Want to know the interest GREConomics is currently producing?

The splash page was mentioned in the Gainesville Sun the day it was launched.  

The site will evolve into a discussion of the economic ramifications of the City of Gainesville’s current Power Purchase Agreement.

Quoting the website:

If we do not address the current obligations of the 30 year PPA in a bold and aggressive manner immediately there will be a ripple effect in every aspect of our community.

The citizens of Gainesville, the ratepayers of GRU, and the employees of the city and GRU deserve leadership in seeking alternatives and solutions to help mitigate the pending rate impact.

Commissioner Todd Chase coined the term GRECONOMICS as a description of the realities of managing every aspect of city government through the prism of the 30 year PPA.

We are excited about our partnership with Gainesville City Commissioner Todd Chase; and we urge you to participate in the discussion of GREConomics. 

Go sign up today to be notified when the site launches.

He is the guy who made  ”When I Grow Up” for Monster.

His take is awesome!

Thanks to the guys at Cruzine, you can now have 100 more fonts for your incredible graphic design projects.

Download 100 free fonts for your library!

The winner for pre-roll video ads?

:15 seconds

Poll Findings

Of those polled, 54% felt that 15 seconds was acceptable, and 12% went as high as 30 seconds. But the numbers climb even higher, when you exclude the 27% who had no opinion. Of those who do have an opinion—

• 73% find 15 seconds acceptable;
• 5% find 30 seconds acceptable.

Please follow this link, if you would like to learn more about the video pre-roll findings.

You follow this link, register and read the entire poll “Time to view Online Ads?”

Ozean Media has opened a search for a new Chief Operating Officer. This position will report directly to the owner, Alex Patton.

MISSION:

To fully embrace the mission of Ozean Media, manage all day to day operations of Ozean Media, to increase non-political client revenue immediately.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES:

i. Grow non-political revenue by $400,000 within 18 months, then by 20% ad infinitum.

ii. Manage 2012 Political Cycle creative process.

iii. Maintain gross-profit margins of at least 40% on all product lines.

iv. Evaluate and amend appropriately Painted Picture for Ozean Media.

v. Evaluate, take appropriate action, and develop new Partnerships.

vi. Evaluate and appropriately amend internal procedures.

vii. Hire an A level account executive within 12 months.

CRITICAL COMPETENCY’S

i. Chemistry with founder, Alex Patton

a. Commitment to vision of company

b. Trustworthiness

c. Proactive

d. Forward thinking

ii. Ability to Grow Revenue

a. Ability to persuade

b. Sales Experience

iii. Conservative Political Acumen

iv. Knowledge of Advertising Industry

v. P&L Management

vi. Organizational Skills and attention to detail

vii. Intelligence

a. Technical Ability

b. Curiosity

viii. Communications skills

a. business partners

b. Alex Patton

ix. Ability to identify & hire A level people

x. Ability to persuade

xi. Technical ability

Please click here, for more information about this job opening in our advertising agency.

Please click here, for additional information about the advertising agency’s employment culture.

Ozean Media welcomes all who have the experience and drive to meet the expected outcomes.

The WSJ allegedly using a controversial scheme to boost its European circulation

Essentially, ad prices are based on circulation numbers.  Larger publications are regularly audited by an outside organizations to ensure that the numbers are correct and accurate.

Most circulation audits similar to which we speak of are done by organizations such as the Audit Bureau of Circulation.  Television has Nielson, Radio has Arbitron.

In this case, the Wall Street Journal is accused of using a scheme in which they themselves essentially buy up copies of their own paper to keep circulation up and thus ad prices up.

So, if the BIG guys that are audited are gaming the system, let’s consider those that are NOT audited and what they can do to game the system.

Local Media and Ad Buying Implications

If you look at the audited number for the Gainesville Sun: (Circulation averages for the six months ended: 3/31/2011)

So here we have a 3rd party the circulations that we can do our calculations as to CPM, etc.

Now imagine, if a local periodical was allowed to just make up their own circulation numbers.

Yes, if they are not audited – that is exactly what is happening.  We must rely on the media to tell us as ad buys their circulation.

Games Played by Local Periodicals & Magazines

As media buyers, we see three games being perpetrated by unaudited periodicals and magazines.

1)  They just make it up.

We have seen several examples, in which we estimate the periodical or magazine’s revenue using FULL rate card for each ad placed in said magazine.

We then price the same periodical for printing, using same materials and the number they claim to print.

It is NOT even close.

2)  They just make it up – mutliplier.

Some are not as blatant as mentioned above – they just ‘fudge’ a little.

What they are doing is telling you a printed number increased by a fabricated “readership multiplier”.

The theory goes something like this “A magazine sent to my house is 1 printed copy, but it is read by me and my wife.  It should count as 2.”

This is sometimes also referred to as as “pass-along.”

Here is some reading critical of that approach.

Dispelling the Myth of PR multipliers.

3)  They print more than are actually put into circulation.

We have on occasions, found bundles of magazines in the recycle bin versus being distributed.  Yes, they are printing them – but only if dumpster divers are your target market does it make sense to buy these ads.

What should you do?

Just realize that if the publication is unaudited, all bets are off.

In truth, the ad prices are NOT based on circulation, but on what the market is willing to pay for it.

• Ask if the publication is audited on their circulation.
• If not, ask two questions – how many do you print?  What is your estimated readership?
• Ask detailed questions about distribution?  Direct Mail?  Or do they just drop off 500 copies at doctors’ Offices who then trash 498 of them?
• If you think you are being taken advantage of, do the market test.   Get the rate card, estimate the ad revenue, call a printer and estimate the cost to print.  If the numbers are anywhere near even, you have something to discuss with your ad rep.  (Secret – most ads are not sold at rate card – some are given away for charity, others are sold at reduced rates because of negotiations.)
• Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate  Again, the price is NOT really based on circulation, but on what the market is willing to pay.

This holiday weekend, after no longer stomaching my frustration, I embarked on redesigning the site.  I had two goals – 1) to redesign the site in 48 hours and launch and 2) play extensively with HTML5 and Jquery.  Mission Accomplished.

Next goals:

1)  Measure how a relaunch of a site effects SEO with redirects.

2)  Content re-write to measure effects on SEO.

www.ozeanmedia.com

Google is changing their SEO ranking algorithm

Google is foreclosing on content farms with shallow content.  HOORAY!

For far too long Google has rewarded quantity of content over quality of content.  These sites that do nothing but scrape content from other sites and then link – are baloney.   I for one will be glad to see them go.  However, there are many SEO teams in Gainesville that will need to change their strategies.

Read more about google’s change in SEO.

Official Press Release from Google about their change in Search Engine Results.

Google is telling us “Many of the changes we make are so subtle that very few people notice them. But in the last day or so we launched a pretty big algorithmic improvement to our ranking—a change that noticeably impacts 11.8% of our queries”

 With Ozean’s latest launch of the Total360Sports Panoramic Seat Selector, we expected a large reaction. We didn’t realize at first, however, just how much our application could affect people on a really personal level.

 The application, which we aptly named Total360Sports, generates a panoramic virtual tour for hundreds of points at a sporting venue. The ticket holder is able to enter in their section, row and seat number and is immediately transported to the view from that seat in the stadium, which they can rotate a full 360 degrees and even zoom in. Views are even available from a number of special interest points, such as center court at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center and the “F” point at Ben Hill Griffin, taken during the Florida vs. Florida State game in November 2009.

Over 12,000 photographs were taken at 3 sports venues at the University of Florida and were strung together to construct a view just as realistic and accurate as what fans will see when they are physically there. So realistic, in fact, that many Gator alumni, upon first glance of the new technology, are struck with a whirlwind of nostalgia that brings them back to their college days of rooting for the Gators from the student section. At least, this is true for one soldier serving in the Middle East, who is currently on his second tour.

 News of the new application caught his interest, and he decided to visit GatorZone.com to see the full virtual experience in action. 
 

“The view from the “F” is a slice of heaven from home that made my week,” he said. Since the shot was taken during the infamous rivalry game, the stadium is filled to capacity and Chaz Henry is in plain view. The soldier was impressed by how lifelike the panoramas actually are, as compared to other similar virtual applications which use a computer-generated method to give fans a cyber-tour of the stadium. It’s safe to say that the one created by Ozean and for the University of Florida has a far more genuine feel.

From overseas, it was impossible to visit the Ben Hill Griffin football stadium, but now, with the virtual tour, he can be reminded of the excitement of being at a Gator game as if it were yesterday.

All the hours Ozean put into taking the thousands of individual photos of the stadiums was worth it – even if we were able to affect one person with such magnitude. We hope, however, that we can extend this level of fan enthusiasm and interaction throughout the Gator Nation.

To check out this experience for yourself, visit GatorZone.com and click on Tickets and then Locate Seats.

New York Times – Feb 11, 2011 Search Optimization:  The dirty little secrets. The story of JC Penny, cheating at SEO, link farms, and the penalties for cheating.

I can not tell you how many clients have asked us to get them to “number 1 in google” – and then become frustrated that it takes longer than 48 hours.

I can’t tell you how frustrated I am – when Ozean does it the right way – and people get away with cheating.  If there is any justice, it is that eventually Google will catches up.  If you are thinking about going the SEO black hat route, ask yourself, what happens when you get banned?

SEO or Search Engine Marketing is difficult, time consuming, and requires a consistent and constant diligence.  Heck, just when you have a handle on it – Google, Bing, or Yahoo will go and change the rules.

If you are interested in search engine optimization or search engine marketing , give someone a call that is NOT going to get you banned from Google or the other search engines.