I met http://garethkay.typepad.com/brand_new/ last October at the Planningness conference in San Francisco. He is a truly remarkable character, whose ability to eloquently express any idea is simply humbling.
In this short address at the 4As conference he develops the notion that the advertising industry as we know it, is comparable to that of a peacok. Flaunting its colors and differentiating products based almost entirely on the image a brand reflects - a quickly eroding advantage - one based on the erroneous belief that behavior is changed consequent to an altered perception.
In reality, it is quite the opposite as suggest Mark Earls. Perceptions are altered as a result of new behavior.
Hence in a world where the "Peacock strategy" clearly isn't working anymore and where consumers can and do choose to skip our ads, as advertisers and brands we need to change our behavior in order to change consumers' perceptions and be invited into their world.
Brands and advertising agencies have to evolve and present the consumer with "ideas that do" - because attraction is driven by what we do and not by what we project.
Unfortunately - at the moment, only a handful of brands like Nike+ and Fiat "Eco Drive" are delivering that kind of value. These are not advertising ideas, but rather ideas that can be advertised. Therefore, if we are to remain relevant as an industry, we had better start delivering "ideas that do' - because if we don't w e will not only become irrelevant to our clients but also even more unwelcome in people's lives.
As an industry, we need to get into the business of communication products and out of the business of simply communicating products.
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