What's Next In Marketing

What's Not Next: Apple Ad On Facebook

So I log on to Facebook this AM and see smack dab in the middle of my homepage an ad for Apple. At first I was a little put of by it, but even the Facebook folks need to make a buck!

So then I thought to myself: this is going to be GREAT! Those terrific apple ads...Mac vs. PC...that wonderful copy. What fun this will be.

Not.

What did I get? A :30 sec spot. Now, let me caveat this by saying that I don't know if Facebook ad sales has any sort of restriction on content size (not sure why they would), but come on!! A TV spot just posted online? I was really looking forward to some long form conversation between these characters. Imagine where that could go.

Boo to TBWA and Apple. A real disappointment.

What's Next: 2008 And Digital

I've polled my contacts on LinkedIn about the following question:

What is the number one issue facing agencies when it comes to digital marketing?

I'm working on a speech and/or article and blog post. Would love your feedback.

Send it here:

mitchell.caplan@yr.com

Thanks.

What's Next: Brand Navigators

This is actually What's Now, and something I've written quite a bit about.

In the Business Week article about Saatchi and Saatchi, Kevin Roberts (Saatchi's CEO) and Maurice Levy (Publicis' CEO and Roberts boss) talk about the need for these "Navigators", folks who can help a client to determine what skill sets (and what kind of resources/agency) are needed to help a brand achieve it's goals in this highly digital and highly personal media age.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_49/b4061060.htm?chan=search

I wrote about it in this post which was about the changes in account management and how folks needed to keep up:

http://whatsnext.typepad.com/whats_next_in_marketing/2006/10/whats_next_in_a.html

Clients are confused. And we're not making it easier for them. The unbundling of media and direct, etc. has set up a situation where client organizations think we are all a pain in the ass. I agree with what Robert's says in the article about a media or direct co wouldn't know how to touch a consumer with emotion, yet his shop is still  perceived as being unable to connect to consumers in this new era.

Navigator's are the key. But they need to reside in the creative agency. Why? because it all still starts with a great idea. Period. Without a great idea nothing else matters. It's what the advertising, direct, and media plans should "Navigate" around.

How many Navigators at your shop?

What's next: Being Thankful

My brilliant friend Elizabeth Talerman posted this on Facebook.

As I gather with my family today to give thanks (and I have plenty to be thankful for) I thought it would be a good idea toshow my appreciation for what I have by giving to others. You can do the same.

Happy Thanksgiving.

http://www.laptopgiving.org/en/give-one-get-one.php

What's Next: The Opportunity for a Billion People to Help Build Your Brand

Community and Social networking continue to grow in importance.

A nice piece on the Forrester Marketing blog about the three ingredients a brand needs to keep in mind in order to be successful. Pulled from a speech given by Gurval Caer, President and CEO.

http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/11/15/barcelona-consumer-forum-session-notes/

News Flash From Adweek: Shops Stand to Lose in Digital Revolution

From the article:

Accenture interviewed 70 advertising "decision makers" around the world from February through April this year. Respondents included executives from agencies, media companies and technology providers.

The consulting firm found 50 percent of respondents believe digital media would be the primary form of content and advertising delivery in the next five years. Over 80 percent think it will happen within a decade.

With that shift to digital, the survey found that advertising is undergoing a fundamental shift to become more accountable, Nearly four-fifths of respondents expect advertising will become more performance based, while 87 percent believe analytics will play a critical role.

http://www.adweek.com/aw/national/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003672321

If the above is a surprise to you, you're dead. 

What's Next At Burnett: The Answer Or A Mess

Publicis unveiled it's plans for how they will offer clients a more integrated offering through Leo Burnett, Digitas, and Starcom.

http://adage.com/agencynews/article.php?article_id=121962

The bit I don't understand is why it takes the announcement of an entirely new entity to insure clients that integration will happen. They say this will work because some clients want an integrated offering, and some just want the individual companies expertise. Hence the lack of the need to pull it all under one roof.

The integrated offering, called the "Insight Factory" will have a separate P&L for each client. This is potentially a recipe for disaster because who gets what percentage of the revenue when it rolls up into the individual companies? Who decides whether Leo or Digitas gets what share of the integrated teams revenue? You think they're fighting over it now? Just wait.

Money is king and we all know it. This seems like it will make it even harder for clients to get seamless integration.

I'm becoming more and more of a believer that agencies can not be all things to all people, and that clients want specialists in each discipline. But as part of that model you need someone who will have the position and authority to pull all of the right resources, and be the single point of contact that the client trusts will make it all happen.

Let's see how this experiment works out for Publicis.

What's Next For Digital Job Seekers

Nice article on adage.com about what skills people need to compete in our ever more digital marketing profession.

http://adage.com/talentworks/article?article_id=121913

"As new technology has spawned unprecedented complexity in the advertising, marketing and media landscape, so too has it forced the need for greater complexity in new hires. The digital skills that job seekers must have and that hiring organizations demand are varied, nuanced and cutting-edge. And they're required assets if digital professionals want to get ahead in this industry."

This also applies somewhat to those seeking jobs at ad agencies, but I would add a few items as the article is somewhat client organization i it's focus:

1. A passionate desire to keep up.
If you want to work in the ad business these days, you need to be up to speed on the rapid changes technology is causing in our business, and you need to constantly keep up to date with these changes.

I written about this before...several times:

http://whatsnext.typepad.com/whats_next_in_marketing/2007/02/who_are_the_van.html

http://whatsnext.typepad.com/whats_next_in_marketing/2007/02/the_learning_cu.html

http://whatsnext.typepad.com/whats_next_in_marketing/2006/10/whats_next_in_a.html

2. The ability to understand how consumers are consuming digital media.
If you are reading this and are just about to graduate college, go work for a media company first. it's the best place to learn about how consumers are using all of this new technology to consume content. Web. Phones, online games/promotions, Etc.

In any event, keep up!!

What's Not In Second Life

Hadn't been in Second Life for quite a while, so when a meeting got canceled this morning I thought I would grab some virtual reality time and see what's happening.

Went to:

GSDM's Idea City

Leo Burnett's Idea Tree (still don't get it).

BBH's location.

Not a single Avatar. Hmmm...

The Power Of The Web

To highlight the power of the web and the ability for consumers to put their mark on a topic or a brand, see the below video/post/comments.

http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=7627&comments=1#comments

Some schmuck went out and shot an albino deer and then went on the news to brag about it. Besides the tragedy of the act itself, from a marketing perspective it's amazing that within an hour there were almost 350 posts discussing the vulgarity of the act or defending the woman's right to hunt.

If you engage consumers in a topic they are passionate about stand back and just get out of the way. They'll do the work for you.