Thoughts on online advertising and the new age
Advertising is as wedded to its old structures and modes as music is: both, equally flawed and ill-suited to life today.
Advertising is the worst, least, laziest option available to any brand today. It requires the least thought (although ironically, often the most investment).
Most attempts to update advertising are no better than 'crap marketing' - think of 'me me me' type content streamed into a widget that no-one installs.
And the most persistent attempts to update online advertising are - rightly or wrongly - seen as privacy invading pernicious 'trust us' type technologies.
The solution needs to start from consumers needs and brands needs today, not lazy old ways of yesterday clumsily shoehorned into todays' online world. To not be reconfigured, but to be started again.
The future of online advertising will be:
- decentralised
- empower consumers before and above brands
- helpful
I don't hear that from innovators in online advertising today. Am I wrong?
Nope. You are right. Thing is, people around the web are there already, advertisers aren't yet and they're wondering what's going on. Less talk, more action I think. Oh and some people (including me) are saying that data is the new advertising. Data is usually useful . . .
Posted by: Jonathan Hopkins | June 10, 2008 at 13:23
Some also say that advertising is the ultimate tax for being uncreative. Or something like that.
Posted by: Jonathan Hopkins | June 10, 2008 at 13:25
Interesting - how is data the new advertising? Please expand!
Posted by: Will McInnes | June 10, 2008 at 20:01
That blank space which is usually filled with a branded advert . . . fill it with something useful - what about the sun/UV index for a sunglasses manufacturer? Or a real time display of the latest/most popular tunes for a music seller? Or the most popular routes/destinations in your local area for a sat nav purveyor? All fairly no-brainer egs - there's loads of room for super-creativity in this space. And it all should be good. And all be in line with your post.
Posted by: Jonathan Hopkins | June 11, 2008 at 00:34
Hi Will,
Let's go for coffee :)
Posted by: David Stone | June 12, 2008 at 08:38