Insights from Nebo

The holiday season is upon us, and for many of us this marks the time where we give thanks for everything we have, especially during Thanksgiving. We give thanks for our families and friends, for our jobs, our homes and for the comfy life many of us enjoy.

We also sympathize with those who are less fortunate—those who have less, who are sick or who have loved ones that aren’t well. However, most of us, including me, still miss the big picture. Most of the readers of this blog post haven’t had to experience the kind of life that would make us truly grateful.

First, let me start by saying this isn’t a Left versus Right post. It’s not pro-Obama or pro-Romney. This isn’t about who’s right or wrong. This isn’t about policy or political philosophy.

This post is about the clear winner of the 2012 Election, and that winner is Analytics (by a landslide). Let me be clear—the winner is Analytics, not data, because there is a huge difference.

Analytics at its simplest is “the science of analysis” (Wikipedia). Merriam-Webster defines it as the method of logical analysis. Both campaigns had data. All of the pollsters had data.

However, what carried the day was Analytics—not just Analytics, but Good Analytics. My definition of Good Analytics is analyzing data to draw meaningful and actionable insights. This is where the 2012 Election was won and lost.

Michael Jordan once scored 63 points in a double overtime playoff game against a 1986 Boston Celtics team that started Larry Bird and three other Hall of Famers, and for that he was considered a hero. Without a doubt, Jordan and all the other greats exhibit qualities that we associate with heroes: superhuman physical abilities, a Quaker-like work ethic, an unquenchable thirst for victory.

For many, this is the definition of a hero. It’s the reason kids have posters of athletes in their room and the reason Dwight Howard puts on a Superman cape at dunk contests. However, these are not the qualities that made Superman a hero, they made him a fictional superhero.

This Veterans Day, let’s contemplate the things that make a person an actual hero and redefine the term.

In the world of digital marketing, there is a never ending struggle to find ways to best engage your audience. Some work hard to find solutions that focus on user needs and intent. Others throw money and quick creative at the problem. The latter is how you end up with homepage takeovers. They provide marketers with a way not to captivate their audience, but literally capture it. Marketers get the attention they crave, and online websites, who can net upwards of $500k for a takeover, get the advertising revenue they need.

Everyone benefits but the user.

Who doesn't like a good fright every once in a while? A scare that let's us know we're alive, helps us laugh at ourselves, enjoy life... and even understand why life is worth living! In the spirit of Halloween, here are some of the scariest ads we've ever seen, whose marketing genius haunt our dreams and buying behaviors. Check out our top picks and tells us about some of your frightening favorites.

(Photo credit: PureTravel.com)

The Atlanta Ad Club recently celebrated Oktoberfest by sharing some of the most infamous beer commercials from around the world. Below are some of the most notable ads from the event. Tell us which ones you love, and share with us some of your personal fave beer commercials over the years.