13 ideas from 2013

2013 was a great year of tumultuous change in the advertising industry. Lucky for you, the elves at Traction have been diligently typing and thinking away to help you make sense of it all.

Here are thirteen ideas written by Tractionistas in blog posts and articles from the 2013

1. Why Bad Native Advertising Is Worse Than Banners

"Native Advertising" is all the rage. But is it really? This story in Ad Age breaks down the fact and fiction when it comes to going native.

2. Three Ways Content Marketing Forces Change

I spoke at the iMedia Brand Summit this fall with our client, Julie Smith from Adobe, on some of the key changes content marketing has created. Here's a recap.

3. Today Your Content Is Your Marketing, So Don't Create A Silo For It

Some advice in Forbes from our Strategy Director, Jabeen Yusuf, our how to make the most of your content marketing strategy.

4. Data-Driven Creative Equals Mediocre Creative

There's a big difference between data and insight. Beware of relying to heavily on data because insight is just as likely to come in the shower as it is in a spreadsheet.

5. The Secret to a Strong Branding Message? Focus.

This article in Entrepreneur Magazine describes Traction's approach to brand strategy: in the mind of a customer, every brand gets to be one thing.

6. Brand America: Don't Become a Digital Stalker

Our executive creative director, Theo Fanning, explores the dangers of careless retargeting in this story in Digiday.

7. Brand-Agency Disintermediation Isn't the Real Problem

Another Digiday piece, this time challenging the notion that brands relationships with agencies are becoming "disintermediated."

8. How Agencies Can Fend Off the Threat of Marketing Services Moving In-House

Another story, this one in Ad Age, on this whole "disintermediation" thing. Brands are doing more in-house, but is that just because there's more that needs to be done?

9. Online Marketing 101: Are You Prone to Shiny Object Syndrome?

Marketers, watch out. Don't fall victim to Shiny Object Syndrome. It's dangerous.

10. Three Reasons Why the Birth of Publicis Omnicom Is Good for Small Agencies

The biggest story of the year in advertising was the Publicis Omnicom merger. Here's why I think small agencies like Traction are going to come out on top because of it.

11. The Convergence of UX and Storytelling

User experience design can do more than anticipate behavior. It can shape it. Here's how.

12. The case for responsive web apps

Rethink your mobile strategy. Everybody wants an app, but is a standalone walled garden that can't be linked to from email, search or social media the right way to go? Maybe not. This post focused on why a responsive browser-based web application might be the right way to go.

13. Focus On A 'Return On Awesome'

Why? Because awesome is awesome. You don't get paid to be average.

Want more?