iMedia's marketer on the street questions why brands continue to ignore digital and opt to put the bulk of their spend into traditional media instead.
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Rachael Donaldson nails it but the The Goat has decided to help out Adam & the rest of the 'guys' on the video to explain why brand dollars haven't flown into digital:1 - Online lauded as 100% accountable!Never been the case (unless you have a new brand, with no previous activity, starting from the ground & then start and ad-campaign)No Media channel ever!Forget Google as a counter - yeah I know, you can track Google ROI but whats the contribution of your TV campaign that's driving people to search...Lesson 1 - 'traditional' advertisers heard that digital was 100% accountable, they dabbled, they asked questions that non-traditional guys didn't, they didn't get solid answers, they retreated.I'm not going to start on cookie deletion, variable cookie windows etc.....2 - Big Brand advertisers don't get digital!Do digital guys get communications planning?Do digital guys understand ways of planning, buying & measuring traditional media? If you do, GREAT, why don't you translate what YOU know into the language of traditional marketeers.Here's 1 example of what I mean - I spoke to colleague with 15 years digital experience about TV:" Yeah, but think of the wastage on TV". "Oh, I said, you mean all those guys seeing the ad who aren't in the target demo?" "Yeah exactly!""Erm, you know that you don't pay for those views - they come for free", said The Goat."Really???"Lesson 2 - If you know what you're up against, you may have a chance of translating what digital can do ON THEIR TERMS. I'm not saying argue for digital over TV, just think about how other media is measured (see lesson 1, all media has it's imperfections) and see if you can express your benefits in a way that resonates with your client.3 DOTCOM BUBBLE BURST.There is often a good reason why an idea is a Media First - those who have really thought about it would not touch it with a barge pole.As a consumer, I love Facebook - as The Goat, who chews all things media, I rarely notice commercial messages. Facebook have frustrated agencies & clients alike as Mr Z sticks to the principles of putting the user first Only now is Facebook creating salient vehicles to carry a brand message. I hope they realize that potential in the long runLesson 3 - Traditional clients/agencies are called traditional for a reason - They have experience of what has longevity - A good idea for any media channel will be snapped up - Look to provide this, not something that is something that hasn't been done before for the sake it hasn't been done before.If anyone needs anymore pointers, drop a note to The Goat - I'm open to bribes - Big fields with long grass or carrots are my favorite.T.G.
Great topic and comments. While the scales are tipped toward traditional media for ad spending, I believe there are many marketers within companies that are eager to better integrate digital and traditional marketing, but may not have budgetary discretion with "new" media projects.Most companies have web sites, utilize some form of email marketing, have posted videos, etc...so there is familiarity with digital media. But even with its superior tracking capabilities compared to traditional media, there comes the potential risk that a brand's digital media may run on off-target, low-quality outlets for the sake of impressions. As digital ad networks start qualifying the demographics and viewer behaviors on their network sites (things that traditional media does well), the easier it will be for marketers to balance traditional and digital media budgets.
I agree with Rachel Donaldson's comment about the somewhat smug attitude (and increasingly tired thesis) presented in this video. The only meaningful insight among those interviewed is Steve Patrizi's (of LinkedIn) observation that brand marketers and agencies may be struggling with new ways to develop compelling creative in digital media vs traditional (even though his comment leaves aside the central factor of expanded interactivity inherent in digital, and how that is reshaping the very nature of advertising).We practitioners in digital/social media need to stop talking as if the choice must be either digital or traditional, but can't be both. Smart marketers and agencies are weaving digital into what some pundits might call "old-school" media and marketing, based on the only thing that matters: How consumers live their lives, and what matters to them. Maybe 2010 will be the year that we get past the sometimes self-congratulatory "froth & frenzy" about digital/social media, as if it's an end in itself.
Not all brand marketers operate in an old-school way as this somewhat smug video suggests. There are many (eh-hem) who understand what modern branding is. It's reaching your target in the right place at the right time with a relevant message, be it overt or content-based. It is not 'traditional' v. 'digital'--those are tactics. If the strategies are right and you really know your target audience you will unleash the right tactics regardless of their media DNA.
I agree that many marketers still tend to do what is familiar--it's hard to unlearn how to ride a bike. However, my experience has been that most brand organizations don't facilitate a 'test and learn' environment either. Budgets being what they are these days, I don't blame marketing for doing what they know/think can show results. We know digital can show great ROI, but until senior management makes it 'ok' to experiment in digital, some marketers (and consumer insights depts) will be reluctant to bring digital into the mainstream..
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