What The Hell Happened To Advertising?
In his final column for the year, B&T regular, Robert Strothfeldt, agrees that adland remains in a massive state of flux, but says the basics still ring true in this digital obsessed, anti-old school world…
Whatever happened to advertising? This was the topic of a recent BBC Radio World of Business podcast.
Over the past 30 years advertising has changed in many ways, yet the basics have not. The problem today is the basics are no longer taught. So, saying that the fundamentals of advertising have not changed is of little consequence.
The Post-Truth phenomenon has hit our industry as much as everywhere else. (Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year). Hopefully 2017 will see the end of the Traditional/Digital advertising divide and look at the total universe of advertising options.
The digital world is still in its infancy and though plenty are making predictions, the fact is no one can tell with any certainty what will happen to advertising over the next 20 years.
The past 10 years, in particular, has seen an explosion in alternative ways to “advertise”.
Gone are the days when an advertiser could easily reach close to 80 per cent of the population on one night of TV advertising. (This has been reduced to only a few million.)
Let’s have a look at some of the fantastic alternatives that are being used;
Social Media Sites.
Back in 2009 one of many similar online videos was doing the rounds. Social media was the new TV and if a business did not build a social media presence within the coming 5 years, they would be out of business. (Steve Jobs must have missed seeing any of these). The BBC interview the CMO of the advertiser with the second largest budget of any company on the planet. Here is what he had to say:
“We used to advertise that (insert laundry detergent name here) washes whiter for years. But that isn’t enough in a social media world to have a conversation. So, we have been engaging with Skein Robinson, an educationalist, talking about the need for children to get away from their phones and spend more time outside. But they’ll also get dirty, but don’t worry mum and dad, (name of laundry detergent) will get their clothes clean.”
Bloody hell. I would rather stick pins in my eyes than “engage” in this conversation. That is of course assuming the kid’s dirty clothes are such a huge concern to parents. Don’t worry about where they are doing and who they are playing with. The big worry for mum and dad is how will they get the clothes clean. (Blood stains don’t come out easily.)
If they started rabbiting on at my dinner party about such crap I would either
- Ask them to have the decency to share the drugs they are on with the rest of the guests
- If they are not high, tell them to leave as they are boring the shit out of everyone.
People have large social media followings. Some 99.9 per cent of companies/brands do not. I can’t remember who said this, but it sums it up well “People don’t want to have in-depth chats with their coffee or chips”. (or laundry detergent).
Social Media Ads
Certainly, the numbers are there (Or so Facebook and Google tell us). Plus, the ability to target down to find an individual whose Aunt Maud has a de-sexed ginger cat. But how impactful is it? The “digital worshippers” call TV and radio “interruptive” advertising. If that is so, then with about 90% of Facebook users talking to friends and relatives, I wouldn’t just call this advertising interruptive, but down right bloody rude. (Social media is also the medium of choice for the loonie left to bombard us with their neo-Marxist ideas)
Add to this a small screen size (in the case of mobile, tiny), the static nature of the ads and there are some 500 million ad blockers already down loaded. Of course, advertising in social media is better than no advertising at all, but it sure as hell ain’t no TV.
I haven’t mentioned the biggest shit fight of 2016 – the inaccuracy of the numbers supplied by the Facebook/Google duopoly. Of course, they reach a lot of people, just ask them. That these companies supply their own performance data and most of the industry accepts it highlights the incredible bias there is towards so called “digital advertising” (TV and radio have been broadcasting in digital since just after the turn of the century, digital outdoor signs are taking over and print is available in both hard and soft copy versions. So, WTF is digital?)
Search: Halleluiah, an online medium that really is effective. There can be no doubting the effectiveness of search and that it is an advertising mandatory. But so was Yellow Pages. In many ways, Search is a 21st century version of Yellow Pages.
Banner Advertising: All that needs to be said is that the click through rate from banner ads is on par with percentage failure of contraception.
Direct Marketing/EDM: DM has always been an important element of the communications mix. But with the average person coming in contact with around 13,000 brands a year, it is far more effective for talking to and retaining existing customers than gaining new ones. As much as Big Data can tell us about customers, it doesn’t have the ability to read minds. And being a mind reader is what would be required to tell at any given moment if I was hungry, thirsty, felt like a pizza etc. But, it would still have to find its way through the tsunami of junk emails.
Blogs: Sounds like vomit hitting the pavement. “Excuse me, I am going to be sick. Urrgg BLOG”. Could be a great example of an onomatopoeia. There are definitely interesting people who have blogs with large readerships. But like social media, its effectiveness is in person to person communication. Companies are paying some lucky sods a fortune to write blogs for them. But in 99.9% of occasions the term “boring as bats shit” comes to mind.
Social Influencers: A fabulous little earner for some. It is not only celebrities who now have hundreds of thousands, or even millions of followers. People who are famous for being famous have managed to convince companies to pay them money for promoting their brands and products (Supposedly in a non-contrived manner.) The actual number of devoted followers is difficult to ascertain. Many followers may have only hit “follow” once 2 years ago, but they still appear as followers. Having spokespersons/celebrity endorsers is not new. And yes, research has shown people say they are “influenced” to buy by social influencers. But the effectiveness of social influencers varies enormously with the product and the people involved. Jamie Oliver has sold a shit load of stuff. Credible personalities in the areas of cooking, fashion, sport etc. can be very effective. But this doesn’t mean the latest reality TV star (an oxymoron if I have ever heard one), is going to push sales of a new drink through the roof. Common sense (not so common unfortunately), should tell you what products and endorsers are effective. But finding brands that have soared on the back of social influencers alone is a bit like trying to find rocking horse shit – very rare. Then of course there can be the problem of your darling little SI going rouge. The more people you have out there spruiking your product, the greater the chance one of them will either get themselves into some sort of trouble, or decide they are no longer happy with what they are receiving. Good reviews can turn to crap on the turn of an emotion.
Native Advertising: This used to be called “advertorial”, but Native Advertising sounds far better. Irrespective of the name, if you can’t think of a decent enough advertising execution that you must hide behind at least some level of deceit, then give up the game or find a decent product to work.
From the time I started writing this to now, someone somewhere will have come up with a new (sorry, innovative way) to use online to “advertise”.
Following is a recent article from Unruly:
“For marketers, the pressure is on to not only create the most compelling creative, but to turn away from the old narrowband metrics of success in media communication. According to an April 2016 Google Double-click report, the average click-through rate across all ad formats is 0.17 percent. As marketers determine the metrics that matter to their bottom lines, making a connection through storytelling will only grow in importance. Through sight, sound, and motion, video drives an emotional response and tells a story. Regardless of the video format (e.g., standard video, virtual reality, or emerging forms of 360-degree video), measuring the emotional connection that video forges between brand and consumer will help marketers move away from focusing on narrowband click-through-based metrics and optimize the other 99.83 per cent of their marketing communications investment”.
As download speeds have increased, “streaming” has advanced from a series of stills through jerky to high definition video. Who would have thought that advertising would evolve to a point where video is used to tell a story Oh, hang on, isn’t that the definition of a TV ad? Love it. For so long we are told the TVC is dead. Now we find out that video is by far the superior way to communicate.
So, if you are going to open your own shop in 2017 and looking for an area of opportunity, try making great TV ads, but just don’t call them that.
He is a TVC from 1984.
Don’t call it a TV ad and see how you go producing videos of this quality. You may just find that your services will be in demand.
Latest News
Kantar: AVOD Subscribers Double In 12 Months
Study finds Aussies happy to watch ads on their streaming services. Or, are they just putting the kettle on more often?
Val Morgan Digital Exceeds All Campaign Uplift Benchmarks Via A 12-Month Brand Metrics Study
Val Morgan announces it has exceeded all its campaign benchmarks. Still can't get under an hour for the City To Surf.
Australian Retirement Trust launches monster of a campaign, by M&C Saatchi and Bohemia
Get offered a seat on the bus today? Knees creak like an old pirate's galleon? This retirement ad may be of interest.
Print Audits To Discontinue As Audited Media Association Of Australia Pivots To Support Influencer Marketing
Is it just B&T or are audits in the media industry suddenly becoming murkier than Roxy's husband's tax returns?
News Corp Australia Launches 2024 National Education Advocacy Initiative With Expanded Program
News Corp set to shine a light on the nation's schools in new series, giving illegal bikie gangs a well-earned rest.
Decoding The Consumer Maze: Urban List Report Reveals How Modern Shoppers Spiral From Discovery To Purchase
Latest report unravels a shopper's journey from the joy of discovery through to a nasty letter from a debt collector.
Cosmo Returns To Australia!
Ever get the feeling we've weirdly warped back to 1988 at the moment? Confirm it with the relaunch of Cosmo in print.
People & Culture Consultancy Human Kind Collective Launches To Plug HR Gap For Media Agencies
Does the very mention of HR have you struggling to remember last year's Christmas party? Get the sweats with this news.
‘We Want To Be A Growth Partner, Not Just A Media Buyer Or Someone That Makes Ads’ – Bohemia Boss On Agency’s Ambition
B&T's chatting with Bohemia boss Paul ‘Hutch’ Hutchison. Although we do think 'the dagger' a far superior nickname.
Initiative’s Geoff Clarke: ‘Youth Hits Targets With Enthusiasm, Experience Hits The Targets You Can’t See’
Initiative’s CCO Geoff Clarke on the value of experience in agencies. Not to mention quoting lines from Pulp Fiction.
The Iconic Teams Up With 5 Aussie Athletes For Latest Campaign
Fashion label brings in the athletes for new campaign, many of whom appear to have prepped with re-runs of Zoolander.
Seven West Media Secures New Director Of News & Current Affairs
After a tumultuous few weeks, Seven unveils director of news & current affairs. And B&T never uses tumultuous lightly.
Seven Network Expands NSW Sales Team With Two New Group Business Directors
Seven ramps up its NSW sales team. Both of whom are well versed in pronouncing Manu Feildel's croque-monsieur.
New PR Subscription Changing The Game For Aussie Start Ups
Need better PR? You can now buy it via a monthly subscription. Price does not include a fascinator or Moet piccolos.
Paul Kent At Centre Of Fresh Scandal After Alleged Street Brawl
Do you long for the fights, gouges & testicle grabs of footy's glory years? So too, it appears, does Paul Kent.
DiDi Taps Disney’s Tim Farmer For Head Of Brand Marketing Role
Disney's Tim Farmer shifts over to rideshare company DiDi. Taking with him his Donald Duck coffee mug & mouse ears.
As Sure As Night Becomes Day, The End Of Third-Party Cookies Has Been Delayed
The question remains: what will we see first? The end of cookies, alien invasion or Jesus's second coming?
Fast 10: Scoundrel’s Tim Bullock Explains What Shane Warne & Salt-N-Pepa Have In Common
It's a Fast 10 with Scoundrel's Tim Bullock. Make it sound even faster by sucking on helium while reading it.
Outbrain Snatches Chris Oxley From Foxtel Media
Foxtel's Chris Oxley shifts over to Outbrain, but not before having his press photo taken in the wilds of the Daintree.
oOh!media & POLY Partner With Greening Australia For OOH Awareness Campaign
Like to quell the road rage with super cute pics of fluffy marsupials? This outdoor's just the ticket.
Are Media Cares For The Carers In Its Latest Social Change Campaign
Are Media calls on the government to add super payments to carers' payments. Remains silent on AUKUS, however.
In A Fragmented World, Engagement Is King
Today, B&T TV's talking fragmentation & engagement. But not in a down-on-one-knee sense of the word.
Kyle Sandilands On Advertising: “We Want Return Business. It’s No Good Just Taking Someone’s Money”
Kyle & Jackie O finally arrive on Melbourne radio. As yet, no sign of the monotonous and bitter AFL-NRL debate.
Sydney Comedy Festival: Taking The City & Social Media By Storm
Sydney Comedy Festival 2024 is live and ready to rumble, showing the best of international and homegrown talent at a host of venues around town. As usual, it’s hot on the heels of its big sister, the giant that is the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, picking up some acts as they continue on their own […]
Global Marketers Descend For AANA’s RESET For Growth
The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) has announced the final epic lineup of local and global marketing powerhouses for RESET for Growth 2024. Lead image: Josh Faulks, chief executive officer, AANA Back in 2000, a woman with no business experience opened her first juice bar in Adelaide. The idea was brilliantly simple: make healthy […]
Is Meta’s New AI Chatbot Too Left-Wing?
Meta's chatbot accused of being left-wing after being caught wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt & listening to Billy Bragg.
TV Ratings (23/04/2024): Why Did No One Tell Angela That Farmer Wants A Wife Is Set On A Farm?
As wonderful as this headline is, let's face it, we all know an 'Angela', don't we?
PubMatic Unveils New AI Partnership To Turn Social Posts Into Ads For Any Digital Channel
Here's some nifty tech for turning social posts into ads. Assuming said posts aren't one-star character assassinations.
Intuit Mailchimp Makes A Splash With Its First Australian Brand Campaign
Ever laugh along at a gag you didn't get so as not to appear dumb? Get ready for more feigning with this new work.
GumGum’s Rob Hall: Advertisers Can No Longer “Rely On Binary Descriptions” Of Consumers
If anyone's got their finger on adtech's pulse, it's Rob Hall. He also avoids using the good paper in the office printer
Mastercard Nabs Florencia Aimo From Marriott International
Marriott International's Florencia Aimo jumps from the hotel business to the exploitative credit card one.
Bastion Agency Appoints Cheuk Chiang As New ANZ CEO
Cheuk Chiang takes the reins over at Bastion Agency. But not the rains down in Africa.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Major Sponsorship Wins After A Disappointing Week In Sport
B&T continuing our deep dive into local sport sponsorships & that's despite not a single offer of a free ticket as yet.
Macca’s Marketing Director, Samantha McLeod On Big Mac Chant: “What Was Once Old Is Now Cool Again”
Macca's using the power of nostalgia in latest Big Mac campaign. Well, only for those who've ever eaten one sober.
World Premiere Of Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line To Open Sydney Film Festival 2024
Oil's biopic to open Sydney Film Festival. Here's hoping Molly Meldrum will take his pants down at the premiere.
Entries Are Now Open For The 2024 Brandies, IntelligenceBank’s Annual Brand Marketing Awards
The Brandies are, of course, a prestigious marketing gong and not the mystery tipple favoured by nannas everywhere.