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Who Are We Working For? The Future of Design at ADC's Designism 4 • The Individual Is The New Media Network
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INVESTED MARKETING
A recent article written by Jennifer Senior in New York magazine discusses how Obama’s administration is successfully utilizing online distribution technologies (a.k.a social networking sites) for their intensely eager media blitz detailing their almost every move. With the exception of George W. Bush, all of Obama’s predecessors had a limited number of news outlets in which to make their cases, limited space in which to do it, and a time-bound moment to make their mark—if voters didn’t catch their press conferences or read the morning paper, they were pretty much out of luck. Now, as all of us are aware, the web provides infinite space for both its own native forms (blogs, news aggregators, original YouTube posts) and old media (newspapers, TV clips), making it possible for us to watch a speech or read a story whenever we want, unconstrained by space and time.” According to Jennifer, we now live in a post-sound-bite reality.
How does this apply to the advertising industry? No longer do we exist in a reality where our messages have to compete with hundreds of thousands of others hoping to pierce through and reach a specified group at a specific time. But didn’t direct marketing already tackle that issue? Of course it did – pre online social network days, of course. With the evolution of these sites we have developed a fluid and unique opportunity for masses of people to virtually congregate around specific topics and cultural phenomena that are dear to them. However, more importantly, they’ve created a challenging and daunting landscape for companies to communicate effectively and more openly as to what and who they are in order to develop and maintain a loyal long-term connection with their base. This exciting contemporary reality forces companies through a vast open window to market a message in a more interactive, experiential, and some may say honest manner. Consumers, or rather people, are looking for deeper engagement and what that means is that the 15-30 second t.v. spot or flashy web site and various other forms of A.D.D.-inducing messaging that advertising agencies thought once did the trick no longer hold the same value.
As a result of the down economy and many other global life-altering events many people are slowing down and seeking more meaning in their lives questioning more than ever what they are presented with. This quickly starts to affect the marketing industry. Many question where their products come from, what is in their food, and who is being exploited in order for the products we purchase to be produced. We have entered a time where our short attention spans are demanding to be enriched.
Some in the industry may still argue that you have to develop messaging that people can instantly “get” from a quick glance. I beg to differ. When you create a marketing experience that is relevant to and connects with a person’s core they will listen, regardless if it’s “below the fold.” It’s our responsibility to actively understand, grow with whom we are trying to engage with, and provide them with content and messaging that’s relevant. What we can learn from the Obama strategy is that a deeper and more involved message can be successful. With a loyal group of “fans” and a well-thought out strategy that utilizes the online distribution networks correctly your message will be listened to and carried.
--------------------------------------------
INVESTED MARKETING
A recent article written by Jennifer Senior in New York magazine discusses how Obama’s administration is successfully utilizing online distribution technologies (a.k.a social networking sites) for their intensely eager media blitz detailing their almost every move. With the exception of George W. Bush, all of Obama’s predecessors had a limited number of news outlets in which to make their cases, limited space in which to do it, and a time-bound moment to make their mark—if voters didn’t catch their press conferences or read the morning paper, they were pretty much out of luck. Now, as all of us are aware, the web provides infinite space for both its own native forms (blogs, news aggregators, original YouTube posts) and old media (newspapers, TV clips), making it possible for us to watch a speech or read a story whenever we want, unconstrained by space and time.” According to Jennifer, we now live in a post-sound-bite reality.
How does this apply to the advertising industry? No longer do we exist in a reality where our messages have to compete with hundreds of thousands of others hoping to pierce through and reach a specified group at a specific time. But didn’t direct marketing already tackle that issue? Of course it did – pre online social network days, of course. With the evolution of these sites we have developed a fluid and unique opportunity for masses of people to virtually congregate around specific topics and cultural phenomena that are dear to them. However, more importantly, they’ve created a challenging and daunting landscape for companies to communicate effectively and more openly as to what and who they are in order to develop and maintain a loyal long-term connection with their base. This exciting contemporary reality forces companies through a vast open window to market a message in a more interactive, experiential, and some may say honest manner. Consumers, or rather people, are looking for deeper engagement and what that means is that the 15-30 second t.v. spot or flashy web site and various other forms of A.D.D.-inducing messaging that advertising agencies thought once did the trick no longer hold the same value.
As a result of the down economy and many other global life-altering events many people are slowing down and seeking more meaning in their lives questioning more than ever what they are presented with. This quickly starts to affect the marketing industry. Many question where their products come from, what is in their food, and who is being exploited in order for the products we purchase to be produced. We have entered a time where our short attention spans are demanding to be enriched.
Some in the industry may still argue that you have to develop messaging that people can instantly “get” from a quick glance. I beg to differ. When you create a marketing experience that is relevant to and connects with a person’s core they will listen, regardless if it’s “below the fold.” It’s our responsibility to actively understand, grow with whom we are trying to engage with, and provide them with content and messaging that’s relevant. What we can learn from the Obama strategy is that a deeper and more involved message can be successful. With a loyal group of “fans” and a well-thought out strategy that utilizes the online distribution networks correctly your message will be listened to and carried.