There are far too many people in advertising expressing opinions about the fate (and future) of advertising. Unfortunately none of them appears to focus on the main cause of the problem, the misunderstanding of the word "communication"!
Could it be that there is truth in the fact that big advertising agencies performance deteriorate when they grow beyond a certain size?
Could it be that knowledge is so scarce regarding what exactly is communication?
Could it be that advertising agencies have become inefficient, thus contributing to advertising failure?
Could it be that Senior Management have become counter productive. Hierarchy stifles originality?
Because from here, for example, listening to Accountant turned Advertising "Guru" Sir Martin Sorrell, the problem is not that advertising agencies, together with their Clients, consider arguments against advertising and reject them. They haven't even thought about them!
The question isn't "Are there alternatives to advertising/marketing". It's "Why do people fail to even consider them?"
Web 2.0 appears to have been going along for some time, with the irrational exuberance of Web 1.0 – and it is interesting to note the absence of challenge.
There is cause for great concern. Thanks to the migration of advertising from print to Internet sites offering free classifieds, we face the prospect of losing the most reliable source of information about the world we live in. Newspapers!
And without a doubt duplicitous corporations will simply place their corporate messages between editorial and advertising in the hope that they will be taken for user generated content.
In my opinion most of the blame for this destruction of a perfectly good media system lies firmly at the feet of the Advertising Agencies!
There are too many Chiefs and no Indians! These Chiefs have many varied opinions as to why advertising is in the state it is in now!
But none of them have any idea as to what communication is – for if they did the world would be a totally different place than it is to day.
Here are just two examples of ChiefSpeak:
"TV under pressure", says Accountant turned Adman, Sir Martin Sorrell. However he goes on to say, "Television is under pressure at the moment from the Internet…but predictions of a depression have gone too far. Television advertising is not going to disappear. It still has the pulling power, but the balance will switch".
I wonder if he tells that to his Client, Guinness?
See what I mean when I said earlier on "Why do people fail to even consider them"?
Meanwhile another Chief, Derek Morris, Chairman and chief executive of ZenithOptimedia attended "Media 360 Conference" in Wales recently. In a long letter in MediaWeek, he said, among other things, "But what are the lessons to bring home from South Wales? What should we actually do? And there, in the final session, reality caught up when the Client told us to "Change before you are dead".
"Digital is just media, while new, it follows the old rules. It has increased the role communication can play. To be in media requires knowing how to use it and all other channels".
Does that mean we shall be reading the obits on Accountant turned Adman Sorrell in the very near future, has anybody had the decency to point out to him that one Client even said that?
'Cos. he really needs to know!
And certainly his high powered executives should be telling him the meaning of the word "communication" assuming, that is, they themselves really know.
May we take this opportunity to inform the Chiefs of what effective communication is? Because surely it is about time they knew!
Defining Interactive Marketing communication.
Interaction can be defined simply as straightforward communication between two parties. Presently we are in danger of losing the real meaning of interaction, as we tend to focus discussions on the emerging technologies and neglect the communication process itself. With an understanding of the real meaning of Interactive Communication, existing media can be made interactive, and subsequently far more cost effective.
Goodbye to the halcyon days of the TV advertisement of old?
A new wave of technology is promising to transform the obsolete analogue technology of television into a two-way medium which allows the viewer to determine what is to be watched, and when.
This could well create a situation where the consumers solicit information from the advertiser, rather than the advertiser soliciting the attention of the consumer.
Social Media – An epic tulipomania in the making!
The Internet is not an advertising medium, people log onto the Internet to go somewhere, not see advertisements!
Have you heard the one about Super-bowl Ads?
How much longer can Clients go on paying $3 million for a 30-second spot that doesn't wotk?
Rethinking Marketing Strategies: A Call to Chinese Entrepreneurs
In an era where the Chinese economy is making remarkable strides, it's crucial for Chinese entrepreneurs to critically evaluate the effectiveness of traditional advertising methods. The Western world's advertising industry, often perceived as superior, is increasingly being challenged by evidence suggesting that advertising may not be as effective as once believed. This article delves into the pitfalls of conventional advertising and explores the need for innovative communication strategies in the 21st century.
