Find out how the senior VP, digital development is using consumer generated media.
Ted Cohen is senior VP, digital development for EMI Music. EMI is the world's largest independent music company, operating directly in 50 countries. Its EMI Music division represents more than 1,000 artists spanning all musical tastes and genres. Its record labels include Angel, Blue Note, Capitol, EMI Records, EMI Classics, EMI CMG, Mute, Virgin and Parlophone.
iMedia: With P&G's recent announcement that it's pulling some dollars from network TV, and ZenithOptimedia's new predictions showing internet advertising increasing, it seems "spray and pray" is starting to feel some pressure. Is this a good thing for interactive marketers? Has it opened some budget for you?
Ted Cohen: Yes, we're spending more. We've been heavily into traditional media -- spending a fortune in TV, primarily late night. But we're spending more online to do more targeted advertising.
iMedia: Following up on that, how has the media mix changed for you over the last few years?
Cohen: Like I see, we're starting to do more online, less TV.
iMedia: What was your most successful online or integrated campaign recently and what made it successful?
Cohen: An online campaign we did for Coldplay. It resulted in 70,000 units the first week through iTunes, because of online directed marketing. The first week's sales were somewhere around 400,000. Apple represented 15 percent of Coldplay sold. We tripled digital sales over the company norm, which had a halo effect. Coldplay was the first British act to be number one in four years.
iMedia: What do you think is the greatest benefit of online advertising? The ability to measure? Precisely target? Gather data? Something else?
Cohen: All three. Not much else, other than the feedback it can provide.
iMedia: Is there a "killer app" for you? What is it (email, search, advertising on certain sites, integration of advertising)? Why do you believe that works for your company/product/service?
Cohen: The overall, the ability to integrate. It's not just one of those elements. If there's anything we have to get better at, it's search. We fall down on search.
iMedia: What still frustrates you most about online advertising? What can be done to improve the situation?
Cohen: Not much. It has really improved. Some of the applications and technologies work better now -- we've moved into version 1.0. It feels more ready for primetime than a year ago.
iMedia: What's the next big thing and how will it affect you?
Cohen: Personal content, personal publishing -- user generated content, and how to tie into that.
iMedia: Speaking of personal publishing, are you being affected by any consumer-generated marketing (CGM) -- blogs, user groups, etc.? Are you using any blogs or other social networking tools to market?
Cohen: We've done a lot of work with MySpace and other community sites. That takes the Hollywood edge off, enables us to be more grassroots, and for information to bubble up rather than consumers being marketed to. The best you can do is have fans promoting to other fans. It's more organic.
iMedia: Are you doing any behavioral targeting? If yes, please describe.
Cohen: We're targeting by lifestyle.
iMedia: What's the key for having a successful relationship with agencies?
Cohen: A dialog not a monologue; not one size fits all in solutions.
iMedia: Have you done much with wireless, iTV or other emerging mediums?
Cohen: Yes. We've got a bunch of stuff breaking with wireless. iTV -- we're just beginning to play with that.