February 2010

As the “Who” sang during this year’s Super Bowl half-time show, “Who are you?”  While as an industry, marketers and advertisers may know what their objectives are, with a new decade ahead of us, the question of how we execute our goals is proving to be a complex one.  The yin and yang that used to exist between media adverting partners and marketing programs have changed have quickly changed over the past few years.  Traditional approaches need to be tweaked in response to new market realities.

Print circulation continues to decline across both consumer and trade titles as more readers turn to their laptops, netbooks and mobile phones for the latest information.   The 24-hour news cycle that cable news channels ushered in during the 1980s is evolving with the expanding adaptation rate toward the fast and frequent sharing of news and information on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.  In fact, the marketing power of social media led one of world’s leading beverage companies, Pepsi, to pass on their tradition Super Bowl ad and instead invest those funds toward a user-generated campaign for bright ideas to create a better world with the Pepsi Refresh Project.

In an earlier television era, there were only three networks for advertisers to choose from and consumers had no choice but to sit though commercials or flip the channel.  Today, with DVR technology and on-demand subscription options, fewer viewers watch programming during the broadcast time slot, choosing to either record it or watch it online later on sites such as Hulu.com.

While the traditional print and TV mediums mature, tremendous opportunities are available in online advertising.   The four largest Internet advertising firms (Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and AOL) saw double digit growth in their online ad revenue in Q4 of 2009 led by resurgence in search advertising and display advertising.  As consumers spend more time at their computers, the potential to reach them with relevant banner and media rich ads continues to make gains within the marketing mix.

As John Lennon would say, “There are no problems, only solutions.”  This month’s Roundtable will feature conversation discussing what this changing landscape means for the marketers and advertisers of today.

Some of these topics include:

• The role of social media channels in the marketing mix
• The proliferation of online advertising opportunities across news and entertainment mediums
• The new opportunities to engage consumers in fun campaigns that drive positive brand experiences
• The use of social media for listening to consumers to understand opinions towards brands and products
• The growing potential to engage with consumers via their mobile devices via ads and branded apps

Written By: Ezra Rich / @EzraRich

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