Ten New Year's Resolutions That Need To Be Made! - Steve Blacker - MediaBizBloggers

1. College and professional basketball and football players stop wearing gang and "hood" oriented tattoos. It makes me think I am watching a prison playoff series. It's time for the owners and colleges to set some standards.

2. Drug companies should stop running TV commercials that state all the side effects aired by a cheery voice as happy music is being played. "You may go deaf, blind or drop dead," as playing in the background is a very upbeat spiritual song.

3. All future investment company bonuses that are given within one year will be taxed at 90%. Bonuses or stock options that are payable five years out will only be taxed at 50%. These spoiled, over paid executives, who caused our system to collapse must stop being overly rewarded! They create no new jobs and gambol away our economy.

4. The Republicans must realize that Obama and the Democrats won the election and stop campaigning against them. Republican leaders have to realize that the likes of Sarah Palin and Russ Limbaugh not only radicalize the country but antagonize the majority of the electorate who are moderate independents.

5. Traditional media companies will finally realize they need to embrace digital and throw away their out of date no growth existing business models. While traditional media companies realize there has been a "sea change" they mainly rely upon their old business models and are moving too slowly to capitalize on current digital opportunities for their brands.

6. Google will figure out a way to work with traditional media companies. These companies fear Google and do not understand the partnership and platform opportunities that Google provides.

7. The New York Times needs to find a buyer i.e. Google. The Time's is still a great paper but as more and more personnel cuts become necessary, what makes the Time's special will disappear.

8. Major consumer brands must start to reinvest again in their brand equity versus too much promotion and commodity pricing. Otherwise private label will take over more of their shelf space.

9. A major magazine company will dramatically increase their subscription rates i.e. 12 issues for $24.95 and be willing to accept reduced rate bases. The revenue short fall will be made up by an increased focus and investment in new digital business platform opportunities.

10. If accountability is so important to advertisers than clients will support paying ad agency media department

personnel the salaries they deserve. Currently many media department employees are paid less than an assistant. Media department employees and executives are overworked and under paid! They can barely keep up with short term client needs. Media departments need to be properly staffed and paid.

Steve's new book You Can't Fall Off The Floor - The Insiders' Guide to Re-Inventing Yourself and Your Career chronicles his 50 year career working for over 25 different companies with 189 lessons learned and insider tips from Gayle King, Cathie Black, Chuck Townsend and 28 others; Blacker is still going strong today as a partner in Frankfurt & Blacker Solutions, LLC. His web site is blacker-reinventions.com and e-mail address is blackersolutions@aol.com

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