Obviously, pretty deep. I am referring to an article that appeared in today’s New York Times, “Is Wal-Mart Too Cheap For Its Own Good?” While the article may be all about how Wal-Mart is having a tough time breaking out of the low-cost, low-end market, the bigger-picture message is this: not only is the report likely right on the money from a brand equity point of view, it was leaked to the mainstream press via an online property, wakeupwalmart.com.

As video continues to evolve, so do enhancements for users who are consuming it. Check out an interview with Laurie Racine, president of dotSub, whose tool subtitles digital content. Interesting technology? You tell me.

1. Move to ad-supported content distribution model. 3. Hold an iTunes/iPod upfront. Maybe it’s too soon? 4. Integrate ad-insertion technology with iTV. Duh.

At the Magazine Publishers of America 11th annual Magazine Day: New York conference, I was intrigued by panels entitled “What Advertisers Want,” “Risky Business & Bold Moves,” and “Media Measurement for the New World.” I have to say that I was disappointed that magazine publishers have not come as far along as I would have hoped — but I am elated at the vim and vigor that was displayed by Robin Steinberg of MediaVest.

So yesterday I attended First Look, AOL’s digital upfront presentation. The net/net of the event: original programming is leading the way. “Million Bucks,” “Gold Rush 2″ and “iLand” are all original, game-oriented — and more important, they are engaging. The question of whether or not these programs will be successful from an online ratings perspective remains to be seen — but if “Gold Rush,” the first, is any indication, marketers and advertising buyers may be witnessing a true change in the online advertising tide.

So after years of talking about it and years of speculating about its efficacy, its reach, its opportunity — VOD is possibly, finally, coming of age. The question is, who will squander the opportunity first?

Kudos to Mr. Jobs and Mr. Nicoli for announcing what should have been a reality five years ago. But, as a dear friend of mine says, you can never put toothpaste back into the tube, so while I applaud the companies who have come together, you won’t see me saying that this is going to save the record industry.

So, if you’ve never been, you won’t know. But if you are in the know, it is the place to start scouting: Demo, the conference that happens several times during the year, where venture capitalists and the like go to see technologies that are on the “horizon.” Here are just a few that could impact our world of brand, content and technology.

So, the latest buzz concept to fall into my lap is this idea of “generous” brands, the crux of which is that brands need to be more human and generous in their relationships with their customers. Sigh. Where to begin? First, while I appreciate our need to compartmentalize, identify, or label in order to make sense of our world, come on, people!! After all this time in the business, you mean to tell me that this isn’t what we have been striving for — or at least were pretending to be striving for? If not, then there is a larger fundamental problem in our business.

Let’s talk about a topic near and dear to my heart: original online video content. And please note, this is a not a commentary on recent litigious events in the industry, this is about consumers and their appetite for video content online.