I used to write about the problems of the traditional advertising industry on Modern Marketing. But now it's so evident that the industry is part of the past not the future, I prefer to focus on the never-ending excitements in the blogopshere and open source marketing. However, I am still surprised when ad executives speak up and appear oblivious...
...to the speed at which their business is changing - like Naresh Ramchandani (ex-St Luke's and now Karmarama) in today's Guardian.
Naresh is a forward thinking guy but even he seems to believe that what is happening is just a far off problem that might be an issue in five years time. He writes that PVRs might create some problems for the ad industry in 2010 (d'ya think?!) but then, strangely, goes onto say that the only people who really love ads TODAY are, "in my industry or super-sad."
Looking to the future, Naresh believes that the industry will turn to a combination of product placement, branded content and 'a dozen other things' and adds that...
"Great commercials are rarely written by novices, and the same will also go for great sponsorship and branded content."
IMHO, the ad industry doesn't need to tweak it's approach as Naresh is suggesting, it needs to rebuild from the ground up. And it needs to start today.
Of course brands are still massively influential and people will always like sitting down to watch a film but, Naresh, the change doesn't just start and end at people filtering out a few ads.
The ad industry should recognise that hugely influential trends are taking place NOW, such as massive consumer collaboration, vast digital networks and open source inspired creativity. All organised by 'novices'. This is what Murdoch is responding to and he's not just tinkering at the edges of News Corporation - he is turning it Outside-in.
Now Naresh, not 2010.
Trends such as people watching less and less TV.
Content providers being the 'novices'.
Communities being the dominant source of information and word of mouth marketing.
In short, I think James, you understate the case :)
Posted by: Paul Goodison | September 20, 2005 at 10:32 AM