Sandy Schadler - Digital Strategist
I’m not one for betting. I think I would have more fun actually driving through an urban neighborhood and throwing money out my car window than putting it on a table of chance. I was asked to think of where I would bet the advertising business is heading in five years. As much as I dislike the thought of being committed to a single view on that topic, this conversation is my attempt to place my bet on the guiding directives, not necessarily a straight answer to the question.
Broadband has catapulted advertising forward in the 21st century with the consistent release of new and emerging channels. I couldn’t wait for the opportunity to work with full blown video and real time connections and now I have to deliver…in a very big way. These channels are not my father’s networks built on single malt scotch and stogies. No, I’m talking about multi-billion dollar, digital entities run by twenty and thirty-somethings who thrive on mojito’s and Red Bull to constantly come up with what’s next for my sleepless eyeballs to consume.
The need for advertising to reach its target audience hasn’t changed, but the target is on the move. Consumers and their personal devices are shifting advertisers’ focus on mobile and digital into the mainstream with metrics unmatched by the traditional outlets. The audience is still glued to audio and video, but forevermore it will be delivered on a screen size that fits in my palm. In five years, I expect all content to be five minutes or less and delivered preferably via a pair of hot looking sunglasses with A/V enjoyed up close and personal. Advertising agencies and their eager yet overwhelmed clients, will have more personal data on my likes, dislikes, and buying habits than the FBI, IRS, and my mother combined requiring 1:1 communications for any message to resonate.
With a plethora of choices vying for the same advertising spend, the determination of the best approach for my clients campaigns with the greatest ROI will still be more “old school” than you might think. According to a study delivered by the Wharton School of Business there are three conclusions to be drawn on the approach to marketing spend and advertising effectiveness that I believe always has and always will hold true.
First, there is no direct correlation between marketing dollars invested and the results gained in any kind of simple mathematical equation. Which means we can’t expect to provide our clients with an easy answer as to whether or not the budget is justified for our campaigns, but digital channels are getting us closer as we track consumers in ways that are starting to keep me up at night. The current chatter online to determine ROI for social media drives the need for the tools to follow “me” around and pay attention to what I am consuming like never before while tracking closely to find my offline actions that might correspond to the advertising exposure.
Second, Wharton reports that successful campaign results are linked directly to the message and if our target audience is emotionally attached to that message it will improve sales and brand affinity. That’s kind of a “duh” statement from the brilliant minds at the school. However, with an endless expansion in digital advertising space, we must remember that the chosen delivery mechanism should not distract the target from the receiving the intended message, but enhance the experience. Nothing is more important than the story and determining how to grab the interest of the target consumer with the heart of it all.
Third, once our target audience has accepted a message, then consistent repetition of this same message in different and unique forms will generate positive results and deliver on client objectives, justifying more marketing spend with our firm. Myself, and the general population of consumers, are all developing A.D.D. (advertising delivery deafness) therefore campaigns with a consistent message is mandatory to reach any kind of consumer stickiness. Current buzz-worthy campaigns incorporate product messaging in consistently new ways to be more personal and targeted, less corporate or general.
So if I would bet on anything, it is that I must launch my clients’ passion and stories into varied platforms of highly-personalized, digital conversations with their target audience because the short attention span consumer is truly the one who decides if I have been successful…and if I’m truly getting through the clutter they will tell their friends. You can bet on that.
