BoSacks Readers Speak Out: Advertising Morals, AI, Poor Communications, Paywalls

Re: BoSacks Speaks Out: Advertising’s Moral Crossroads

Well done Bo - though I sadly feel the comments fall on deaf ears. Maybe those from past generations weren’t perfect but honesty and integrity were well respected in the personal and business world, guess I’m just getting too old. Stay well and keep up the good work

Submitted by a former Industry supplier)

Re: BoSacks Speaks Out: Advertising’s Moral Crossroads

For a guy with brain fog (is that still a problem?) your recent writing activity has been impressively spot on. The advertising industry, in my view, operates in a way that is deeply troubling and often unethical. It has transformed into a system that thrives on the exploitation of personal data, surveilling individuals to uncover their most private thoughts, habits, and preferences—all in the name of profit. The extent to which these companies invade privacy is staggering, often bypassing meaningful consent and obscuring their practices behind convoluted terms and conditions.

To call this a mere lack of morality is an understatement. It’s a systemic issue that permeates nearly every digital interaction, with corporations leveraging sophisticated algorithms to manipulate consumer behavior. They craft hyper-targeted ads that play on vulnerabilities, fostering a culture where people are subtly influenced in ways they don’t even realize.

Beyond privacy concerns, the industry perpetuates harmful stereotypes, unrealistic beauty standards, and consumerist ideals that fuel unnecessary spending. It’s less about informing consumers and more about shaping their desires, creating needs where none existed before. In doing so, it prioritizes profit over ethical responsibility, contributing to widespread distrust.

The modern advertising industry is not just flawed—it operates in a way that erodes the very foundation of autonomy and transparency. A serious reckoning is long overdue.

(Submitted by a publisher)

RE: If your teams aren’t ready for AI, then your tools won’t matter

Fat lot of good getting “your people” ready for AI will do when your likely strategy is to replace as many of those people as possibly with automation to cut your costs of doing business and improve profits. Like, you really think they won’t know where you’re headed as that’s what your company has probably done time and time again?

(submitted by a Freelance writer)

Re: Library of Congress becomes political battleground

Thank you, Bo, for including this information. I heard about this a few days ago and it has greatly added to my concerns about how our nation and it's most important institutions are being corrupted and dismantled before our eyes!

(submitted by a friend and longtime reader)

Re: BoSacks Speaks Out: The Unseen Toll: Poor Communication—An Endlessly Avoidable Crisis

I'm a little late in responding to your plea for better communication in the world of business, but I wanted to say how thoroughly I agree with you, even if my own communication is belated. Life would be so much better for everyone if communication, rather than silence, was the default. As it stands, good customer communication is a luxury these days, and maybe the wise publisher can profit from it.

On a tangentially related note, my deepest sympathies for the medical gauntlet you've been running and my fervent hopes that all is finally well.

(Submitted by a publisher and long-time BoSacks Cub Reporter)

Re: BoSacks Speaks Out: The Vanishing Trade Press—A Lost Chronicle of an Industry’s Evolution

Hey Bo - I certainly do miss all the conversations about paper. Although I will say this - in the supply chain crisis of 2021-2022, which included the UPM strike at its Finnish mills, I never had more exposure in my own company. That's what happens when you think you're not doing to mail a campaign or publish an issue!

(submitted by a Publisher)

Re: BoSacks Speaks Out: The Vanishing Trade Press—A Lost Chronicle of an Industry’s Evolution

Bo, Hope you write the dissertation. The business has certainly changed. As paper lost it's allure, so did the paper guys. That's life. Hope you have your health under control.

(Submitted by a Vice-President of paper sales)

Re: BoSacks Speaks Out: The Unseen Toll: Poor Communication—An Endlessly Avoidable Crisis

This is brilliantly crafted and oh so true.

"Let’s stop making silence the default. Communication should be a standard, not an afterthought." That should be on a t-shirt in your future merch store.

(Submitted by a Vice President, Journal Media)

Re: BoSacks Speaks Out: The Unseen Toll: Poor Communication—An Endlessly Avoidable Crisis

Bob,Thanks for sharing this post. Obviously, as someone who has spent his career in communications, your words couldn't be more spot on, especially when it comes to simple customer communications.

Here's an example of how it should work. Recently, I purchased a not inexpensive dental product from Waterpik. Unfortunately, when I attempted to operate it, the device seemed to be defective.

Inside the package was a clear and simple card indicating how to contact their customer service folks. I reached out and after a few prompts spoke with a very helpful representative who offered some suggestions to solve the problem. He also ended the conversation with "if this doesn't work, please call us back. We have your information now and can help further."

Unfortunately, his suggestion didn't work, so I called back. Another csr spoke with me and asked that I take some photos of codes on the device and email them to her with my full address and information.

The next day I received an email from Waterpick apologizing for my situation, and that I would be receiving a free replacement device. Three days later, the new device arrived.

Great communication and customer service go a long way in building a loyal customer and brand advocate!

(submitted by a Founder and Publisher)

Re: BoSacks Speaks Out: The Unseen Toll: Poor Communication—An Endlessly Avoidable Crisis

I used to ride the MARC commuter train into DC every day. The commuter train ran on the same line they used for freight, and that's pretty much how they thought of the passengers. Very few announcements or communication. It did get much better later.

Like you, I've never understood a lack of communication. Even "we still haven't heard anything yet" is better than silence.

(Submitted by a Industry Consultant)

Re: The Guardian bypasses a paywall to find reader support

I like the idea of telling the reader how many articles they’ve read. It does remind them, “yes, I do like this site.”

(Submitted by a Industry Consultant)

Re: Bonnie Kintzer

Wonderful interview Samir Husni with the one and only Bonnie Kintzer. I'll just echo the words from Bo Sacks' piece this morning ... "Bonnie Kintzer was undoubtedly one of the finest CEOs of my generation" ... Having been an alum of the revered Digest, seeing what Bonnie and her team did to bring it from the brink of bankruptcy to one of THE most well done media companies out there was truly stunning. I'll never forget an MPA conference where she explained about "print vs. digital" (my paraphrasing here) ... said "We're learning to be agnostic - we're not going to care WHICH channel the reader wants to consume us ... just that they DO come to US to consume ... we'll have the channel available for them to enjoy what they love."

(Submitted by an Industry consultant)