‘System Failure’ . . . Is Advertising Dead?

9 INCH AXIOM – Advertising and Content

‘Advertising only works when it has the ability to engage.  It must be targeted, relevant and not seen as an intrusion’

I was listening to a great podcast on ‘Across the Sound’ the other day.  It was a conversation between Joseph Jaffe and Bob Garfield on the collapse of advertising and the digital revolution.  Ad Age’s Bob Garfield used the analogy of Frankenstein whereby the technologies and tools that made the monster ultimately turned against and destroyed the creator. 

A very interesting conversation.  One point that resonated was the premise that advertising was the thing we all put up with as a way to subsidize content.  No one liked it . . . and there is a whole new generation that sees content as free and advertising as merely an intrusion.  Even when we have to put up with it, technology has given us the ability to avoid it.

Issue:  Where do we go from here?

I gave it some thought and although I like the Frankenstein analogy for its death, I think the final scene from the original Matrix may be a better fit for the question of its future.  The setup for the scene is Neo talking into a pay phone.  Imagine Neo as an ordinary consumer representing the general public and talking to traditional media/advertising.

Here are the last lines from the movie.  

I know you’re out there. I can feel you now. I know that you’re afraid… you’re afraid of us. You’re afraid of change. I don’t know the future. I didn’t come here to tell you how this is going to end. I came here to tell you how it’s going to begin. I’m going to hang up this phone, and then I’m going to show these people what you don’t want them to see. I’m going to show them a world without you. A world without rules and controls, without borders or boundaries. A world where anything is possible. Where we go from there is a choice I leave to you.

Is there a ‘Brave New World’ without Advertising?  I doubt it.  The role of advertising may be diminished, but in my opinion it will still remain a vital part of an integrated marketing strategy.  The big difference going forward is that we’re going from a ‘one to many’, to a ‘one to one’ approach.  The communication has gone from being ‘one way’ to an open ‘two way’ flow between brands and consumers.

The bigger question and the last line in the Matrix is, ‘Where we go from here is a choice I leave to you?’

Your thoughts?

Today’s Lagniappe  -  KFC’s newest campaign.  

KFC is offering to fix potholes to ease the burden on municipal budgets.  The catch is that they are willing to do if they can stencil an ad on the fresh-ly covered pothole.  Here is some additional background and a review of the campaign from Ad Age’s Bob Garfield.  Kudos to the marketing team at KFC.  Part Advertising / Part Pr Stunt / Part Viral.  A great job on the hole (pun intended).