The end of print. Some people are predicting that we'll soon see the end of CDs, books and most other printed matter. Certainly people are turning to downloads instead of CDs and DVDs. iLiad, the electronic newspaper hasn't taken off with a bang. And even though online readers now out number many paper readers (the Guardian is a good example) the introduction of free newspaper (Metro, London paper, Lite) means we are reading more papers.
Even though most of us online people get news online, most of us still turn to the radio or TV for news and weather. Yes the media landscape is changing but we are tactile animals and need tactility. We like to feel the paper between our fingers. There's places you can take paper you wouldn't take electronics. And you can give it away. I can never see my doctor's surgery full of iLiads with the readers Digest on. But remember those that said by 2000 we'd have the paperless office? We now use more paper.
Or that vinyl was dead for ever, sales grow year by year. And finally, we need to remember that the world isn't populated by middle class, online media people like ourselves. The ordinary man in the street is still in the pub at 7pm watching the football on Sky, not blogging online. The end of ads. And excessive amount of advertising is starting to get it called a form of social pollution. As an industry we need to beware that we could see a backlash soon. A survey by GfK Roper (2000 people online in America) is not good reading for the ad industry. Top line, people don’t like ads.
Worse they find them annoying. None of us in the industry would deny that most ads are bloody awful. In fact over 9000 people have signed up to a Facebook site to ask Toyota (America) to stop running a TV ad because it was too irritating. The ad features computer graphics of a few Toyota cars moving past a big red Zero to a tune ‘Saved by Zero’ by 80’s band The Fixx. Yep, who? Rubbish animation and no idea, the ad has gained fame for all the wrong reasons, like Shake ‘n Vac. The GfK survey reveals that only 13% of viewers actually want to watch ads, of the 87% who don’t, most turn over, tune out or go and make coffee. Most classed advertising as annoying. Other media didn’t do very well either. Direct mail annoyed 52% of people, and bored 22%.
Email was very unpopular, only 4% found it acceptable, while 84% didn’t. 70% don’t like ads on mobiles. The oddest stat was that 17% cook while on the web? In another survey, believability of ads was just 17% but as soon as the ad had an environmental message it dropped to 14%. That's the greenwash effect. Given this dislike of advertising (OK it’s the US and their ads are general worse than ours) should the Tube be considering sponsorship ads on stations? I dread the idea of Cockfosters being sponsored by Durex or Paul Smith sponsoring St Pauls.
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Chris, a great article, after all humans are habitual and real human habits have never really changed since the start of time.
People will consume both online and offline media well into the future. There is room for both for now!
However the next generation are already setting up paperless homes and it will be second nature to do this and then the even younger generation will do it on auto pilot.
People do not like being sold to unless they can see real benefits that will somehow improve their lives/financial stability.
The reason so many brands/businesses get it all wrong is because they do not understand the new digital/consumer era.
Over the last few years one very major media owner has spent millions playing catch up. Quite simply it was because their CE didn't even own a computer a few years ago. Yep hard to believe but true!
Brands need to know how to interact and actually give something back of real value to help consumers, especially in the current economic climate. This is why traditional advertising methods have only limited appeal nowadays.
Yes traditional advertising can deliver mass audiences but it's how you enage with them thereafter.
There is a sesmic shift going on out there as we are all aware, the economic deteriation will change traditional business practices forever.
Some major high street businesses are ready to fall, due to the economic situation. Simply put they have not adapted and embraced the digital era/generation.
Some will never adapt (These busnesses will not be around in the next few years)
Brands/clients want measurement and ROI, FD's are increasingly getting involved in how brands are spending monies at the moment. This to me could have even more implications moving forward especially for the media/agency world.
Digital has measurement tools like never before and all clients want to improve efficiency and maximise ROI - Digital can deliver this like no media has ever been able to before.
As more and more FD's get involved in business decisions, un -measurable media will lose out and measurable media will gain. It is that simple!
But a word of warning - if they do not understand the benefits that digital can deliver then there's trouble ahead. Remember my point above regarding a leading media owner. It could end up costing them alot more in the long run and that's then only if they survive in the current situation.
Nobody likes change, but the future is already here and the control is now in the consumers hands. Things are changing whether we like it or not!
People are suffering ad overload at the moment even my email box is bursting with offers for this and offers for that every single day (isn't yours?) Ad fatigue is setting in already.
However people will listen if you have something relevant to say. But they will listen even more carefully if it can offer real benefits to them and their families!
The old advertising traits of putting 'your foot in the front door' (Ads) in front of the consumer is dying rapidly.
After all would you let someone you didn't know come into your own front hall way without inviting them in first?
Brands need to listen, nurture, gain trust and respect, of consumers first.
Then and only then can engagement with consumers really pay off.
This may be controversial but some of the Uk's leading brands CEO's do not understand how things are changing.
As Depeche Mode once sang - 'People are People' and if brands want to survive in the digital revolution they need to look very hard at what consumers now want, when they want it, (not when we tell them - ads) and how it can really help them in these tough times.
Choppier times lie ahead, but brands can evolve, only if they adapt and consumers will react for the better but only on their terms!
"Are we going to see the end of both ads and print" not yet but they need to adapt to survive!
CHRIS ARNOLD
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