ADM Announces Ad Council
Mar 10th, 2008 | By James Lewin | Category: Making Money with Podcasts, New Media Organizations 
The Association for Downloadable Media (ADM), an organization focused on creating advertising standards podcasts and Internet media, announced today the creation of a special advertising agency liaison to the organization, along with the confirmation of a fourteen-member Ad Council, made up of media professionals from leading interactive advertising agencies.
The council will act as a sounding board for the ADM committees, which are creating downloadable media advertising standards and guidelines. David Herscott, President of San Diego-based interactive agency MEA Digital, has been appointed the liaison between the Ad Council of media strategists and the ADM committee chairs.
The Association for Downloadable Media will be releasing initial ad unit standards and audience measurement guidelines for public consideration at the ADM Forum at ad:tech San Francisco April 16th from 9:00 am – 11:45 am at Moscone Center.
“People have been talking for years about the need for podcasting ad standards,” said ADM Chairman Chris MacDonald. “We’re taking the first big leap on standards-setting and are working proactively to verify that the ad formats and audience measurement processes we set will work for both the buyer and seller.”
Ad Council members include:
- Jonathan Adams, Vice President, Group Director, Media Digitas (Publicis Groupe)
- Kendall Allen, Managing Director, Incognito Digital
- David Berkowitz, Director of Emerging Media & Client Strategy, 360i
- Jason Burnham, CEO, Burnham Marketing
- Jocelyn Griffing, Senior Vice President Online Media at ICON International, an Omnicom Company
- David Herscott, President, MEA Digital
- Tom Hespos, President, Underscore Marketing LLC
- Alyson Hyder, Director, Digital Marketing Services, Avenue A-Razorfish
- Jennifer Kim, Vice President, Integrated Strategy, Sigma Group
- Susan MacDermid, Senior Vice President, Real Branding
- Stephen Smyk, CEO, Performance Bridge
- Jeff Adelson-Yan, Managing Partner, Levelwing Media
I’d like to urge ALL podcasters to watch this very, very closely. This move by the ADM does indeed have the potential to make things easier for podcasters who want to sell advertising. But it has as much or more potential to completely ruin the industry. Since the ADM was initially formed by a closed group of people, and because the organization was initially set up in a way where there was no transparency, there is, and always will be, a question in some people’s minds, as to who is served by the ADM agenda. Is it the founders of ADM? Is it the few elite podcasters who can afford the very expensive ADM membership fees?
The ADM can help us or hurt us. They can only hurt us if we let them. Let’s keep a close eye on this and remember, the ADM speaks for a very, very small minority of podcasters. We don’t just have to roll over and play dead if the rest of us don’t agree with their approach.
Scott
Anybody can join the ADM – it’s $150. $150 is not a barrier to entry for anyone that’s serious about being in the business of podcasting and new media.
Instead of fear-mongering about the organization, I’d challenge you to get involved and contribute a positive influence on the direction of the group.
James perhaps you should do some research. I AM a member of the ADM through a corporate membership in Podango. We bought the membership to keep an eye on them. And while I understand you may see them as a potential sponsor – I have no such conflict of interest. And I have 100 emails that I can send you from “serious” podcasters who say $150 is indeed TOO much. Also – I don’t know if you just don’t have the facts or you want to leave them out to make a stronger argument – but it’s $1000 for corporate sponsors. Also too much.
And I am not fear – mongering – I am asking people to keep an eye on this. I am surprised that you’d attack me for merely wanting to keep an organization honest that purports to represent an entire industry. In fact – by calling yourself a “news” organization – I’d think that would be something you plan to do yourself. Looks like we know what camp you’re in – too bad.
Wow, Scott. It seems that you’re pretty suspicious of not just the ADM’s motives, but of ours, too.
Do you think the organization is fundamentally broken, or do you think you have the power to contribute something constructive to it?
James when I get a response like yours, saying that I am fear-mongering simply because I want to keep an eye on an association that purports to represent my industry, there’s nothing left but suspicion.
I see no reason why people don’t get that this is very important and worthy of watching carefully. This group is about to set STANDARDS. Get it? These standards will either help or hamstring an entire industry. And many of the people involved are NOT podcasters. They may be involved in businesses that surround podcasting – or they may sell some service related to podcasting – but how many of them have had a number one show on iTunes? How many of them actually make a living sitting behind the mic? I am not talking about making a living as a podcasting pundit – I am talking about producing and hosting shows. And how can these STANDARDS be real when they don’t include input from some of the biggest, most successful and most well-known podcasters in the business?
I repeat – the ADM was formed in secrecy. It has not been very transparent – because of this there are legitimate questions about the organization’s motives. We need to pay attention to what it’s doing. There are many more people who are NOT represented by the ADM than are. If you don’t think this is a case that warrants scrutiny James – then what does?
In my first comment I mentioned that there is potential for good here. I believe that. But I do indeed have great concerns over where this is taking us and if there is an outcome here that hurts, not helps podcasters, we need to be vocal.
I am not saying the organization is fundamentally broken. I know for a fact that some of the board members are good people with good intentions. My concern is, that they are there merely as window dressing. From what I’ve seen of the organization’s founder, I am not hopeful that there is genuine give and take going on.
At this point I don’t think that I can contribute beyond keeping watch over the proceedings. I hope things work out well – I really do. If things don’t work out well – I’m going to keep doing what I have been doing from the beginning, which is trying my best to hold these folks accountable.
The purpose of any "Ad council", including the orginal government institution fromend in 1942, was no tso much to "set standards" as it was to make sure that only business/gov/elite academic ideas were the ones being presented to the public. Ad councils always appear innocous and they do appear to work towards the cause of the "common good", but be careful. Remember, who's going to baby sit the baby sitter?
The purpose of any "Ad council", including the orginal government institution fromend in 1942, was no tso much to "set standards" as it was to make sure that only business/gov/elite academic ideas were the ones being presented to the public. Ad councils always appear innocous and they do appear to work towards the cause of the "common good", but be careful. Remember, who's going to baby sit the baby sitter?