Thursday, December 21, 2006

How 'They' Will Rule Advertising

There has been much to do about Time magazine's picking You as the person of the year. Most of it has not been complimentary, with many folks calling it further evidence that the media has abdicated its responsibility by not picking a person.

The "user generated" revolution is at its apex now, but there is hyperbole in the assumption that the reigns that control content are being handed over to the unwashed masses. Network TV, movie moguls and newspapers will still control the majority of the discussions and topics, but they now share that control as media consumers can now choose their own path.

Just as the media contemplates how this affects their long term business plans, so too should advertisers. Advertisers can no longer assume that 10s of millions of people will be watching Lost or Heroes when it airs or click on their ads, so they must figure out how to keep consumers from pressing fast forward on their TiVo remotes, and how to reach the millions of people who are on MySpace, YouTube or Second Life during prime time.

Consumers can now choose not to watch commercials, and they also want to comment on your ads and be part of the creative process. This opening to the masses and realization that any old ad won't work should scare the heck out of ad agencies and sales departments.

But just as corporations are adjusting their messaging with frank discussions on blogs, creative departments can adjust by allowing their "content" to be mashed up, and giving consumers the chance to create ads for them. Viral marketing allows entertaining spots to be seen by millions of people at a minimal cost, so the emphasis on quality (and pay rates for the best agencies) should rise, and quickly.

Just as YouTube et al are proving a fertile testing ground for new content, so too can it be a place for new ads to be launched before committing to running them on prime time. Allowing users to rate commercials before they go to broadcast could save advertisers a lot of money and embarrassment.

The governing of marketing will no longer be dictated by Hollywood and Madison Avenue, but will be a representative democracy where the companies such as YouTube and MySpace serve as the electoral college. Learning to work with them will keep you in power.

By John Gartner at 12:48 PM | Comments (0)

Post a Comment

Name:
Email:
WebSite:
Comment:
Remember Me
Subscribe