy of a book for Refuge.... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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TV Land Renews Younger and Comedy Central Brings Back Inside Amy Schumer

TV Land has given the green light for a second season of Younger, starring Sutton Foster, Hilary Duff, Debi Mazar, Miriam Shor and Nico Tortorella. The Darren Star-produced series follows Liza, played by Foster, a 40-year-old woman who pretends to be 26 in order to get a job in the publishing... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2015-04-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Columbus Dispatch Captures Audience Information, Ad Revenue

The Holy Grail in the publishing world is to harness our ability to maintain a direct relationship with our customers when using various third-party data providers and applications.   Publishers such as us – The Columbus Dispatch & ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-04-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hawks, butterflies, coasts and footpaths: how nature writing turned to literary gold

Books about the natural world are now huge sellers, tapping into a new appreciation for the countryside and scepticism about material wealthBondage is so last year. Publishers who spent much of the past year in search of the next Fifty Shades of Grey are now seeking to exploit another literary... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Making the Decision About Native Advertising

[Sponsored Content] Love it or hate it, native advertising is making a solid impact in the publishing world. It won’t be long before your advertisers will expect you to have a policy on whether or not you embrace it. The post Making the Decision About Native Advertising appeared first on Folio:. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2015-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Top 10 Library Stories of 2014

PW takes a look back at some of the library stories that captivated the publishing world in 2014, and what they portend for 2015 Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-12-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Notables of 2014

Along with Brian Murray, PW's Publishing Person of the Year, we honor these notable people who changed the publishing world in 2014. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-11-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Land Rover commissions novelist William Boyd’s latest

In a rare move for the publishing world, Land Rover has sponsored "An Ice Cream War" novelist William Boyd's new short fiction and turned it in into a gorgeous interactive campaign. The post Land Rover commissions novelist William Boyd’s latest appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2014-11-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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On the Verge of Digital's Watershed Moment

By Robert M. Sacks There is an odd form of delusion in the publishing world, characterized by a resistance to reason in the face of actual facts. This inability to recognize modern business trends is easy for most... Continue reading at Publishing Executive

[ Publishing Executive | 2014-08-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers jailed overnight in campaign for prisoners' right to read

Six publishers have volunteered for a night in the cells, fundraising for campaign against limits on prisoners' entitlement to booksThere's more than one sort of porridge, as any lag would tell you. Profile Books publisher Andrew Franklin opted for the lumpier kind when he volunteered to spend... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Your Brain On Audio Books: Distracted, Forgetful, And Bored

Of all the ways to enjoy a book, minds wander most when we're listening to someone else read it.With so much focus in the publishing world on ebooks, you might have missed the recent explosion in the popularity of audio books. They've become a billion-dollar industry with huge annual sales... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2014-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Shoptalk: Five Publishing Predictions for 2014

Much like last year, in 2014 the publishing world will continue to navigate change as the digital world absorbs print editions and dilutes subscription fees. In this ever-changing cyber landscape, one thing is for certain: publishers must identify ne ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2014-01-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Can the NYT Shift Native Ad Labeling Debate?

The New York Times is still the gold standard of publishers. Its embrace of native advertising is an important step in legitimizing this modernized version of the advertorial. Importantly, the Times is also looking to impose far more rigid standards that are currently used throughout the... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2013-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The 5 Secrets To Sheryl Sandberg's Super Powers

Sheryl Sandberg helped Facebook post some insane numbers: after their IPO debacle of May 2012, shares have gone up 140% in the past year, to about $50. As Miguel Helft writes for Fortune, that's partly due to the company's reorganization around mobile, which critics once bashed them for being... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-11-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The 2013 Association Publishing Survey

Like the rest of the publishing world, associations went through a traumatic period in 2009. Five years later, the industry is trending upward in the midst of a recovery. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2013-11-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Key To Productive Coffee Meetings

A coffee meeting is like a work date: It's you, them, and the potential for some sort of connection, or, as the MBA kids say, business development. However, unlike a date, you're allowed to take notes––and that can make all the difference. Why? Because as Behance founder Sean Blanda writes, the... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-10-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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