By Brian Bennett, STIR, LLC, www.stirstuff.com
I am obsessed with technology. The latest laptop, iPhone, digital SLR / video camera, HD flat screen, blue-ray, gaming system with new bingo games to download – yes I have them all. They are fun to play with at home and fascinating tools on the professional level as well. I’m not alone in this. I think it is a social phenomena, and rightfully so. The technology is mind boggling.
Many in the “advertising” industry fret over the future of agencies when user generated content and prepackaged technology is the hallmark of the new age of media. Others are simply more technically savvy than the folks who’ve spent careers nurturing creative ideas and developing brands, this is true.
I say we are entering the golden age of communications. Never has there been a more diverse array of media and marketing platforms to choose from. Never has the pace of change been more rapid. Never has there been more of a need for a strategic marketing consultant to guide clients through it all! And because the consumer is savvier than ever, there is an unprecedented need for an imaginative idea to capture the attention of the intended audience.
More user generated content? More technology firms dabbling with creative content? It all adds up to more junk disguised as advertising. You find it everywhere and you are beginning to grow tired of amateur communications cluttering your world. This is why Google/YouTube in December gave $500K to contributors they call “production partners” to buy new equipment. Polish matters. Clients that invest in quality content, whether that be online, mobile, or in traditional media will find themselves doing a far better job of brand development. The dollars they spend will go further. It’s all about leveraging that creative idea.
Great agencies that can pull it together and deliver content in whatever media is appropriate; that is the litmus test for advertisers when choosing a creative partner in advertising. Advertisers must seek agencies that produce messaging that will drive interest in the company and make all the technical / interactive tools work to their advantage.
As fascinated as we all are with the technology and toys; without the fresh creative content that makes the applications relevant they are all just plain boring.
