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are great ideas becoming an endangered species?

In 1905, Oscar Wilde stated that “All great ideas are dangerous” – and he was right. Because great ideas are transformative. They disrupt the status quo, force us into areas we may be resistant to visit, and demand a level of attention many are reluctant to give. But a great idea can also ignite our passions and expand the very meaning of life itself. Think I’m being high-falutin’? Then consider the men who first walked on the moon in 1969. All because President Kennedy had a great idea. One that changed the world forever.

So what does advertising have to do with putting men on the moon? Everything. Because great ideas are what made Kennedy’s vision and this business, well, great. But great ideas are dying. And one reason why is social media.

Social media isn’t the only culprit. But it’s one of the main culprits. Google “Death of advertising” and you’ll see what I mean. Of the 153 million hits I received, most of the ones I clicked either prognosticated or heralded the demise of advertising as we know it in favor of social media. Which of course makes milk shoot out of my nose at high velocity for at least three reasons:

• Americans are watching more TV than ever before.*

• In Q3 2009, virtually 99% of all video viewing was done on a TV, only 1.6% of video viewing was done via a DVR (TiVo) , an even tinier 1.2% of video viewing was done on a computer. (includes all viral videos, YouTube, Hulu, Vimeo, etc.), and an infinitesimal .2% of video viewing was done on a mobile device (cell phone, iPod, etc.).**

• Radio reaches 92 million more people in a week than Google reaches in a month. Plus, radio has more than six times the amount of listeners that iPod and all other MP3 players have combined.***

Social media is a tactic, not an idea. It’s a delivery mechanism just like TV or radio is a delivery mechanism. And people don’t buy based on the delivery mechanism. They buy based on the idea contained within the delivery mechanism. Which is something most self-professed social media “gurus” are either unwilling or unable to grasp. All media is social media.

Now, if you think I absolutely hate what is being called social media these days, I don’t. Social media, when it’s based on a great idea and is used correctly, is terrific (think of the TMobile dance spot in Liverpool station – 17 million views in just 12 months and a 52% increase in phone sales).

Social media also opens up new niches for advertisers, which is a good thing – as long as agencies learn how to be nimble and relevant as consumers confront a proliferation of sources competing for their attention. Latching onto social media just because it’s the current flavor du jour isn’t enough. What is, and always will be, is making sure the message fits medium. Because a delivery mechanism is nothing without great ideas feeding it.

*http://bit.ly/LjE4H

**http://bit.ly/8yF9tE

***Nielsen, Council for Research Excellence, Ball State University, November, 2009.

03.02.10 | filed under the biz by michael | no comments »

what i’ve learned from a little polka-dot dress

My mailbox is out of control. Every time I open it, there are piles and piles of promotional fliers from all kinds of retailers. Different retailers, but exactly the same message: best value! You can just switch the names on the fliers and nobody would notice the difference. There are not many differences in methods they use to deliver the value message: 50% off the original price, cash back, buy one get one free, free shipping, one day only special discount, etc. As a result of such promotional practices, consumers are trained to think that the lowest price equals the best value. I think this is the main reason why discount retailers like T.J. Maxx and Marshalls that offer rock-bottom prices are thriving in this economy.

But the truth is that low prices are not always the best indicator of value. Let me tell you a little story:

Ever since I was a little girl, my mom used to say to me, “Buy nice, not twice.” That’s why eight years ago, when I landed my first U.S. job interview, I splurged on a beautiful 100% silk polka-dot dress from Dillard’s. I got the job and the polka-dot dress became my favorite dress. Any time I need to look nice and professional, this dress is my “guaranteed good looks insurance policy.” I think every woman has a piece of clothing like that. [read more]

02.25.10 | filed under life on the ranch by olga | no comments »

mmmmm…beer

Because we’re in advertising, beer just happened to come to mind as something to blog about. Which is why we recently caught up with our Director of Broadcast Production, Greg Simos, between shoots to chat with him about his obsession of home brewing beer. The following is a transcript of that conversation.

bma: How did you start brewing your own beer?

gs: Simply put…boredom. I got into home brewing about 16 years ago, right after I moved from Salt Lake City to Charlotte. I didn’t know many people in Charlotte, so my weekends were pretty open. There was a homebrew store about 5 blocks from my apartment and I decided to go in and see what it was all about. Next thing I know, I’m in my one-bedroom apartment with a huge pot of boiling beer on the stove wondering if the stench would ever clear out enough for me to get my deposit back. But that first batch didn’t taste much like the Heineken clone I was trying to make – in fact, it didn’t taste much like beer at all. It tasted more like a pureed welcome mat. [read more]

12.10.09 | filed under life on the ranch by michael | no comments »

why can’t we all just get along?

At the Red House, we can.

The commercial for this furniture store first starting circulating across the Internet seven months ago, but it still makes V-8 juice shoot out of our noses every time we see it. Apparently, it has had a similar effect on the general population as well, who has viewed this spot more than two million times. [read more]

11.20.09 | filed under the biz by michael | no comments »

cutting back without killing your brand

Five Tips for Managing Your Ad/Marketing Budget in Recessionary Times

Let’s face it, 2008-2009 hasn’t been fun. Sales have stalled, unemployment is now at a 26-year high, consumer confidence is shaky at best, and no one really knows how to fix any of it. As a result, many marketing managers are being given the same directive by their respective management – cut the budget. But if you’re like most companies, you cut out the “fat” in your budget a long time ago to bolster quarterly earnings. So what do you cut next? [read more]

11.12.09 | filed under white papers by robyn | no comments »

digital branding agency releases study supporting digital branding

Surprise, surprise.

RazorFish’s Feed 2009 report has recently hit the net to some muted fanfare, raised eyebrows and the occasional cheer. In brief: consumers with broadband access are more likely to engage in online activities. In other news, the sky is blue, fish can swim, and there is apparently a war going on in Iraq.

Okay okay okay–snark aside, there are some really interesting takeaways. Some brief notes, to be consumed and chewed on for a later date: [read more]

11.11.09 | filed under the low blow by j. | no comments »

google to place ads in free mobile apps, plans to serve ads in your dreams to soon follow UPDATED

The Big G is going to buy AdMob, a company that allows ‘em to plop ads onto your cellphones, for a mind-boggling $750 million. We can all now look forward to having hilariously inappropriate contextual ads delivered to us day and night, no matter where we are!

[CUE DRAMATIC MUSICAL STING]