Isn't it funny that our profession is built so heavily on advertising yet I've become such a staunch advocate against it. There's a point at which advertising has become divisive and sinister. The advertising industry in their unquenchable thirst for revenue has given the store away and are making too much money to ever become honorable again.
      Advertising is a form of communication between two entities. When one side of the conversation becomes deceptive and fallacious, then it's time to end the conversation and part company. The problem is, the industry has become so good at hiding their malicious intent, few web surfers are aware of the dangers. As graphic designers, we take pride in the visual storytelling and persuasion on behalf of our clients -- but graphic design has very, very little to do with advertising on the web. Join me in the fight against malicious advertising ... hooray for ad blockers! August 16, 2016

We haven't had a Marketing Update since the first of the year, and it's about high time since marketers are beginning to dig out from winter. Keeping in the know of marketing is a vital need for graphic designers -- if you know where it's going, you can design for it! Follow long . . .

• Four Years After #Linsanity, Hornets PG Jeremy Lin Quietly Thriving On Social Media
• Social media responses to Prince's death spark debate in local marketing community
• Marketing at Coachella: How brands stake claims amid the bands
• 3 Key Elements Your Content Needs to Break Out From the Crowd
• Effective marketing communications strategy is crucial
• Smart Marketing Strategies That Attract Franchisees
• Do We Need Formal Surveys Anymore?
• The Hard Truth About Social Media

We have been following this issue since last November -- and being one of the first sites to begin the cruisade against online advertising back in the 1990s, we're delighted it's finally getting some public notice. But the industry is fighting back. I posted this one yesterday on UGNN ... Forbes, ad blockers and malware … another warning! Just because they're a big name, doesn't mean they have scruples. Here's the rest of the news January 19, 2016

Here we are at the end of 2015 and it looks like mobile devices are taking over, but advertising is getting more and more difficult. Since the ad industry shot itself in the foot, I've been preaching and warning about this for over a decade. The advertising purveyence industry has a dirty secret: they're screwing the publishers AND the advertisers! But don't take my word for it . . .

• Video viewability is key to engagement, revenue opportunities
• Ad Injection: Yet Another Challenge for Online Advertising
• Is Facebook Becoming the Apple of Digital Ad Sales?
• Mobile Advertising Has A Measurement Problem
• Mobile To Dominate Digital Ad Spend In 2016