Adtech Sucks:

Bunch of great quotes here on Adtech and the push to inflate your resume with “budgets” instead of the cost of conversions.

I think a key motivation for many workers is their resume. Nowhere is this truer than in marketing. So ask yourself, what campaigns look good on a front-line campaign manager’s resume? Keep in mind that the cost to acquire someone can vary from medium to medium, and segment to segment. Would you prefer to say how efficient your spend was, or perhaps how large the budget you had was? I personally have found that the latter tends to win out, while the former is vague, and sometimes extremely context dependent.

On reducing ad spend:

These companies have a certain cachet of cool. When – as a marketer – you get invited to a Google office, you see all the geniuses, you get the free lunches, and the account folk smile as they shake your hand, you can be forgiven for thinking you’re part of something greater. You have access to some hidden secrets, some special exalted tech. You might think you’re working on something to make ads better, to target customers more precisely, and at speed. But, you should always be asking yourself one question:

Why, oh why, would a company built on ad revenue want to reduce ad spend?

Good question.

HT: @teaneedz