My contention:

Now is the most exciting time to work in advertising. Ever.

Conflict.

Crisis.

Resolution.

The conflict between ‘us’ and ‘them’

Source: TGI

%

“I enjoy the ads as much as the TV programmes”

Source: TGI

%

“TV ads are annoying”

Source: OMD Proprietary DVR Study 2006

%

“I don’t recall seeing any commercials while watching the programme” (American Idol or Desperate Housewives)

Images courtesy of Russell Davies

Images courtesy of Russell Davies (above) and Wooster Collective (right)

Hugh MacLeod – gapingvoid.org

This conflict has created a crisis: more often than not, what we do doesn’t work.

Epic fail.

“In most categories a brand’s market share is stationary”

4 out of 5 categories seen as increasingly homogeneous

Less than 1 in 10 ads seen as different

4% response rate successful in DM; 0.5% average click-thru rate for banners

3x $ spent on price cutting as on ‘brand building’ in packaged goods

Sources: Andrew Ehrenberg; Copernicus Consulting; McKinsey

This is because we have the wrong map and the wrong directions.

1. We focus on the wrong thing.

Consumer.

Brand.

Business.

Culture.

The most interesting people and things are multi-faceted, full of depth and nuance.

2. Lost in translation.

A brand is a business’ social manifestation.We live in two worlds, one of ‘social exchanges’ and one of ‘market exchanges’

Historically, we’ve focused on translating commercial grammar into social grammar (rather awkward, like offering your friend’s mum $10 for cooking you dinner)

We need to translate the other way and bring social grammar into the commercial world.

It’s not about social media.

It’s about social ideas and unsocial ideas.

3. The pursuit of the wrong objectives.

The usual objectives are wrong.

Awareness doesn’t really matter in a world of overchoice

Attributes and attitudes, adjusted for brand size, don’t change

Image doesn’t shift until after behavior

Source: Andrew Ehrenberg

Source: “The Brand Bubble”, John Gerzema

It’s energy that matters.

The active or moving force of a brand

We can resolve this crisis by realizing that what makes a great idea today is different.

Great ideas today are different.

Have a point of view on the world, not a position in the category.

Have a social mission, not just

a commercial proposition.

“Like any company we require a profit to stay in business. But

it is not the reason we are in business. The thing that has not changed from day one is

the desire to make people think about the world

we live in. This is, and always will be, why we are in business.”

Photo: Andrew Hovells (aka Northern Planner)

Photo: Andrew Hovells (aka Northern Planner)

Have a point of view on the world, not a position in the category.

Understand what people are interested in and work back from there.

Great ideas today are different.

“Nobody reads advertising. People read what they want to read and sometimes it's

an ad.”Howard Gossage

“Often our biggest mistake as managers is believing that, in general, customers care

a lot about your brand. They do not.”Patrick Barwise

Not sure a gorilla playing a Phil Collins drum solo wins us the Dairy Milk account

A text message from Laurence Green to Richard Flintham

5 million views in 8 weeks

Sales up 7%, 30% greater than industry average

Have a point of view on the world, not a position in the category.

Understand what people are interested in and work back from there.

Do stuff, don’t just say stuff.

Great ideas today are different.

DO.

Learn.

Have a point of view on the world, not a position in the category.

Understand what people are interested in and work back from there.

Do stuff, don’t just say stuff.

Do lots of things, not one thing.

Great ideas today are different.

“Any idea is dangerous if it’s a person’s only idea”*A culture full of depth and complexity

The rule of the 5% requires lots of matches to start a fire

Why not when the economics have changed?

* George Will’s take on the American idea, Atlantic Monthly, November 2007

Provide anuplifting experience

that enrichespeople’s lives

language,eg ‘skinny’

specials eg frappucino

habitsformation

rangeand options

orderingsystem

starbuckscompany

baristaculture

‘my sister’book

africa 05

socialresponsibility

used groundsfor gardeners

fair tradecoffee

causepublicityin store

sofas andambience

hearmusicXm

burn your owncd

music cd

in storeperformance

and art

book reading

starbuckssalon

akelah and the bee

Source: John Grant, ‘The Brand Innovation Manifesto’

Coherency not consistency.

Organize the world’s information

and make it universally

accessible and useful.

It’s about understanding distributed identity.

Google Search

Google 411 Google

Docs

Googlelabs

GoogleShopping

Google Scholar

Google Books

GoogleMaps

Google sketch

Google.Org

Fossil fuel Challenge

Youtube

Chrome Browser

Blogspot

The only big idea today is not to forget the little ones along

the way.

Thank you Ed and Influx Insights for spotting this

High frequency. Low value. Semi-unpredictable rewards.

All this means how you design, create and evaluate ideas has to change.

Does it communicate?

Is it clear?

Is it likeable?

Is it engaging?

Is it replicable?

Is it magnetic?

Has it got depth?

Is it slippy and spreadable?

Is it participatory?

Is it generative?

Success will no longer come from sugar coating interruptions.

It will come from making a positive cultural contribution.

Thanks.http://www.garethkay.com

http://www.twitter.com/garethkhttp://www.modernista.com