There’s a battle raging right now in the marketing and advertising worlds. At the risk of resorting to hyperbole, there are a lot of evil practices out there, fueled in part by sellers seeking cheap gains that conflict with buyers’ long-term interests, and buyers seeking the lowest cost and most convenient option rather than what will deliver the most business value. This talk was given at a private event hosted by viola group and carmel ventures in September 2016. an article based on this was subsequently published in venturebeat. This is an annotated version so that it is more readable.

1. Breaking Free
from the
10 Plagues of Marketing
DAVID BERKOWITZ
SEPTEMBER 12, 2016
D@SERIALMARKETER.NET
@DBERKOWITZ
Breaking Free
from the
10 Plagues
of Marketing
DAVID BERKOWITZ
DAVID@SERIALMARKETER.NET
@DBERKOWITZ

2. 2
About This presentation
THIS TALK WAS GIVEN AT A PRIVATE EVENT HOSTED BY VIOLA GROUP AND
CARMEL VENTURES IN SEPTEMBER 2016. AN ARTICLE BASED ON THIS WAS
SUBSEQUENTLY PUBLISHED IN VENTUREBEAT.
THIS IS AN ANNOTATED VERSION SO THAT IT IS MORE READABLE.
AS FOR YOUR PRESENTER, I HAVE SPENT THE PAST 15 YEARS KEEPING TO P
TECH, MEDIA, AND CONSUMER BRANDS AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF
MARKETING.
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE, FOLLOW ME AT SERIALMARKETER.NET, JOIN
MY PERIODIC NEWSLETTER AT BIT.LY/SERIALLYSIGNUP, CHAT WITH MY BOT AT
M.ME/SERIAL.MARKETER, OR EMAIL ME AT DAVID@SERIALMARKETER.NET. IF
YOU CARE TO TWEET THIS, I’M @DBERKOWITZ.
THANKS FOR READING.
DAVID BERKOWITZ

3. Special thanks to Nina Paley
3
Ninapaley.com
THE DRAWINGS IN THIS PRESENTATION ARE COURTESY OF NINA PALEY, WHO
SHARED HER WORK VIA FREE CULTURE PERMISSIONS. CHECK OUT HER
CREATIONS ON HER SITE AND VIMEO. HER WORK HERE DOES NOT REPRESENT
THE ARTIST’S VIEWS OR ENDORSEMENT.

4. Battle forming: good vs evil
4
THERE’S A BATTLE RAGING RIGHT NOW IN THE MARKETING AND ADVERTISI NG WORLDS. AT
THE RISK OF RESORTING TO HYPERBOLE, THERE ARE A LOT OF EVIL PRAC TICES OUT THERE,
FUELED IN PART BY SELLERS SEEKING CHEAP GAINS THAT CONFLICT WITH BUYERS’ LONG-
TERM INTERESTS, AND BUYERS SEEKING THE LOWEST COST AND MOST CONV ENIENT
OPTION RATHER THAN WHAT WILL DELIVER THE MOST BUSINESS VALUE.

5. 5
1: Trust
disintegration
TRUST AMONG ALL PARTIES – AGENCIES, BRANDS, PUBLISHERS, TECH VENDORS – SEEMS TO
BE AT AN ALL-TIME LOW. AND THIS LACK OF TRUST EVOKES THE PLAGUE OF BLOOD: IT
SEEPS INTO EVERY DEALING AND INTERACTION, AND IT THREATENS OUR L IVELIHOODS.

6. 6
1: TRUST DISINTEGRATION
NOTE: LOOK FOR SOURCES IN THE NOTES ON SLIDESHARE. I ALSO EMBEDDED LINKS, BUT
THOSE DON’T ALWAYS CARRY OVER. GIVEN THE CUSTOM FONTS HERE, THIS IS SAVED AS A
PDF, BUT EMAIL ME AT DAVID@SERIALMARKETER.NET IF YOU WANT THE FU LL SLIDES.

7. 7
Thou Shalt put
your clients’
interests first –
even above your
own.
THIS IS PROBABLY INTUITIVE, BUT AFTER EACH PLAGUE, A RELEVANT “C OMMANDMENT” IS
PAIRED WITH IT. THESE WILL SUBSEQUENTLY APPEAR SANS COMMENTARY.

8. 8
2: shinynewobjectism
HOW DISTRACTING IT MUST HAVE BEEN TO BE BOMBARDED BY ONE FROG AF TER ANOTHER.
MARKETERS ARE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO JUGGLE DISTRACTIONS OF THE LATEST
BUZZWORDS RATHER THAN FOCUS ON WHAT WILL DRIVE THE MOST BUSINESS IMPACT.
GRANTED, MARKETERS DO NEED A PORTFOLIO APPROACH WITH CALCULATED BETS ON
WHAT WILL MATTER MORE IN THE FUTURE.

9. 9
2: SHINYNEWOBJECTISM

10. 10
THOU SHALT
PRIORITIZE WHAT
WORKS WHILE
PLANNING FOR
WHAT’S NEXT

11. 11
3: federalization
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS TAKING A GREATER INTEREST IN ADVERTISI NG, FROM
INFLUENCER MARKETING TO AD BLOCKING. SOME MAY SEE THIS AS OVERDU E WHILE
OTHERS SEE IT AS OVERREACHING. REGARDLESS, IT’S HAPPENING, LARGE LY BECAUSE THE
GOVERNMENT NO LONGER TRUSTS EFFORTS AT SELF-POLICING. THE SWARM OF
REGULATIONS WILL MULTIPLY UNTIL WE DO MORE TO SHOW IT’S NOT NEED ED.

12. 12
3: federalization

13. 13
THOU SHALT STAY ON
THE RIGHT SIDE OF
THE LAW – AND try
to DO SO EVEN
BEFORE SUCH LAWS
ARE WRITTEN

14. 14
4: FRAUD
THE FOURTH PLAGUE IS SO TOUGH TO PARSE THAT ONE CAN’T TELL IF TH E BIBLICAL TEXT
REFERS TO FLIES OR BEASTS. IF THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS WEREN’T SURE WHAT HIT THEM,
NEITHER ARE BILLIONS OF INTERNET USERS, OR THE MARKETERS WHO PAY FOR ADS THAT
ARE NEITHER SEEN NOR CLICKED. IT’S TIME FOR A ZERO -TOLERANCE POLICY FOR FRAUD.

15. Source: ForensIQ
15
4: FRAUD
THIS ONE EXAMPLE FROM FORENSIQ FOCUSED ON ONE KIND OF FRAUD, MOBILE DEVICE
HIJACKING, AND REPORTED THAT MOBILE ADVERTISE LOSE 13% OF AD SPE ND FROM IT.

16. 16
Thou shalt verify
the good and
disqualify the bad
– even if your
reporting suffers
in the short term

17. 17
5: ROBOTIZATION
THE CATTLE DIED OFF, SO DID ANY KIND OF LIVELIHOOD SECURITY. ROB OTS ARE INDEED
RISING, AND THAT IS GREAT FOR SOME KINDS OF EFFICIENCY. BUT IT W ON’T BE WITHOUT
CONSEQUENCES, AS NOT AS MANY PEOPLE WILL BE NEEDED TO BUY MEDIA, ANALYZE IT,
AND REPORT ON IT. CLIENTS WILL BE ABLE TO DO MORE THEMSELVES DIR ECTLY WITHOUT
THE NEED FOR THIRD PARTIES GETTING INVOLVED.

18. 18
5: ROBOTIZATION

19. 19
Thou shalt make
way for robots
while honing
safer skills like
strategy and
leadership.

20. 20
6: RECESSIONISM
ONCE YOU’RE HIT WITH BOILS, IT SEEMS LIKE THEY STICK AROUND FORE VER. EVEN WHEN
THEY’RE GONE, THEY’VE LEFT THEIR MARK. THE SAME IS TRUE FOR RECE SSION-ERA
THINKING. SINCE 2008, UNEMPLOYMENT IS DOWN AND THE STOCK MARKET’ S UP, BUT THE
RECESSION MENTALITY LINGERS WITH THE NEED FOR CAUTION AND COST S AVINGS.

21. 21
6: Recessionism

22. 22
Thou shalt plan
for growth and
reward the
partners that
deliver it – with
your trust.

23. 23
7: LONG LIVE THE ROI
(THE ROI IS DEAD)
THE GREAT NEWS IS MARKETERS ARE THINKING MORE ABOUT THE RETURN O N
INVESTMENT THEY’RE GETTING FROM MARKETING. YET A RAINSTORM THAT SEEMS
NOURISHING CAN REVEAL ITSELF TO BE HAIL. A FOCUS ENTIRELY ON DIR ECT RESPONSE
STARVES AND UNDERSERVES BRAND MARKETERS. BRAND MARKETERS STILL N EED BETTER
WAYS TO DETERMINE DIGITAL AD EFFECTIVENESS WHILE KEEPING CREATIV ITY FLOWING.

24. 24
7: THE ROI IS DEAD

25. 25
Thou shalt create
value for brand
advertisers
through metrics –
And ideas – that
matter

26. 26
8: ad avoidance
WHEN THE CROPS WERE DEVOURED BY LOCUST SWARMS, THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT FOR
PEOPLE TO EAT. WHEN AD BLOCKER SWARMS ROSE UP, MANY PUBLISHERS S TARTED
STARVING. WITH AD BLOCKING, IF THERE’S A WAY, THERE’S A WILL – IT DOESN’T MATTER
SO MUCH WHY PEOPLE BLOCK ADS, BUT THAT ONCE PEOPLE CAN DO SO, TH EY EMBRACE
IT.

27. 27
8: ad avoidance

28. 28
THOU SHALT ACCEPT
THAT NO ONE COVETS
ADVERTISING, SO
ENSURE THINE ADS
ARE REALLY SEEN

29. 29
9: banner blindness
WITH ADS THAT ARE DELIVERED AS INTENDED, SO FEW PEOPLE NOTICE TH EM. A LOT OF
THE PROBLEM IS THAT MOST ONLINE ADVERTISING ISN’T WHAT GETS FEAT URED AT CANNES
OR IN ADWEEK BUT RATHER TERRIBLE CREATIVE THAT’S POORLY TARGETED. IT’S THEN
BLASTED OUT, WITH TONS WITH TONS SERVED ON EVERY PAGE PAGE. WE’VE TRAINED
PEOPLE NOT TO LOOK.

30. 30
9: banner blindness
ON THE LEFT, YOU SEE A TYPICAL CAUSE OF BANNER BLINDNESS: AN AD SERVED IN
YAHOO WEATHER (SUPPOSEDLY PREMIUM INVENTORY) THAT’S SPAMMY AT BEST OR A
SCAM AT WORST. TO THE RIGHT IS HONG KONG AIRLINES USING 360-DEGREE VIDEO TO
SHOWCASE ITS CABINS, WHICH WAS 35X MORE EFFECTIVE THAN TRADITION AL DISPLAY.

31. 31
THOU SHALT ACCEPT
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
CREATIVE, NOT JUST
TARGETING AND
VIEWABILITY

32. 32
10: death of the
First click (AND LAST)
“DEATH OF THE LAST CLICK” WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ACCURATE, BUT FIR ST-CLICK
ATTRIBUTION IS FAULTY AS WELL. THE DEATH OF SUCH OVERSIMPLIFIED METRICS HAS BEEN
A LONG TIME COMING, BUT ADVANCES IN SOFTWARE, ANALYTICS METHODOL OGIES, AND
MARKETER SOPHISTICATION WILL PAINT A TRUER ATTRIBUTION PICTURE.

33. 33
10: DEATH OF THE FIRST CLICK (AND LAST)

34. 34
Thou shalt show
the impact of your
ads & marketing
in the online and
offline path to
purchase

35. 10 PLAGUE RECAP
35
The 10 plagues of marketing
1: TRUST DISINTEGRATION
2: Shinynewobjectism
3: federalization
4: Fraud
5: robotization
6: Recessionism
7: long live the roi (THE ROI IS DEAD)
8: ad avoidance
9: Banner blindness
10: Death of the first click (AND LAST)

36. 10 PLAGUE RECAP
36
The 10 commandments of marketing
1: THOU SHALT Put your clients’ interests first – even above your own.
2: THOU SHALT STAY ON THE CUTTING EDGE – BUT MAKE CLEAR WHAT WILL IMPACT BUSINESS GOALS
3: THOU SHALT STAY ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LAW – AND DO SO EVEN BEFORE SUCH LAWS ARE WRITTEN
4: Thou shalt verify the good and disqualify the bad – even if your reporting suffers in the short term
5: Thou shalt spin how your automation tech isn’t part of the problem (but it likely is)
6: Thou shalt drive revenues and/or save costs to make friends among buyers
7: Thou shalt create value for brand advertisers through metrics that matter
8: THOU SHALT ACCEPT THAT NO ONE COVETS ADVERTISING, SO ENSURE THINE ADS ARE REALLY SEEN
9: THOU SHALT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR CREATIVE, NOT JUST TARGETING AND VIEWABILITY
10: Thou shalt show the impact of your ads & marketing in the online and offline path to purchase

37. The Sacrifice
37
SACRIFICES
• Inventory for value
• Quick wins for long-term
relationships
• Easily manipulated metrics for
true business value
• Assumptions for questions
THE PASSOVER STORY IS ULTIMATELY ONE OF SACRIFICES – THOSE MADE BY THE ISRAELITE
SLAVES, AS WELL AS BY EGYPTIANS WHO SUFFERED UNDER PHARAOH’S TYR ANNY AND
STUBBORNNESS. ALL OF US IN THE MARKETING AND AD FIELDS WILL HAVE TO MAKE
SACRIFICES AS WELL TO FULFILL THESE COMMANDMENTS.

38. Breaking Free
from the
10 Plagues of Marketing
DAVID BERKOWITZ
SEPTEMBER 12, 2016
D@SERIALMARKETER.NET
@DBERKOWITZ
Thank you!!!
DAVID BERKOWITZ
DAVID@SERIALMARKETER.NET
@DBERKOWITZ
WWW.SERIALMARKETER.NET