As media buying becomes more fragmented across media channels and buying platforms, agencies and clients need to stop treating it like a cost play, said Jeff Nicholson, chief media officer at VaynerMedia.
Nicholson, who runs the 200-employee media department at VaynerMedia, is fighting the perception that media buying is a commodity by positioning programmatic and social buying as a skill.
Rather than hiring media buyers who grew up sending insertion orders for TV buys, he's training employees from the ground up on the nuances between programmatic buying platforms. He's also changing the typical media-buying career path by only promoting former buyers to planning and strategy roles.
VaynerMedia will grow its media department 52% this year and plans to hire more in 2018 to work with clients like Chase, Amazon, Fox and Anheuser-Busch. This year, the agency will manage $200 million in media.
AdExchanger: How do you train your employees to think about media buying?
JEFF NICHOLSON: I hire a lot of undergraduates and teach them how to buy. It takes having someone that has done it in the past teach you how to do it correctly. That's rare in this space. Very few people stay a long time in buying. They're not appreciated in the industry; it's not a high-paying job.
How do you keep your buyers around?
I pay buyers more as they move up and then transition them into a planning and strategy role. Every media planner should have [experience] buying across 80% of the inventory pools they're going to invest in.
Do you train buyers on a preferred platform or do you buy across the ecosystem?
We buy natively across every digital walled garden. People pay so much money to do things around those platforms when they could work directly with them and get twice the value.
How do hold those platforms accountable?
I don't think the transparency problem is with the platforms. I think it's how people buy to get to the platform.
When you're using a demand-side platform, you're buying across hundreds of thousands of websites. Where are those? If there's a safety concern on YouTube, where are you going to go next? Programmatic is riddled with fraud and waste because very few people understand it. It's judged around a light CPM benchmark and viewability.
You're going to see consolidation, whether people like it or hate it, to Amazon, Facebook and Google. You're going to see a lot of money shift to platforms just for operational profitability.
Will that eventually squeeze out the agency?
The agency space is going to change. It's oversaturated with very limited skill sets and people are sick of getting ripped off. The more people look under the rock, they're going to realize they can hire themselves or invest in a road map that will streamline costs and improve performance. I don't think you should get paid to defend a territory that you can't add value in.
You said client education is low. How are you changing that?
We're transparent. The client owns everything they want. I promote them to have direct contact with Google, Facebook and their DMP. They need to be in control of their business. We should be a value add on top of it.
If you don't invest in what you pick, you can pick the best thing for performance. That might be predicted on integration with other [technology] or the vertical they play in.
Gary Vaynerchuk, VaynerMedia's CEO, invests in a lot of businesses. Does that ever cause a conflict of interest?
I've fired several of his investments. Gary is covering the marketplace. I push against that more than anyone. Ryan [Harwood, CEO of PureWow,] has lost more pitches with me than with other agencies, because if I'm going to promote him, he has to win by a larger margin.
What's the relationship like with PureWow? Are there data synergies?
It's early. They'll be a subsidiary of VaynerX. We run a large portion of their media investment. How does any publisher get traffic? They spend a lot of money on Facebook, Google and other platforms.
We keep data walls separate. I treat PureWow just as I treat any other client. We only have media performance data and we share that with the teams.
What's the strategy behind VaynerX? Are you going to buy a bunch of agencies?
We don't want to be a holding company in a traditional sense. We want to become more of a private equity firm. We're thinking about [buying] brands with distressed value and no investment. How do we revitalize that and then leverage our advantage in marketing to add value?
A large piece of those businesses now is digital operations. When you don't know anything about that, you have a very difficult time competing. If you don't have the ability to adapt to a Google- and Facebook-centric world, you're going to have a big problem. We're building our agency to learn what works so when we purchase a brand like PureWow, we can apply those things. Media investments are not a cost-cutting play, they're a revenue play.


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The Most Influential Albums in My Life (Part 1)
When reading or listening to interviews with rocks stars I always find it fascinating to discover their choices for the most influential albums in their life. As a total music junkie myself, today I thought it would be fun to share my own choices for the most influential albums in my life. I've chosen these albums not only because they're filled with some of my favorite songs (both lyrically & musically), but also because they are the kind of albums that helped me discover bands or genres with which I wasn't previously familiar. Anyhow, as I was writing I realized this was becoming quite a novel, so I decided to split it into two posts. Here's part one:
The Golden Age of Grotesque by Marilyn Manson (2003)
Despite the fact that this was by far not his most well-reviewed or commercially successful work, this will probably always be my favorite Manson album. What's interesting is that several of my favorite rock stars, including Chris from Motionless in White, have listed this as one of the most influential albums in their lives as well. Stylistically this album was largely influenced by the Degenerate Art of 1930s Germany (the kind of modern art the Nazis banned), so there is a definite jazz feeling to certain songs which I of course love (check out the bizarrely named but incredibly fun Doll-Dagga-Buzz-Buzz-Ziggety-Zag). There is also a strong electronic influence from Swedish bassist Tim Skold. This can be clearly heard on the song that made me fall in love with this album, This is the New Shit, which is lyrically every bit as, if not more, relevant now than it was when it was released thirteen years ago. Those who don't understand that Manson's music has always been a reaction against the celebration of violence, gore, sex, & commercialism in modern (particularly American) culture will completely miss the point of this song. Personally, I find it brilliant. Another favorite of mine from this album is the slightly crude but clever (s)aint. I think anyone who has ever felt rejected by their peers will understand the angst of the lyrics perfectly. Other favorites from this album are Vodevil, Better of Two Evils, & The Bright Young Things. I could go on & on, but for sake of time I'll end by saying you simply MUST check out this album.
Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) by Marilyn Manson (2000)
For the most part I tried to only include one album from a single band or artist but Manson is just too much of an influence to limit myself in that way. When I first fell in love with Manson, I quickly became enamored with the music & the message of The Fight Song, one of the most well-known songs from this album, but if you dig deeper into the history of this record you will realize just how brilliant the whole album really is. One must remember that in 1999 Manson was very unjustly blamed by a great deal of the American media for the Columbine high school shooting tragedy. What's fascinating of course is to realize how maturely & humbly Manson handled the entire ordeal which truly threatened to topple his entire career (read Manson's essay in Rolling Stone & tell me he isn't brilliant). In any case, this record was clearly influenced by the entire tragedy & is Manson's way of showcasing to the world just how much our society truly glorifies & celebrates violence while at the same time pretending to condemn it. There are also strong historical references to the Kennedy era. This is not an album you can digest in one sitting. Like any truly great work of art, you discover something new every time you listen to it. And like so much of Manson's music, songs like The Love Song, Disposable Teens, & Target Audience are every bit as much of an indictment of modern American society now as they were when the album was first released.
Halestorm by Halestorm (2009)
If I had to choose a favorite of Halestorm's three amazing albums, it would actually be their most recent release Into the Wild Life. However, it was their debut album from 2009 that first caught my attention & made me fall in love with the band. The first single I Get Off admittedly grabbed my attention partly because it initially sounds very sexual. But when you realize that Lzzy Hale actually wrote the song about the interaction between herself & the crowd when she's performing her music, the song takes on a whole new power. Then there are more ballad-like tracks such as Familiar Taste of Poison with its haunting, almost gothic feel & I'm Not an Angel which perfectly showcases Lzzy's soaring vocals. I've listened to this album literally countless times & yet it never loses its power, & I'm continually amazed that this was a debut album. It's definitely the album that started my love affair with this band. (I've only seen them live four times now, & I'd gladly go again tomorrow, given the chance. Fun fact: my baby has already attended a Halestorm concert too because I found out I was pregnant exactly three days after the last Halestorm show I saw!)
The House of Gold & Bones (Volumes 1 & 2) by Stone Sour (2012-2013)
I can't even remember what other album I was looking for at Best Buy when, on a whim, I decided to pick up Volume 1 of this incredible two-part concept album. Prior to buying Volume 1 I only knew a handful of songs by Stone Sour, but I was definitely enamored with the first single Absolute Zero which is why I decided to pick up the album when I saw it on sale. As it turned out, the minute I heard the first chords of the opening tract Gone Sovereign & how it seamlessly melted into Absolute Zero, I was in total awe (you can listen to both tracks in the prior link, as their videos are dovetailed). From start to finish there isn't a single bad song on this album. Lyrically & musically it is completely brilliant. I've said it before & I'll say it again: this album is like a rock symphony. Each song blends flawlessly into the next one, & the whole record just feels like one giant masterpiece. The same is equally true for Volume 2. From Volume 1 don't miss the hauntingly beautiful ballad Taciturn which serves to make the following track Influence of a Drowsy God even more powerful. From Volume 2 be sure to check out the angry but brilliant Do Me a Favor as well as the gorgeous ballad The Conflagration which flows seamlessly into the epic ending The House of Gold & Bones.
The Outsiders by Eric Church (2014)
Ahh, if you know me at all, you should have known that Eric Church would show up on this list somewhere. The ironic thing is that when I first heard Church's music I wasn't impressed. I thought he was a little too grungy, a little too "dirty." What's funny is that now those are the exact reasons I love his music. In any case, seeing Church perform live was what truly solidified my adoration for his entire persona (a fact I'm sure he'd appreciate). Not long after that concert I purchased his third album Chief & quickly fell in love with every song. Needless to say when The Outsiders debuted I bought it the very day it was released. Once again from start to finish I was completely enthralled with the album & still am. From the gritty & bombastic opener The Outsiders to sweet ballads like Talladega to the best & most realistic country sex song ever, there's something here for everyone. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention That's Damn Rock & Roll, another favorite from this album, which I've only loved even more since Church had Lzzy Hale perform the song with him at the 2014 ACM awards. I also have to mention Devil, Devil, one of the most unique songs Church has ever recorded. The first half of the song is a poem spoken by Church about the evil side of the Nashville music industry while the second half is a rocking song that is all the more powerful when performed live by Church & his band.
Reincarnate by Motionless in White (2014)
This album absolutely has to be on this list because it became what one might call a "gateway" album for me in that it helped me to discover so many other great bands & albums. Last January (2015) I stumbled across MIW while fooling around on YouTube one night, & as soon as I heard Reincarnate, I knew I was addicted. The very next day I went to Best Buy & bought the album of the same name. From the minute I heard the first chords of Death March I knew I'd stumbled onto something really special. A few weeks later I discovered that lead singer Chris Motionless was featured on the cover of AP magazine, so naturally I went to B&N to buy the magazine. While reading the magazine I came across an interview with none other than Marilyn Manson. Up until then I'd never been a big Manson fan. I wasn't opposed to him per se; I just thought he was weird. But once I read that article, I knew I had misjudged him & I had to check out his brand new record The Pale Emperor, which I swiftly did. Not long after that, I discovered much of his older music & became as obsessed with Manson as I clearly am now. See what I mean by a gateway album? Ok, now that I've gone off on that tangent, let's return to the original subject . . . Be sure to check out the angry & feisty Generation Lost, the confidence-booster Unstoppable, & Contemptress, a sexy ballad featuring Maria Brink from In This Moment.
Chris Motionless
I sincerely hope you'll check out some of the above albums, at least a song or two from each. Please feel free to comment below with some of the most influential albums in your own life. Stay tuned for part 2 next week (or later this week, perhaps) which I promise will contain at least one non-rock album (ha!).
Chris Motionless quote, Eric Church The Outsiders, Golden Age of Grotesque, Halestorm, Holy Wood, Marilyn Manson, MIW Reincarnate, most influential albums, Stone Sour House of Gold and Bones

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On the first day of the New Year 2021, Konstantin N. Svitnev, CEO of Rosjurconsulting law firm, called the first reprodissident in Russia, gave an extensive interview to Surrogacy.ru. We talked about surrogacy, his beliefs and his struggle to recognize the right to procreation as an inalienable human right
ECSM | 02.01.2021 | 779 | 0
Rosjurconsulting Law Firm offered free legal support and lawyers to "single" fathers who have become parents through surrogacy programs, and, as a result, are being persecuted by the Russian Federation's Investigative Committee. Bravo, colleagues! Together we will win! The truth prevails
Vladislav Melnikov, the CEO of the European Surrogacy Center, who is imprisoned on false accusations of alleged "human trafficking," requested from Chairman of the Russian Federation's Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin to replace the head of the "investigative" group Major Smirnova as she has shown her complete incompetence within the
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that up to 10 per cent of women suffer from infertility. More and more of them are turning to assisted reproductive technologies (ART) such as in-vitro fertilization and artificial intrauterine insemination
ECSM | 25.07.2019 | 1281 | 0
When Ann Barter was celebrating her 18th birthday and blew out the candles on her birthday cake, she wasn't dancing and drinking with pals. Instead, she surfing the Facebook for sperm donors. Obsessed with becoming a mum, single Ann did not want to waste time going on dates and waiting for Mr. Right
In 2013 Gina Balzano for the first time in her life was told that she was too fat to become pregnant. She was 32, weighed 144 kilograms and had been trying to get pregnant since her marriage with Nick a couple of years back. She didn't have any of the health conditions often associated with obesity
German parents of surrogate children prefer anonymous sperm donors. However, the anonymity of sperm donors is contrary to German law, which prohibits anonymous donation of germ cells. True, this law applies only to the practice of fertility, and not to the use of donor genetic material in private
A local election candidate has spoken candidly about her recent experience as a surrogate for her friends and about her relief that she didn't feel a bond with the child following his birth. Westmeath-based Fine Gael candidate Becky Loftus Dore, who is a mother of four, gave birth late last month to a baby boy who was conceived through IVF
American Lindsay Curtis was 23 years old when she first became a surrogate. It was not just a gestational carrier, but surrogacy in the traditional sense of pregnancy
Tracy Park, 43, and her husband Peter, 42, welcome their first child Hunter, now 12, in October 2006 after conceiving him naturally when Tracy was 30. The couple waited to have anymore children because they were focused on work
This diary is reminiscences. Claire Kelly, 39, from Glenrothes, recalls her surrogacy journey and the day she gave up the baby she had been carrying for nine months. His tiny pink face scrunches up against the world as he belts out his first cry


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Category Archives: Theatre
Aladdin, Prince Edward Theatre
Aladdin the Musical is a kid's show, with a fairytale storyline and larger than life characters. Despite this the London production of the musical keeps the adults in the audience entertained with up-to-date remarks and witty jokes.
The show is housed in the great Prince Edward Theatre, which has a dazzling art deco auditorium and seats well over 1500 people. The musical is based on the 1991 hit film with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin. The storyline is basic, so instead we are left to marvel at the 350+ lavish costumes and energetic dance routines.
I went to see the show last week and was impressed by the sheer grandeur of the production. The musical starts slowly with the introduction of street urchins Aladdin and friends. They survive by stealing food from local street vendors and spend their life running from the police. Innocent-faced Matthew Croke makes a convincing lead role, deftly dancing about the stage and singing with likeable charm.
The show really comes to life when Trevor Dion Nicholas as the Genie comes on stage. Trevor previously performed in the Broadway production of Aladdin and has won numerous awards for his infectious and entertaining rendition of the Genie. He immediately commands your attention and I loved watching him perform. Jasmine was played by Jade Ewen, who although brilliant at acting and dancing, lacked in the vocal department.
The Aladdin orchestration is big and bold with a particularly strong brass section, which gives the music a real oomph and the constantly evolving set thrills throughout. Aladdin is a 'show' in every sense of the word, and if you visit the theatre for razzle dazzle, you'll love this production.
More information and book tickets here. Aladdin is currently showing in London until 30th June 2018.
Posted in Music, Theatre	| Leave a comment |
Marnie, ENO
Sadly I don't make it to the opera as much as I used to, but when something special comes up in the English National Opera programme I always prioritise it in my diary.
Nico Muhly is a young and talented composer, his first opera Two Boys premiered at the ENO in 2011, and was later taken to The Met in New York. Marnie, this third and most recent opera, is based on Winston Graham's novel of the same name. The plot follows the story of a young woman who makes her living embezzling and stealing from her employers before moving on and reinventing herself.
Muhly's score is dramatic and sensual. Unlike many modern operatic scores Marnie has passages of lyrical melodies and twinkling orchestral textures. For the majority of the piece it is Sasha Cooke as the manipulative Marnie and Daniel Okulitch as Mark Rutland, her desperate husband on stage. Neither character is warm or lovable, although they are both utterly compelling and addictive to watch, mastering Muhly's difficult score and commanding the stage. It was also a pleasure to see Lesley Garrett back on stage at the Coliseum, one of the first opera singers I ever saw perform. Her wholehearted characterisation of Mrs Rutland was very enjoyable to watch, and Garrett's voice seems as effortless as ever, in her third decade performing at this venue.
The composer offers each protagonist an instrument, Marnie's motif is played by the oboe, troubled and expected, the leering Terry is allocated a powerful trumpet part. It is the choral parts that I relished the most though. The writing is expressive and exciting and the ENO chorus give gusto and energy to the writing. It is also thanks to solid playing from the orchestra and superbly musical conducting from Martyn Brabbins.
It is impossible to write about Marnie without mentioning the stylish and slick production, staging and costumes. I wasn't surprised to discover that all the costumes were sponsored by Mr Porter. Set in England in the 1950s, costume designer Arianne Phillips has gone to town with bright, sharp tailored outfits throughout the show.
It is a joy to see and hear Marnie on stage. As ever ENO are at the forefront of showcasing the brightest new opera in the music world.
More information and book tickets to see Marnie at the ENO on one of the final performances (1st and 3rd December) here.
Arts channel Canvas interviews Nadya Tolokno from Pussy Riot
Pussy Riot illustrates the journey of this modern-day, post-punk feminist art collective through the Russian justice system.
Immersive theatre company, Les Enfants Terribles collaborated with Pussy Riot founder Nadya Tolokonnikova to recreate the experience of being arrested and imprisoned for their infamous performance of 'Punk Prayer – Mother of God, Chase Putin Away!' at the altar of Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.
This film combines an exclusive interview with Nadya in London with clips capturing the atmosphere of the immersive performance itself.
Subscribe here, see more on the website here, or follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Canvas.
Posted in Theatre	| Leave a comment |


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Utiaritichthys sennaebragai är en fiskart som beskrevs av Miranda Ribeiro, 1937. Utiaritichthys sennaebragai ingår i släktet Utiaritichthys och familjen Characidae. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

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