President/CEO
Cutters Studios
1) In 2017 we will continue to transition our company to be able to respond to the needs of the many opportunities that come our way. Cutters Studios has seen more and more of its business coming from diverse sources, i.e., marketing agencies, PR agencies, professional service companies, client direct, along with our traditional ad agency business. The way Cutters Studios is set up providing very high level production, editorial, design, animation, VFX, audio mixing, sound design and new media puts us in a very enviable position to offer content creation from start to finish. Creatively, maybe a continued trend of more long form storytelling as we’ve done recently with Hallmark. Also, more brands continuing to venture into Cause Marketing. Using their power and money to bring attention to worthy causes.
2) This is the year of diversification as we move into new areas of opportunity. It’s early in the year, but we’re working on some very creative projects for BCBS, McDonald’s, Nintendo and more. Unfortunately, none are released for air yet so we can’t be specific regarding the creative.
3) It’s always the same: It’s your creative talent and the culture that encourages the continued growth of that talent. As this industry gets more and more competitive, our talent, culture and relationships are what will see us through.
4) To continue to remind myself that I’m a very lucky guy to be working with so many talented cool people!
Google Opens Its Defense In Antitrust Case Alleging Monopoly Over Online Ad Technology
Google opened its defense against allegations that it holds an illegal monopoly on online advertising technology Friday with witness testimony saying the industry is vastly more complex and competitive than portrayed by the federal government.
"The industry has been exceptionally fluid over the last 18 years," said Scott Sheffer, a vice president for global partnerships at Google, the company's first witness at its antitrust trial in federal court in Alexandria.
The Justice Department and a coalition of states contend that Google built and maintained an illegal monopoly over the technology that facilitates the buying and selling of online ads seen by consumers.
Google counters that the government's case improperly focuses on a narrow type of online ads — essentially the rectangular ones that appear on the top and on the right-hand side of a webpage. In its opening statement, Google's lawyers said the Supreme Court has warned judges against taking action when dealing with rapidly emerging technology like what Sheffer described because of the risk of error or unintended consequences.
Google says defining the market so narrowly ignores the competition it faces from social media companies, Amazon, streaming TV providers and others who offer advertisers the means to reach online consumers.
Justice Department lawyers called witnesses to testify for two weeks before resting their case Friday afternoon, detailing the ways that automated ad exchanges conduct auctions in a matter of milliseconds to determine which ads are placed in front of which consumers and how much they cost.
The department contends the auctions are finessed in subtle ways that benefit Google to the exclusion of would-be competitors and in ways that prevent... Read More