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Tony Jarvis

Member since April 2006Contact Tony

As proprietor and Research Architect for the Olympic Media Consultancy we serve global clients in 3 key areas: Provide expert leadership, analysis, planning and strategic thinking to optimize the value and usage of available media/marketing and data/systems information. Generate increased marketing ROI (revenue, profitability and brand equity) by providing relevant insights through designing, executing and interpreting superior advertising research. Evaluate and improve advertising and media effectiveness for agencies and their clients by understanding, developing and managing meticulous consumer research and applying "leading edge" models and concepts. Tony was Chairman of CARF, Canada and is a former Board member of The ARF and MRC . An Olympian he was formerly the British Olympic Swim Team Captain. He writes Op Eds exclusively for Media Post and also offers regular pithy comments on Media Post articles. He refuses to use "Fakebook"!

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  • Trump FTC Chief Pick Warned Against Online Data Collection by Wendy Davis (PolicyBlog on 12/11/2024)

    Until Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, 1996, are rescinded, the issues of decent, moral & ethical content on social media will remain, although such action will not address their shameful and proven, dangerous, ad targetting algorithms and abuse of the collection of personal information to unethically generate ad dollars.  (It should be based on a simple opt-in at the discretion of the consumer, not based on opt out?)We must remember that free speech has never been free, but it does reveal who the idiots are!!!

  • Media's Aftershock: Democracy's Fourth Pillar Just Crumbled -- Now What? by Chris Knight (Marketing Insider on 12/03/2024)

    Chris: A truly refreshing and insightful piece that in some ways echoes my various comments in Media Post (as a frequent exclusive contributor) most notably regarding the greatest threat to democracy and quality (thoroughly verified, i.e., BBC News) journalism there has ever been - social media!  Its content has surely been protected by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, CDA, for far too long.The recent fine of $25 million on META for its political shannagins (per Wendy Davis in Media Post this week) while following sentencing guidelines hould have been $250 million or more to have any meaningful effect.  As a proud member of the "Advertising: Who Cares? Movement, a question that would reveal so much is, "Which major advertisers returned to Twitter/X after the WFA was threatened with a  law suit over their social media Guidelines initiative?" The answer could perhaps drive a wonderful campaign to expose such marketers for their blatant contribution to the erosion of credible serious informed media (which typically generate the most impactful and cost effective "attention" to ad campaigns for a brand's target group relative to the often dangerous environments offerred by the social media.)  Look forward to more commentaries from you.

  • New 'Alternative' Viewers' Data In TV Ads: Do Consumers Care? by Wayne Friedman (TV Watch on 12/05/2024)

    Wayne:  This Pararmount "slight of hand" surely echoes the infamous "alternative facts" (statement by Kelly Ann Conway) which appers to pervade TV/Video measurement in the US most of which does not reflect valid, persons based, actual "viewership" (Eyes/Ears-On at a minimum) of content.  As a reminder, "currency" for any medium is singular as evident and practiced by long established REAL JICs worldwide. 

  • Senators Press House To Vote On Kids Safety Bill by Wendy Davis (MediaDailyNews on 12/04/2024)

    Wendy: Another insightful piece on social media albeit focussed on our barraged youth. Based on a career on all sides of media and advertising, I am brought back to what I believe is a cornerstone to helping resolve the often appalling and sometimes tragic content delivery and business practices of the various social media "Death Stars".  Congress needs to rescind Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, 1996 that essentially "permits" social media to consistently, continually and deliberately (follow the money!) deliver flagrantly false and damaging filth and misinformation on their platforms that more "traditional" media would be severly punished for.So it appears to me that this Senate initiative fails to address the fundamental overarching issues and damage driven by unrestricted social media content. As "We the people" should understand, "free speech" is NOT free! There are, and need to be, barriers to protect us all.

  • Court Upholds Meta's $25 Million Fine Over Political Ad Disclosures by Wendy Davis (MediaDailyNews on 12/03/2024)

    Wendy, another great piece!  Based on social media's on-going, utterly irresponsible, and often blatantly false and/or toxic content, that the ad industry has not demanded Section 23O of the CDA be rescinded is surely shameful.  In my opinion, it speaks to the evident collusion between our major industry associations and Council's to ignore or condone damaging behaviours, specious metrics or a littany of unethical business processes.  These industry  entities regularly produce invaluable outputs to help move our industry forward. However, their lack of desire to protect themselves and their members from the influence (and wrath - X!) of the "media death stars" demands detailed assessment by their Board's of Directors.  The "Advertising: Who Cares?" Movement can  offer invaluable insights to any Board that would guide them in addressing an array of issues that have contributed to the erosion of the quality, accountability, transparency and equity of "our" business.

  • X, Former Twitter, Still A 'Hellscape' by Maarten Albarda (Media Insider on 11/22/2024)

    Maarten: I hope you can hear my applause for your insightful comments regarding X and  "Leon" Musk.Consumers are, thankfully, already swtiching to Bluesky but in the meantime should advertisers and their media media agencies that use/recommend X be publically shamed?  Should the ANA & the 4A's push for eliminating Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, 1996, that protects the social media "Death Stars" for responsibility for third party content generated by their users?  Those that agree please consider joining the "Advertsiing: Who Cares?" Movement. Olympic Media Consultancy is a proud member of its Measurement, Accountability, Transparency, and Neutrality Group becasue our industry deserves so much better than the current status quo.  https://www.advertisingwhocares.org/ 

  • Why Sequent Partners Is Packing It In: A Conversation With Spaeth & Sylvester by Joe Mandese (Planning & Buying Insider on 11/07/2024)

    The industry is losing two rare and honest brokers that never backed off telling media or  marketing truths whatever the consequences, e.g., "last touch attribution is nuts!".  Amen.  The current state of the media and consumer research and marketing analytics businesses has, I suggest, never been in such a weak, and often deliberately biased and misguided state.  Losing Jim and Alice adds further concerns that, in my opinion, the decline in quality, transparency, accountability, neutrality, and ethical business practices will continue.  The industry owes a huge debt to these two phenomenal leaders and thinkers.

  • Presidential Election Predictions Data: Where We Stand by Ed DeNicola (MediaDailyNews on 11/04/2024)

    Ed: A terrific analysis.  Remember Tony's polling Guidelines:  Only use high quality polls, e.g., J Ann Selzer Co. in Iowa.  Many are poor and therefore misleading. Even for high quailty polls double the estimated range of error to "truly"  understand the potential spreads.

  • Market Like An Olympian: Dream, Train, Compete by Ivy Cohen (Marketing Insider on 10/15/2024)

    Ivy: As an GB Olympian operating in the US, you have eloquently captured "our" mindset.  As a career global media & Ad researcher, data quality, validity and its derivation & methodological technique(s) are a vital cornerstone in developing "winning" brand marketing campaigns.  In my opinion, sadly too many metrics and databases in use today in our Ad & Media business should either be yellow carded (per real football, aka soccer), red carded, or even disqualified.  That includes some databases and/or "Standards" [sic] vetted by MRC.  The current farrago involving multiple TV/Video currencies (currency for any entity is singular!) and abuse of JIC's -Joint Industry Committees that have operated globally for years - here in the US being a case in point.  There are many other examples which is why as an Olympian, I joined and am heavily involved in the "Advertising: Who Cares?" Movement, because we need to bring trust, accountability and transparency back to all aspects of our craft especially to media research and metrics here in the US.   https://www.advertisingwhocares.org/#about 

  • The Good Thing About Doing The Right Thing Is That It's Right by Dave Morgan (Media Insider on 10/03/2024)

    Dave: Yet another solid POV but everyone just follows the money?  How many US ad execs are members of the "Advertising: Who Cares?" Movement?  (Privately of course otherwise they would likely lose thir jop!) I believe I was one of the first and also joined the Measurement & Accountability Workstream Group which presented in London at the first Who Cares? Conference - "Measurement principles have not changed but the practices have!"  Were you there?  The discussions we had on measurement, metrics, defintion of terms, quality, reliability, verification, etc. and their use and application were, sadly, damming with major industry players, associations and organisations in the US suggested as some of the worst protagonists.  Respectfully I would modify your council.  Independently and thoroughly verify (outside of any industry organisation!), then trust. 

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