The Media Wizard is in: a seasoned voice provides a 'fresh' perspective.

There's a few things to know about Gene DeWitt. You see, Gene is a "name" in the media industry. He's been cited in the leading trades many times over, and he's been the chief of some very formidable media agencies.

But what you most need to know is that Gene doesn't flaunt any of that. Nope. Not even at his newly relaunched (and newly redesigned!) blog, where he has every right to list his myriad accolades...he mentions only his love for media.

Why? Because his passion for his craft is what drives and delights him. So you can imagine that we two get along great (no fake smiles in that picture taken right before last year's holidays).

Flash back to 2000 when I met Gene. We were both speaking at a conference for the American Marketing Association and I had the good fortune to go on after him...and I really do underscore good fortune because most of the reason the entire reason I had an audience for my session was because they were already in the room to be sure that they didn't miss Gene's speech.

And while many attendees were lining up to speak with him after his segment, he wanted to ensure that he didn't miss mine.Why? Because even though he didn't know me nor did he have to learn anything new to get ahead, he wanted to learn more about the interactive world (my speech centered on BtoB opportunities in interactive, way back in Web 1.0 days).

And I think that's why Gene has been, and will continue to be, so wildly successful: even though he's an expert, he forever relishes his role as student. 

Check this gem out from his about page: "In blog years I’m probably 6,000 years old (turned 65 in February 2008). And I’ve worked in the advertising media business for a bit more than forty years. So why don’t I just dry up and go away?

Well, the constantly changing nature of the media world has kept me engaged professionally for all of these years and the current turmoil makes it even harder to disengage. Luckily for me I love to learn new things: technology things, art things, media things."

So it provides me such joy to introduce you not only to a new member of the online marketing community, but a much-needed voice on "all things media". Want to know how the writers' strike will forever change the TV business? He's got that covered. Want to know what's holding digital video advertising back? He's covering that, too. 

Want to ask a question of The Media Wizard? Ask away! (I ask stuff of that Wizard all the time.)

And yes, Gene will be at Blogger Social. I can't wait for so many of you to meet a dear friend that has soared to dizzying heights and yet remained very grounded--a balance that not all New Yorkers are particularly known for (um, just trust me on that one). And even if you can't make it to the event, never fear...Gene's blog is right here.

PS: Besides getting me an audience for my speech, Gene also did another nice thing for me years back: he introduced me to my dear friend David Reich, another valued member of this community who just recently celebrated his first blog anniversary. Gosh they sure do grow up fast!

Comments

[Mack Collier]

Looking forward to meet Gene at Blogger Social!

[Valeria Maltoni]

Thank you for reminding me that I need to visit Gene's blog more often. There is some considerable buzz about Blogger Social in the field. It will be very interesting to meet everyone.

[Ann Handley]

So THAT's Gene DeWitt! Thanks for introducing me to him... I look forward to actually following up on that introduction!

: )