Built to Last....

People, Relationships, Bonds, and Links are formed truly around.....

TRUST.

It is imperative that friends develop trust with each other, to stay friends.
It is more than important, (it is crucial) that a husband and wife, develop trust and common bonds, in order for their marriage to thrive, and survive.
It is critical for a parent to build true bonds of love and trust with a child, so that the child grows up confident, secure, and a quality member of society.

These are some personal "trust" links that are critical elements to a person's personal existence. A person does not have to have any of the above to survive, but I'd surmise the more they (love, trust and bonds) are given to a individual -- the higher the probability of living a moderately cheerful life, with a positive outlook.

These are personal trusting bonds established from friends and family, that carry over to the rest of one's life....

Growing up, I tried to look back and see where I received my personal, bonds of trust, and love, as well as -- WHERE I SPENT THE MOST TIME (receiving it).

1) Family
2) Peers
3) School
4) Religious Experience
5) Sports
6) Camps
7) Media Influences in my life -- TV, Radio.

I was born in the 60's, a kid in the 70's - and a teen in the 80's.

My influences were basic compared to what kids face today.

I listed "Media Influences" at the bottom of my list. Looking back, it was the Brady Bunch, Partridge Family, and the occassional Magilla Gorilla that made the afternoon list of ways to pass the time -- and probably had a impact on me.

The trusting bonds from #7, Media Influences (listed above) has moved, WAY UP THE TRUST CHAIN FOR A KID, OR TEEN IN 2007. The reason is, both in the amount of time teens today spend on social media, as compared to 25 years, or 10 years ago.

Today, teens are:

* teens are using the internet (media) more than watching TV
* teens are spending far more time on social networking websites (such as MySpace)
* teens are confronted with social issues ONLINE, that their parents have never experienced
* their is a HUGE knowledge gap between parents who did not grow up with a computer, (like me, because home computing did not exist for the masses) and teens of today, as it relates to social issues.
* social media is the avenue of media and communication for a ENTIRE generation (or 2) of teens.
* SOCIAL MEDIA IS CRITICALLY HIGH IN THE TEEN INFLUENCE, OF TRUST.

"There are times when I can help you out, And times when you must fall.There are times when you must live in doubt, And I cant help at all." (JGarcia, Built to Last)

In the 50's rock n' roll was the difference in a generation....
In the 60's it was "freedom" - and a newfound independence that became the hallmark.
In the 70's and 80's these differences morphed into technological advances, as well as the ending of a cold war -- and beginning of investment in the internet.

"This is the age of machinery, A mechanical nightmare, The wonderful world of technology, Napalm hydrogen bombs biological warfare....."(Ray Davies, 20th Century Man)

Then, bam.

The age of the internet confronts us, and brings great change.

Kids spend more time online......than watch TV.

Not just online, but on Social Networking/Social Media Sites.

And herein lies the problem.

Monetization.
Monetization.
Monetization.

How do these sites (which our teens are spending most of their time on) make money?

How do these websites (publishers) earn revenue to keep their communites alive?

How do we protect our children, and deal with social issues that arise from these complex changes in behavior?

You may ask.....

"Andy, why do I care how these sites make money?"

You do care. You should care.

You don't want the publishers NEED FOR REVENUE, and need for money -- to be at the expense of, a teenagers personal information.

You don't want unsavory marketers to be able to target your child in a way that promotes a "socially unresponsible" brand.....(like condoms, religious, porn) advertising -- inside of the arena of teens.

That is why I write this today.

Our teens are using media differently than ever before.
They are associating with brands, connecting with friends, listening to music -- and coming out to the world, VIRTUALLY.

Many publishers (website operators) still do not get it.
They try to "spin their media" in a traditional world of the Brady Bunch, Partridge Family, and Magilla Gorilla in 2007......IT NO LONGER EXISTS. You cannot sell media on the metrics of yesterday......

They talk in Run of Site CPM's to advertisers.
They talk of sponsorships to advertisers.
They talk of Behavioral Targeting to advertisers.

This is not the language of our youth.

The language of our youth is still the same values that held true generations ago.
Trust, respect -- and developing bonds.

Sadly, large Social Media Publishers are slow to embrace this evolutionary change in media consumption.

Change it up. Change the technique you use to drive revenue. Ask advertisers to buy you on a similar metric - that your, COMMUNITY CONSUMES MEDIA!!!!

Allow marketers and advertisers to target anonomously on social targets, that may be unique to your users.....DIFFERENTIATE YOUR USER BASE.

Allow marketers and advertisers to engage our teens in a respectful, trustful manner. (not through spam comments, repetetive advertisments, sponsorships, remnant banners, and inconsequential marketing techniques)

Change the tenor and relationship with the teens of today, Mr. Publisher and Mrs. Advertiser.

For parents.
For teens.
For advertisers.
For monetization.
And, for moving the market forward......


"Did you ever wake up to find A day that broke up your mind, Destroyed your notion of circular time?" (Jagger/Richards - Sway)

We can help.

We, at Lotame can help change the conversation, we can assist in bringing better brands (so that they can target more efficiently to Social Media consumers) -- as well as, monetize the media more efficiently, for publishers, (SOCIAL MEDIA THE PLACE WHERE OUR YOUTH IS SPENDING A PREDOMINANCE OF THEIR TIME), and that is so important to the future of our country.......

As Jerry Garcia sang in, Franklins Tower.....

"If you plant ice you're gonna harvest wind."

Planting proverbial ice in the ground, is what is happening in Social Media Circles today - and it is at the expense of our youth.....

We are committed to helping to FIX it -- and make User Generated Content, and Social Networking a viable medium, and as TRUSTING, as other forms of media that we all consume.



Rock on.