What's Next In Marketing

What's Next: Nick Brien, Innovation, and Brand Building Goes To The Wayside???

Nick Brien makes some excellent points during this segment of AdAge's Media Maven's Awards show.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1370868150/bctid3265500001

He's spot on in regard to what the financial crises represents for agencies (both creative and media): danger and opportunity (the Chinese definition of "crisis". Innovation and strategic thinking have never been more important. And that agencies need to continue to push their clients to leverage all of the platforms available to them, many of which are part of the new/digital media world, where efficiency and measurement are much higher than in  traditional channels.

I have a bit of an issue with Nick's last statement. he says that promotion will gain a greater role in this paranoid environment. While I agree that agencies are going to be taken to task even more by clients to insure that our ideas actually helps sell their products and services, I don't agree that it needs to be at the detriment of brand building.

Great ideas can and should do both.

I'm driven crazy by these ads that brands run over and over again just to drive home a promotional or price driven point. Here's a horrible example from Toyota: I think I've seen this spot about a thousand times now.

Great ideas should do both: build the brand and drive sales. If we are only in business to produce crap like the above ad, then clients will easily decide that they can do it themselves.

What's Next: Jeffrey Cole, Naked, And The TV Explosion

Thought this was a pretty cool post from the folks over at NAKED.

http://www.houseofnaked.com/2008/11/20/tv-our-bestest-friend-forever/

"Today, because of our ability to seek out and choose so many varied sources and kinds of content, every single medium is shrinking.

Except for television.

Cole predicts that TV will explode, continuing to become bigger and bigger.  We’ll take our TV shows with us everywhere we go — the airport, our commute, the back of the seat on the airplane — filling in any potentially bored space in our lives.  We’ll watch our TV whenever and wherever, whole shows at a time or broken into many multiple increments, as it pleases us."

Except that it's not really "TV", is it? It's all just content. Content that could be produced by a television network, a cable channel, an ad agency, a production company, etc. The really cool part of this is the mobility technology will allow for in regard to how and when consumers will experience this content.

The challenge for marketers continues to be the fact that this is another terrific example of how the consumer is in control. How will you get them to interrupt their content experience with your message?

What's Next: "Not Bad" Is The New "Great"

Can't take credit for the above line. It's from my friend and colleague Rob Norman of GroupM. He made the comment during a presentation given by himself and several other folks from WPP about marketing during a recession.

http://robnorman.wordpress.com/2008/11/14/marketing-in-a-recession-thanks-to-michael-bush-and-ad-age/

Indeed, 2009 will be a very challenging year for both agencies and their clients. No surprise there. But in the spirit of the glass half full, there are opportunities. I think there will be a few agencies and companies that come out ahead in 2009, but the winners will be those that simply keep their heads above water.

So that said, I think that there are two areas in particular that will be a key for success in 09':

1. Numbers, numbers, numbers. Analytics, ROI, Measurement. The ability and need to intelligently and deeply understand how effective and efficient your efforts are in the marketplace will be looked at with more scrutiny than ever. So, be proactive. get ahead of this. If you haven't engaged your client in this conversation yet get going because they are going to eventually ask you. And if you haven't, your client is likely already talking with someone else. Push.

2. Digital will be even more important. While there is always a lot if talk about digital, over the past year or so I have felt like it has been very tactical talk. What to do with Facebook. What to do with Twitter. Micro site or not?

Now is when companies need to look at digital in a broader context and with a more strategic focus. Digital (and by saying digital I mean all mktg activities that include technology...search, mobile, etc., not just the web). It's a highly efficient, highly target able, highly measurable set of platforms.

2009 is the year that digital finally becomes the absolute front of all smart marketing plans.

Columbia Sportwear And The El Ojo Awards

I'm proud to say my friend and colleague John Gerzema's book, "The Brand Bubble", is the listed as the number three on the Amazon "Best of 2008 top 10 lists for Business & Investing".

A great read and a MUST read for anyone in the advertising and marketing business during these challenging times.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=amb_link_7803252_4?ie=UTF8&plgroup=1&docId=1000295911&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=left-1&pf_rd_r=055XWGHD2H4HRPTB4T84&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=457473601&pf_rd_i=1239030011
 

Brand Bubble Book Really Is What's Next!

I'm proud to say my friend and colleague John Gerzema's book, "The Brand Bubble", is the listed as the number three on the Amazon "Best of 2008 top 10 lists for Business & Investing".

A great read and a MUST read for anyone in the advertising and marketing business during these challenging times.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=amb_link_7803252_4?ie=UTF8&plgroup=1&docId=1000295911&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=left-1&pf_rd_r=055XWGHD2H4HRPTB4T84&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=457473601&pf_rd_i=1239030011
 

Sir Martin Sorrell Is Part Of What's Next

An interview with Sir Martin (disclaimer for those who don't know: I work at Y&R, a WPP company).

Some very smart stuff. I agree with him that digital will play a larger role next year. I disagree that is will take three to five years for digital to be a third of the holding group's revenue. Believe it will (and needs) to move much more quickly.

A very interesting comment about three minutes in on the price/cost ratio advantage of traditional media on 09' based on pressures and potentially greater demand.

What's Next: Elizabeth Talerman, Politics, And War Of The Worlds

(Note from Mitch: I'm out this week so I've invited a few guest bloggers to write about what they think is part of What's Next? Elizabeth Talerman has spent 24 years working with leading brands in technology, consumer packaged goods, food & beverage, sports, media, non-profit, travel, telecommunications, and financial services. Practiced at the art of innovation and the pragmatics of turning strategy into action plans, Talerman’s focus is on achieving triple bottom-line efficacy: profitability, social responsibility, and sustainability.)

Politics and War of the Worlds

On Wednesday night last week, Presidential candidate, Barack Obama purchased 30-minutes of airtime across seven networks simultaneously.  This was a bold and dramatic use of advertising.  Reaching 26+ million viewers and garnering ratings that rival prime-time television shows, Obama used the time to illustrate his political agenda with stories.  Four families were featured and shared their lives and hardships.  Each was carefully chosen to help Americans understand the impact of the past administration, the policies that underpin Senator Obama’s campaign promises, and most of all to ignite viewer passion and inspire people watching to vote on November 4th.

The next day marked the 70th anniversary of the legendary broadcast, War of the Worlds.  Not unlike the evening prior (replacing a TV for a radio), on the night of October 30, 1938, families everywhere were gathered around their radios for another episode of CBS’s Mercury Theater On The Air. The evening’s episode was a radio adaptation of the H.G. Wells classic War Of The Worlds, in which the Earth is invaded from outer space.  The episode prompted many listeners to flee their homes and call friends and family for verification. While somewhat primitive by today’s standards, the broadcast was far ahead of its time and was an early demonstration of the power of storytelling through the medium of radio.

What do these two broadcasts have to do with one another?  Both leveraged the power of storytelling and mass media to inspire rich reactions and subsequent action. For those of you who know me, this will sound familiar.  Before advertisers and their agencies can reach into consumers’ wallets, we have a far better shot at success if we take the time to tickle people’s funny bones, tug on their heartstrings, or ignite their intellects.  The best marketing and communications campaigns recognize this quid pro quo and leverage brand storytelling to connect with audiences.  Stories are metaphors and help people engage with, understand and relate to concepts, brands, products and services in a deeply personal way.  So the next time you write a brief or begin the concepting process, consider the stories that your brand might tell.

What's Next: Mike Duda From Deutsch Inc.

(Note from Mitch: I'm out this week so I've invited a few guest bloggers to write about what they think is part of What's Next? Mike Duda is Partner, Chief Corporate Strategy Officer at Deutsch Inc. in New York.)

With the financial markets as stable as one of Dan Snyder's roller coasters (http://www.myfoxdc.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=4566347=1=EN-US=VSTY=3.2.1 <http://www.myfoxdc.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=4566347&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.2.1>), gloom-and-doom conversations on Agency growth, advertiser budgets and overall marketing are rampant. True, we must contend with almost certain fiscal haircuts in our sector. It makes sense, though with the endless sky-is-falling talk that is permeating, it’s as if none of us have any control over our inevitably negative industry.

Enough.

By no means are circumstances currently wonderful. It ain't smelling like roses and Virginia, there is no Santa Claus. 2009 is a roll-up-the-sleeves year, and each of us will have to fight his/her tails off to achieve even minimal gains. Darwinism will be in full effect, leaving some businesses and talent to take tough, tough hits while others use this period as a chance to gain long-term advantages. With that in mind, here are 10 predictions for what's to come in 2009.

10) Obama elected. Emotional hope for "change" stirs uplifting consumer-confidence spike, despite significant business layoffs that will hit in January.

9) Sarah Palin will become a verb. When an Agency is leading a new business pitch but then blows it in the final third of the pitch process, executives will internally meet to discuss how they "Palined" the opportunity and attempt to learn from their mistakes.

8) Many "What's Next?" blog readers and Agency heads will seek counsel from the Draper-inspired era that was 1961 with increased "Mad Men" ratings. Heck, ad growth for the decade was pretty phenomenal...but I'll stick with the non-skinny ties, thank you.
http://www.vineyardvines.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/category.endecaLanding/categoryID/c8a490de-d7df-4764-9f7e-e058216318b0/N/181

7) The industry will continue its rubbernecking of Enfatico http://www.enfatico.com/.

6) A non-ad Agency wins Advertising Age's "Agency of the Year" award.

5) ***Number Five eliminated due to budget cuts caused by bailout crisis. Please check back periodically. Thank you.***

4) Twitter will transcend social media status, leading the charge for the emerging "Now Web" era that spurs businesses to speed up their operations.

3) ROI will be used exactly the same way as it was during the 2001-03 advertising retrenchment, with the same level of lame, thinly veiled application.

2) Consumers will be cacooning á la post-9/11, but online advertising and commerce will do better than projected.

1) The naysayers in our industry will reap what they sow...as will those committed to making things happen.