Sorry big time advertising, you're done. And it's been a long time coming.
You know something is up when Pepsi and FedEx both skip the Super Bowl. It isn't just the recession anymore.
The Super Bowl commercial remains the refuge for those clinging to the old ways. It was one of the last places you could concept a campaign around a single big idea and hope to have success.
It's the Alamo of traditional advertising.
Few mediums can channel into the heart of the American psyche. The Super Bowl is probably the best and most effective way to win over the public's hearts and minds. This is a traditional creative's best shot at infamy, the holy grail and imortality. After all, 98 million+ viewers who think your work rocks is a pretty special feeling.
The sad reality? The ROI for that commercial is one of diminishing return.
Hype be damned. The money, time and effort put into commercials just isn't worth what it once was. After all, why take just impressions when you can customize your messaging down to the individual?
The Super Bowl commercial is one size fits all marketing. Companies are shifting their budgets into areas where they can maintain constant points of contact with customers and allow for them to interact with and challenge their brand.
Do you want one chance to convert or 200-300 chances?
No one is to blame for this shift. It's just the natural evolution of business.
Traditional agencies ARE evolving. (I'm a small part of a massive cultural shift at Mullen.) But, this isn't the norm. The focus, money and power is still in the hands of those who cling to advertising like a security blanket at most shops.
Channels are dead. Integrated programs that are supported by communities are the only way to ensure long term success for a brand's marketing efforts. Thus, digital, PR and community have emerged as the new titans of the agency world.
To put it simply?
Creativity isn't about the 30 second spot anymore, it's about building community and engagement. (Joe Jaffe is likely dancing right now.) As creatives, marketers and communicators it's our job to figure out how to adapt to this new environment.
Either evolve or die. It's your choice.
Photo Credit: katesheets
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tagged as advertising agency decline, advertising alamo, advertising fail, community engagement, community initiatives, community marketing, end of super bowl advertising, evolution of the agency, pepsi super bowl advertising, pr agency rise
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Spot on.
You know you've written a fairly provocative article when it gets the two word response
.
You're 100% right, Stuart. Marketing isn't about who has the most creative ideas anymore. It's about who is more willing, and has the resources, to nurture relationships through a variety of channels. A company's survival depends solely on who adapts best to this change.
Tessa Carroll
http://www.blogs.vbpoutsourcing.com
I'd just be tooting my own horn to add anything.
Exactly Tessa.
Yes! So true. (best two word response was taken earlier today, so one with three.)
That image alone got me to click through.
The challenge for those of us in this space is that, even though we can measure exactly what happens online, we struggle to get the Superbowl viewer numbers. Like it or not, traditional ads still have a large impact. Integrating the two, then, becomes an interesting challenge.
At this point, would reaching 100 million people serve Pepsi any good? Everyone knows the Pepsi brand. Emerging companies might have still have a need for mass scale advertising but for massive, well entrenched companies with no new products, what's the point?
I read your profile today and it was so good to me.i feel you are the only one missing in my entire life so i decided to stop on and let you know that i am interested to be a friend first.When the fight begins within himself, a man's worth something
Great post which tells us that advertising no matter how creative ad agencies make it remains short when it comes to ROI calculation.Plus as marketers the best thing we can do is to work on the product and excellent customer service solutions.
Great post which tells us that advertising no matter how creative ad agencies make it remains short when it comes to ROI calculation.Plus as marketers the best thing we can do is to work on the product and excellent customer service solutions.
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