What can I say?  It's been too long since my last post, there is new stuff to talk about, the oil spill is (almost) over and some of us....are thinking about the upcoming snow season.

Where have I been?  Out.  In the wild.  Deep in the woods.  Hiking so much its insane, camping, using all sorts of new gear, kayaking, surfing, kitesurfing and the newest venture is being more into mountain biking.  I've traveled up to Acadia, down to Bethany Beach, DE, the GUNKS, Seabrook Beach and even a short stay in Cape May New Jersey.  But what does that have to do with online media for outdoor enthusiasts?

Using the gear.  Living it.  For all of you marketing managers out there, this is me standing on a soap box and getting the word out.  Working 8-6 M-F in an office does nothing for understanding your customer.  I've had so many in depth conversations with consumers, from the "guy living in a van" and mountain biking the state parks, to the newly minted internet millionaire surfing his brains out on the shores of the Cape.

The conversations are a bonus, but its seeing the gear in action and seeing how people are using the new technology that matters most.  Which.....brings me to something special I've been sharing with a few select clients   Chitika. These guys are charging forward with a simple interface that has allowed some of my customers to see a 3x increase in CTR for their branded online media.  The price is right, the technology is sound and for now, the company IMO is still off the radar. 

Peck around their site and tell me what you think.  And if you are thinking about the fall or winter media spend ( as you should be ) give me a call and I can go over some ideas.