New year. New president. New episodes of Lost. New Advertising agencies?
While we’re going through times of amazing change right now, corporate marketing — and especially creative advertising agencies — haven’t evolved so rapidly. Despite the enormous uptick in social media by everyone and their moms, a lot of companies still don’t get it. There’s too much “we need a Facebook page!” and too little “how do we use this technology to support our goals?”
And while yesterday, the day of Obama’s inauguration, was the highest traffic day for web video in history, many media companies treat Web video just like they do TV — interspersing it with 15-second commercials.
And then there’s the world of creative advertising. The big traditional agencies are still thinking it’s all about messaging, but along with several other folks I know, my gut tells me traditional approaches are like an icky stale fig newton. Advertising is now all about engagement and customer experience.
This Gaping Void cartoon sums up what I hope happens to advertising in 2009 perfectly. I hope that both creative agencies, and especially their clients — mid-level marketing managers — both realize that it’s not about messaging anymore.
Today’s advertising should be about:
1) Nimble studios developing collaborative partnerships to make small but groundbreaking work.
Barbarian Group and Crispin Porter + Bogusky
2) Participating in the conversation — listening and responding helpfully.
@comcastcares on Twitter.
3) Seeding popular culture with material to riff on.
Byonce is as legit a brand as Coke. However unintentional, this video inspired a slew of impersonators to upload their own dances to YouTube.
4) Leveraging technology to augment products and branded experiences in ways that bridge the gap between our digital and analogue worlds.
Nike plus did this in ‘07, and Obama did it in ‘08 — using new tech and social media to help people organize locally.
Predictions, hopes, complaints, call them what you will. I’d love to hear what you think about where advertising should go in 2009.
Ross - what would happen if every brand in America woke up tomorrow and stopped their agencies from making icky stale Fig Newtons, as you so eloquently put it… in other words, if we went past the tipping point and down the long tail quickly, and Swiffer, Oscar Mayer, Polli-O String Cheese, Lysol toilet bowl cleaner, Glad trash bags, Rubbermaid and every other brand under the sun reached out to the consumer to engage… is that a desireable outcome? Does the consumer have time and passion to engage with every brand that wants to be part of his or her life? Or is it inevitable that in some low interest/involvement purchase categories, commodity “creative” advertising is inevitable as its only goal is to drive a meme of some sort into the head of the consumer? (Jeez, like Swiffer playing Devo… the horror, the horror.)
What if we got what we are asking for, and more?
r.
Robert, Thanks so much for the comment. You’ve definitely made me think about this some more, especially by pointing to commodity brands.
There’s always been something very awkward to me about a company like Good Housekeeping or P&G trying to reach out to the web-savvy mom crowd with social media or branded content — it usually seems contrived, no matter how well it’s done! :)
One thought I had though is about OXO Home products or Method — good product design is becoming itself a commodity. It’s the thing agencies have the least control over… ::shrugs:: But depending on any given client/agency relationship that can always change.
PS. Sorry for the awful grey-colored comment box on here. I’m still struggling with Wordpress. Thanks again for your response.
“Does the consumer have time and passion to engage with every brand that wants to be part of his or her life?”
The answer is “no”
But then again… just because a brand WANTS to engage any particular consumer doesn’t not necessarily mean it will be accepted. The key to this is the false notion that any given brand is in control.
The process would not go.. “brand x wants to engage me.. looks like I have to engage back”. The process would go “brand x wants to engage me.. let me evaluate the personal relevancy to my life.”
This is scary because the power seems to have shifted.
Truly know your audience/target and provide a value (product and experience) that is worth engaging.
Then again… just my opinion.