A Short History of Marketing

Shift Happened. Not news to you, but a clever clip nonetheless and client/deck-ready (when you've rehashed those other charts/vids saying the same thing to death).


from german agency Scholz & Friends.

Web 2.0: Advertus Interuptus

Google released a teaser comic about their latest develops, Google Chrome browser. Besides the fact that I want it (not avail yet) and this mode of Simplexity communications (think CommonCraft) are increasingly necessary in the modern age...

Most intriguing for advertisers are page 23's implications:


I think this page is a really simple metaphor and explainer to clients for just how Web 2.0 has/will continually handicap the classic, long-held interruption model of advertising.

Note other trends of this sort on Facebook such as the new "thumbs up/thumbs down" ad options for voting "irrelevant" or "uninteresting" advertising out of your social life.


As predicted (endlessly) by many of us, WEB 2.0 IS ENABLING PEEPS TO SHUT OUT THE UNWANTED (SPAM) OUT OF OUR LIVES. And the passkey back in won't be in trojan horses and increased noise, but rather: offering up generous value.

Agencies (re)Imagine the Stop Sign

"What if there were no stop signs, and a major corporation was charged with inventing one?"


via moneyries

Media Snacking: RSS Readers As Personal Space

A little while back, I wrote this post, wondering how much I should respect media snackers. But since then, I've been thinking I may have pulled the trigger too quickly on that one.

Because really, how can I not (or at least try)? After all…my name is Avin, and I am a media snacker.

RSS has been a godsend for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love to read, and do so as often as possible (latest: the world without us, very interesting exploration/thought experiment). But when it comes to online content, its truly amazing how much RSS lets us get through in a day. Sometimes I don’t know what the hell I did before it.

And lately, I've been thinking about whether I, as an admitted media snacker, feel respected by companies I deal with.

I don't. Not necessarily disrespect in regards to length of content (since I'm kinda being disrespectful to fellow snackers with the length of this post), but disrespected in my media snacking experience itself. Case in point is my RSS reader. I treat my RSS space much differently than if I were reading the same content on the original website- be it news, blog posts, whatever. For me, my RSS reader feels more personal and worthy of more protection. I picked which feeds would appear, tagged and grouped them to my liking, and filtered out all the content I don't want.

And yet, I'm still subjected to banner ads from companies I didn't invite, pushing stuff on me I didn't ask to see.


Honestly, if I saw those same banner ads on the original site, I probably wouldn't think twice about it (note: that's still not a good thing).

But when they pop up in my reader, it seems like an invasion of privacy, an invasion on the snacking I'm trying to do. Often times, it dissuades me from even wanting to read the story (or stay on that sites feed).

Working in this business, it can be quite disheartening to see opportunities to participate in conversation with people routinely overlooked in favor of interrupting. Instead, why not provide some interesting content which people would want to add to their own RSS feeds? Or somehow, make the feed browsing experience better?

Thoughts from fellow RSS enthusiasts? Do you feel the same kind of privacy invasion when ads interrupt your reader? Any examples of companies/agencies (yours or others) that have found a better way? Care to share how you've gotten clients to go in a different direction?

Asterisk Advertising

Consumerist notes amusing "Badvertising" such as this slightly misleading sandwich board in LA. I'd say this is a fitting metaphor for our ongoing deteriorating relationship with people: the ubiquitous "*" and "small print" to lure in the sheep only fuels escalated Hactivism (financial service brands and auto dealerships take note).

.

Another one to grow on from a Consumerist reader. Funny how ad lies incite passion and inspires people to recall "a similar experience when..."


If anybody has other example photos, send links, I could use them for an upcoming deck.

User-Generated: Nalts Spoofs "Cash to Buzz" Racket

More madcap misadventures from Nalts, (self-described "Viral Video Genius"), this time a spoof of buzz agentry

Get deez Nalts, too.

via Church of the Customer

Ad Agency Deathwatch: NYC Taxi TV

Today's Spam Spotting revealed this bit of obnoxious commercial grafiti: NYC Taxi TV. Our cabbie informs that these monitors are forcibly inserted into driver's cabs and the noise is rather annoying and distracting. As he points out: "how would u like someone to come to your office or place of work and blast some ads to your clients all day?" Good point Mr. Cabbie. I don't think I'd enjoy that much at all.

NYC's taxi drivers have no control as Taxi TVs activate full blast upon starting the fare meter. He says that most drivers, incl himself, plead riders to just shut the TVs off (top right corner button) and enjoy some quiet respite, to talk to co-riders, cellulate, or just vegetate.

So, the takeway is that this medium is prob not being watched at all (though I am sure a "view" is still tabulated and billed upon every meter activation nonetheless). Sucker clients. Sucker agencies. Note too, cabbies are not cut into the revenue pie for this brave new advertising medium (and they pay for their cabs remember)...so guess what? They have few qualms advising customers to just shut the box off.

Ad Agency Deathwatch: "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better!"

An NYT article today discussed another emerging trend exposing the weakness of traditional agency models. Richard Beckman, el presidente of the Conde Naste Media Group, has taken it upon himself to create a "agencylike business within Condé Nast’s ad sales unit, generating new revenue by planning events for advertisers and creating advertisements that help sell more magazine pages."

Among others, the in-house creative team has developed ads for department store Dillards


The National Gold Council


and even Lexus

Whether or not these examples meet creative standards of award shows isn't really the point. With clients (Miller Lite being just one example) and now their media partners increasingly handling traditional ads on their own (or hell, even by asking their customers to create the ads for them), its all the more important for us to not just be vendors and "people who make ads". Yet another sign that the traditional agency model needs to evolve to where we are true partners, not only creating communications but helping to craft and influence the business strategy of which the creative is just one component.

I often wonder how many people actually listen/take seriously all this talk of "agency deathwatch" and associated apocalyptic signals, but hopefully if we keep beating that drum there will be action before it's too late.

Ad Agency Deathwatch:The Break Up

Allegory for the relationship we have with our customers.

 

More info at http://bringtheloveback.com/ or check this analysis from Sarah

Ad Agency Deathwatch: Microsoft's Got a Blog (And a Movie!)

Microsoft's Digital Advertising Solutions department, with its ad agency Openhere, is on a mission to talk about itself differently. They set up a blog (bringtheloveback.com) to update progress on their big project: shooting a movie. The intent is to distribute this film to advertisers to force a reevaluation of how they communicate with their audiences (and imply the awesome benefits of working with the department, of course).

The movie's elevator pitch:

"She is a consumer.

He is an advertiser.

All she wants is genuine affection.

All she gets is loyalty reduction.

The Break-Up. A story of love gone wrong.

Coming soon."

I've got mixed feelings about the whole thing. In honesty, Mac vs PC ads have tainted me, and Microsoft is now personified as a button-up sweater, taped glasses nerd in my mind. So I have a hard time believing it's not just a ploy. They have no problem planting the seed of real danger and risk, on the blog, though,

"A quite risky project if you know that the commercial explicitly challenges the advertisers - our clients - to question themselves and the way they communicate with their target groups. In this blog, I will keep you posted about the making of the campaign. I have also given the agency access to this blog, so that they can vent their ideas as well. As should be in this format, there is only one rule: “their are no rules!”

Also, by the end of the month, I’ll be able to tell you whether I still work as a Marketing Manager at Microsoft, or whether this project finally turned itself against me ;-) "

On the flip side, I am all about stirring the pot at the right time, so I am curious to see what the outcome is. Like when someone at the Mothership stumbles upon the blog that is written by a Microsoft employee and "includes information about Microsoft, the information available on this blog is not representative of Microsoft’s views or opinions."

But they pulled off the end goal, here's the movie below. (which started out as a "commercial" but was recategorized as "movie" later)

The Break Up
Uploaded by geertdesager

Ad Agency Deathwatch: Digital Wake-Up Call

WSJ reports on "Madison Avenue's Digital Wake-Up Call". Nike recently served notice to W+K and other agencies to boost web savvy and integration, other traditional agencies are taking stock.

some quotes:

"The move was a wake-up call to Madison Avenue. The message is clear: No matter how talented an agency's creative team or how well the client's management likes the firm's executives, the agency is of limited value unless it embraces digital media."

"Digital has long been 'an afterthought here,' says a person at the agency. 'We do it but haven't done it to the level we need to.'

"Nike now believes digital thinking should be at the heart of ad strategy, according to people familiar with the marketer's thinking. To make digital more central, it needs its main ad agency to be better skilled at digital techniques because the agency is developing ad strategy at the very early stages of a marketing campaign."

"Ad executives say more mainstream ad firms could lose business unless they figure out how to better integrate digital media. If people aren't embracing digital they will get left behind; clients are already there and they are gravitating to agencies who get it."

Ad Agency Deathwatch: Anamoly

CNN Money reports on plucky 2-year-old start-up, Anamoly.

Regarding their recent win of Virgin America, "Anamoly brought a pitch that sounded more like a takeover bid: Carl Johnson, Anomaly's 48-year-old co-founder, hauled out plans to design the interiors of Virgin's new A320s, fashion the flight attendants' uniforms, and create the content for a pay-per-view seat-back entertainment system."

"Anomaly didn't want the usual hourly fees, either. 'This is an investment where we get a cut of sales,' Johnson told Virgin's marketing chief, Spence Kramer. One month later Johnson's no-name firm got the nod, to the astonishment of many in the industry. 'The pitch was unlike all the rest,' Kramer says. 'They never even mentioned ads. They were telling us how we could make more money.'"


CNN Money further outlines what separates Anomaly from the rest of the pack...

1. Creative compensation

2. Product design

3. Mobile marketing platform


via CNN Money

Ad Agency Deathwatch: The CMOs Weigh In

According to a recent study of senior marketing executives by Evalueserve for Sapient, just over half of Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) believe that traditional, large advertising agencies are ill-suited to meet online marketing needs. Similarly, 49% of survey respondents believe that traditional advertising firms have difficulty thinking beyond traditional print and TV media models, which no longer are effective ways of engaging consumers who now get their information and influence one another primarily through digital channels.

As a result, fewer than 10% of those polled seek to partner with large advertising agencies for their online marketing. Instead, the majority of senior marketing executives show a strong preference for blended firms - firms with roots in technology that can also offer creative and traditional print expertise. Even more (68%) prefer to work with multiple agencies, in order to derive the benefits of specialization.

Sapient's research, Electronic Media, Marketing and Advertising Buyer Value Study, surveyed more than 100 CMOs and senior marketers from the US and UK in a range of industries to understand the drivers behind their selection of marketing and advertising agencies.

Gaston Legorburu, Sapient Chief Creative Officer and head of the Experience Marketing practice at Sapient, said "Two of the greatest challenges companies are struggling with are how to measure the effectiveness of the marketing spend and how to operationalize their entire digital strategy. Most agencies and corporate teams are just not equipped to do either yet."

The study revealed that the six most important factors to a CMO when choosing a marketing partner are (in order of importance to aggregate respondents):

1. Quality of Creative Content
2. Innovation and Strategic Value
3. Price/Cost
4. Sophisticated Analytics and Measurement Systems
5. Proficiency in Emerging, Interactive or Digital Media
6. Traditional Print, Offline and Media Buying Services


via MediaPost/Center for Media Research

Ad Agency Deathwatch: The Future of Advertising and Agencies: A 10 Year Perspective

IPA recently published ‘The Future of Advertising and Agencies: A 10 Year Perspective’, which has looked at the future shape of the advertising industry. The IPA has worked with the Future Foundation, a global strategic consultancy and think tank, on this report.

The report indicates that by 2016 traditional advertising will shrink at the expense of consumer-influenced content and brand–influenced editorial so agencies will need to both innovate and evolve into new territory. New freedoms in the delivery of content, data and channels will provide new business opportunities whilst still maintaining the overriding focus on brand creation and development. Agencies will need to take on multiple roles such as:

-agency as media brand owner
-agency as joint venture partner
-agency as content collaborator
-agency as programme producer
-agency as network creator
-agency as data provider
-agency as data aggregator

If agencies don’t take these opportunities there will be tremendous implications in terms of their relationships with clients, their remuneration packages and their very existence.

60 page publication is available from the IPA for £300 for non-members and £150 for members. To order a copy click here