If they knew then what they know now…
June 24th, 2005
The “First Impression” from Fast Company today was a quote taken from an article they ran in April 2002. I clicked the link to the article and found out that it was about the waning of traditional advertising and quotes from six advertising insiders taking the (ad) industry into account. Remember: This article was written three years ago.
Here are my favorite quotes from each:
John Dooner from The Interpublic Group of Companies:
�Advertising is not less important; it’s just that other communications tools are becoming more important. That said, advertising will probably remain the primary tool in the future.�
(Spike’s comment: Did John get it right? I don’t think so. Advertising will never go away. And while it’s still the primary tool in 2005, is it really the most effective tool?)
CJ Fraleigh from General Motors:
�Media dollars may be down in general, but the role of advertising is just as critical as ever. The world continues to get more competitive and more cluttered. To succeed in that kind of Darwinian environment, companies constantly have to find new ways to stand above the crowd and connect with the consumer. For that reason, we haven’t made any significant cutbacks in media spending.�
(Spike’s comment: Hmmm, GM lost 1.1 billion in the first quarter, didn’t they?)
Bob Schmetterer of Euro RSCG Worldwide:
�The ad industry has got to understand that it’s no longer in the ad business.�
(Spike’s comment: Right on, Bobby!)
Shelly Lazarus of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide:
�The ad industry isn’t struggling for a new set of principles or abandoning the ones that made it great from the start. It’s simply in the midst of a business cycle. I don’t think it’s more profound than that.�
(Spike’s comment: A business cycle? Not struggling for a new set of principals? I think it is more profound than that.)
Lee Clow of TBWA\Chiat\Day:
�There will be another revolution. But it won’t come about just because the ad industry finally gets its shit together. The stronger force behind it will be an increasingly sophisticated media audience that demands more innovative messaging to grab its attention.�
(Spike’s comment: Lee just almost had it, didn’t he?)
Dawn Hudson of Pepsi-Cola North America:
�The future of advertising lies with passionate brand advocates who not only bring ideas to their clients but also help them figure out how to communicate those ideas in a truly integrated way.�
(Spike’s comment: Dawn. Nail. Head. Do you have a crystal ball or something?)
I’d love to hear what you think the future of advertising will be. What will the state of the traditional advertising world be in 2008?
Other posts by Spike.
Michael says:
I hope that WOM will help to kill off the companies and products that use traditional advertising to sell junk. As more people turn to online(and other) reviews of products, friends advice, etc… maybe companies will realize that they must create a product worth buying in order to sell. You can poop in a box and put a pretty label on it, but…
February 20th, 2006 at 2:25 pmTimmy says:
My $.02 The fundamentals will be the same—Here is what I have. Here is what you need. Product X is: superior/affordable/quick and efficient/makes your life easier/what you’ve always wanted. Circle one or more and fill in the gaps with contemporary and targeted ideological buzz.
Consider This:
Baby boomers are dying and their children and grandchildren live a flood of emotional stress. Degrees of connection to a dying senior equates to non-returning soldiers during times of conflict. Japan is a competitive world power and China is stepping up to the plate. Variance of regional world unrest proliferates…and everyone wants an iPod.
These few sentences probably helped you comprise an impression of who I am. Are your connotations correct? Does it matter?
Advertising must connect on an emotional level (duh) with simple yet creative iconography and phrase. Cut through the unprecedented amount of bombarding minutia that fills every moment of life. Don’t shout any more, please! Show me, quickly, and make me care.
(The expressed opinion of Timmy is based solely on the vague question regarding the future of traditional advertising and without considering market analysis, target demographic, product, brand and all other dribble contained in the marketing/advertising/pr lexicon. I’m out of work and looking for a great team for which to share, spur and imbibe creativity.)
February 20th, 2006 at 2:26 pmGenie says:
I know nothing about advertising. I work for a company that doesn’t do external marketing. Ever. My division alone has grown roughly $500m in the last 6 years through feel good “I love your man’ one-on-one. We are the anti dog poop. Although I must admit, in my presonal life, I am a dog poop junkie.
February 20th, 2006 at 2:26 pm