By Jennifer Miller, OgilvyEntertainment Associate

For decades, television ratings have been based on the Nielsen standards, but with the changes in the way people watch TV, standards of measurements should be changing as well. In a recent article in Wired Magazine, experts discuss how advertisers and media companies are hustling to adapt to consumers. According to the article, “it’s not rare for a huge portion of a show’s audience to watch it well after it originally aired” indicating that the “real-time” analytics that Nielsen ratings once gave us may not be an accurate representation of the show’s reach and success.

TV viewers access content via smartphones, tablets and computers, and they love having the control to watch how and when they want. With the rise of the second screen (or “the first screen” as Doug Scott considers mobile), consumers are also engaging with TV content more than ever before. Watchers are using Twitter, Facebook and other social platforms to react to what they are watching. Capturing and analyzing this sentiment could drastically change the ratings of shows.

As a result, Nielsen has made some adjustments to their model to account for this, but is that enough? Today, the socially driven consumer has so many more outlets for expressing sentiment around television. Is it even possible for us to capture it or synthesize it? Twitter’s recent partnership with Bluefin Labs will allow companies to better understand social TV analytics. Not only does the platform evaluate shows but it can also evaluate commercials, thereby helping advertisers to evaluate the effectiveness of their content and craft more targeted messaging. To read more, head over to Wired’s The Nielsen Family is Dead article here: http://www.wired.com/underwire/2013/03/nielsen-family-is-dead/

By Jennifer Miller, OgilvyEntertainment Associate

What does the future of TV look like? Rumors surrounding Intel’s newest product indicate that they have a pretty good idea. Intel’s new product, still nameless to the public, has the potential to be king of user experience when it comes to television and viewing technology. It hints at seamless, customized online viewing of your favorite TV shows and movies across all types of screens.

Rather than hosting cable television, the product will actually act “a cable operator itself” delivering television to viewers in a completely customizable way. Platforms like Netflix and Hulu already have an algorithm that helps viewers to find the shows that match their viewing habits, so why shouldn’t your TV do this for you too? Intel’s technology will.

The question arises then, where is the place for advertisers on this platform? If the integration of cable television via Intel’s product is a replacement for a cable provider, then the viewing experience of TV shows will likely remain the same. What will change is the ease of watching your favorite shows with enhanced customization based on your viewing habits (similar to what Netflix and Hulu already offer). Depending on its interface, advertisers will need to adjust their tactics in order to reach consumers switching to this platform. If the technology decreases the need for traditional television ads, this will increase the opportunity for even more branded content.  Read more on AdAge here: http://adage.com/article/media/intel-cooks-future-tv-a-potential-mess-cable/240723/

Check out this post from our Guest Author Robert Earl.

Single brand social networks have become an increasing trend for celebrities. They have their pros and their cons. Most notably they are great for leveraging a celebrity’s existing fan base. When it comes to gaining new fans and popularity for a not-as-well-known celebrity, these types of networks aren’t as useful. They definitely have a place in the future of digital marketing as a medium to leverage existing fans and convert them into actions for goal-orientated projects. They do not, however, have the power to leverage massive networks such as Facebook in order to emanate a massive viral campaign.

Check out his twitter handle here.

By Darrell Vanterpool

Twelve years ago, Ghetto Film School was “nothing more than an old storefront on Longwood Avenue in the South Bronx.” says James Calinda, an alumni of the program. “We worked with consumer hand-held cameras like the kinds you’d see at your aunt’s wedding.”

Today, Ghetto Film School houses two Avid editing suites and is the only post-production house in the Bronx. The 15-month program begins with students learning the barebones of filmmaking and culminates in them shooting a short film in a foreign country. I was the camera operator for my class’ thesis film, which we shot in Shanghai. You can view the film here. These kinds of unique opportunities are what the film school prides itself on creating for students.