Abandon Hope for all yea who enter Advertising Agencies!
That goes for Clients as well as staff.
Because the party is well and truly over. Although truth be told the advertising agencies are the last ones to realize that fact..
A very recent report from America states that “one marketing executive who sees agencies as ‘a necessary evil’, rather than a strategic partner”. While another marketer complains “Most senior ad execs appear more comfortable with conventional channels, which they claim are integrated because they have tacked on a website!”
Meanwhile the latest blue chip gizmo, Social Networking Sites, is falling out of favor. Clients are experiencing fast diminishing returns on their social networking ad investments. Users are becoming more or less desensitized to advertising. One Client claimed “You won’t make money on it.
Meanwhile the press continues to give marketing bad coverage.
One leading National newspaper posed the question “What doctrine of marketing teaches that reminding people you won’t answer their question is good PR”?
The writer went on to say “I arrived back in London to open a form letter from EDF energy announcing a hike in gas and electricity prices. It trills about “a range of innovative products” to save energy. It tells you the old prices. It is sub-headed: ‘We’re here for you.’”
No you *$#-$*# aren’t scream a million householders. Rage. Red mist.
Bad marketing. I wonder how much did EDF pay consultants to design a communication that opts for exactly the wrong tone? Repeat three times after me, PR and Marketing gurus: “Delivering a bad-news message in a good-news voice just enrages people.”
Ah but the real problem is the fact that advertising/marketing/PR have dehumanized the whole of the communication process, because they really don’t understand the meaning of the word “communication.”
I’m not against marketing and PR, I’m against bad marketing and PR, of which there are heaps of examples around.
Then there is the rage against data-creep. The situation is apparently become so ridiculous that one man tells us what happened at his local DIY store when he declined to give his postcode. The cashier called the supervisor and they refused to serve him! This is becoming serious, marketing decides to whom they sell their products to…what a wacky way to market products!
But the really insane part of all this is the fact that, despite all the emerging evidence that conventional media is failing to get the message across they are planning to place your message on the mobile telephone…what is the wonder of the mobile that makes it more effective than any other (failed) medium?
Abandon hope if not anything else, at least that way you’ll save some money
Meanwhile Clients cannot even expect the respect they deserve when it comes to their relationship with their agency. The lack of experience in agencies affects business. IPA director general agrees, “There is a relentless shedding of talent between the ages of 30 and 40 due to pressure on agency costs…the nature of the business is such that to be cost efficient, processes get dumbed down and farmed out to more junior people. There is a tendency to commodity, and that can lead to work being de-skilled”.
So yes, come on Mr. Client, please increase your budget with us this year and we promise to place less talented people onto your account….!
Meanwhile back in America, research indicates that consumers now rely less and less on marketing messages when in buying mode whilst another key factor is the proliferation of media choice has consigned the notion of a captive audience to the rubbish bin.
A fundamental change in Agency thinking is desperately needed. The selling of one-size-fits all messages has to go, agencies and creatives are still clinging to the mass model, either to produce messages or distribute them.
Hmmm…here’s an interesting headline, “GM clocks up second worst corporate loss”, - now I wonder how much money they will have to spend on marketing/advertising to make it the first worse corporate loss.” ?
Because the party is well and truly over. Although truth be told the advertising agencies are the last ones to realize that fact..
A very recent report from America states that “one marketing executive who sees agencies as ‘a necessary evil’, rather than a strategic partner”. While another marketer complains “Most senior ad execs appear more comfortable with conventional channels, which they claim are integrated because they have tacked on a website!”
Meanwhile the latest blue chip gizmo, Social Networking Sites, is falling out of favor. Clients are experiencing fast diminishing returns on their social networking ad investments. Users are becoming more or less desensitized to advertising. One Client claimed “You won’t make money on it.
Meanwhile the press continues to give marketing bad coverage.
One leading National newspaper posed the question “What doctrine of marketing teaches that reminding people you won’t answer their question is good PR”?
The writer went on to say “I arrived back in London to open a form letter from EDF energy announcing a hike in gas and electricity prices. It trills about “a range of innovative products” to save energy. It tells you the old prices. It is sub-headed: ‘We’re here for you.’”
No you *$#-$*# aren’t scream a million householders. Rage. Red mist.
Bad marketing. I wonder how much did EDF pay consultants to design a communication that opts for exactly the wrong tone? Repeat three times after me, PR and Marketing gurus: “Delivering a bad-news message in a good-news voice just enrages people.”
Ah but the real problem is the fact that advertising/marketing/PR have dehumanized the whole of the communication process, because they really don’t understand the meaning of the word “communication.”
I’m not against marketing and PR, I’m against bad marketing and PR, of which there are heaps of examples around.
Then there is the rage against data-creep. The situation is apparently become so ridiculous that one man tells us what happened at his local DIY store when he declined to give his postcode. The cashier called the supervisor and they refused to serve him! This is becoming serious, marketing decides to whom they sell their products to…what a wacky way to market products!
But the really insane part of all this is the fact that, despite all the emerging evidence that conventional media is failing to get the message across they are planning to place your message on the mobile telephone…what is the wonder of the mobile that makes it more effective than any other (failed) medium?
Abandon hope if not anything else, at least that way you’ll save some money
Meanwhile Clients cannot even expect the respect they deserve when it comes to their relationship with their agency. The lack of experience in agencies affects business. IPA director general agrees, “There is a relentless shedding of talent between the ages of 30 and 40 due to pressure on agency costs…the nature of the business is such that to be cost efficient, processes get dumbed down and farmed out to more junior people. There is a tendency to commodity, and that can lead to work being de-skilled”.
So yes, come on Mr. Client, please increase your budget with us this year and we promise to place less talented people onto your account….!
Meanwhile back in America, research indicates that consumers now rely less and less on marketing messages when in buying mode whilst another key factor is the proliferation of media choice has consigned the notion of a captive audience to the rubbish bin.
A fundamental change in Agency thinking is desperately needed. The selling of one-size-fits all messages has to go, agencies and creatives are still clinging to the mass model, either to produce messages or distribute them.
Hmmm…here’s an interesting headline, “GM clocks up second worst corporate loss”, - now I wonder how much money they will have to spend on marketing/advertising to make it the first worse corporate loss.” ?
Tags: Advertising, Clients, Customers, accountability, communication, consumer, creativity, dehumanized, marketing
Views: 1
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Martin Calle on
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The problem with advertising agencies is really very simple. Agency people want to create ads and strategies using what's in their own heads when they've yet to learn how to be a chameleon enough to learn how to write copy and create ads that relate to more people. That is the homework that my company does, but you couldn't imagine how many times the hot shots at agencies like Crispin, Porter + Bogusky would have you believe that there's just no time for that kind of homework anymore. I guess it's true. When you don't want to do something, one excuse is as good as another.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Ashby on -
Martin, You might be interested in learning the fact that I am in the process of writing a book , working title "Television killed advertising".
There is a chapter there called "Sleeping with the Enemy".
Because of your observation on Crispin, Porter + Bogusky I include a section here for your consideration:
"Sleeping with the enemy!
The worst of them all is the ex-Advertising Agency man, or woman, who leaves his agency to join a Client to, very often, head up their Marketing Communications division as the new dynamic force, the guru, the gifted communicator.
On visiting one of these Clients we were met by his ex-advertising man who had the grandiose title of Advertising Director. The presentation had hardly started when he interrupted, “Don’t start telling me that television advertising doesn’t work…I have evidence to the contrary.”
He had no evidence because there is none!
So on what basis was he able to make this statement? Why, from his own experience of course. He had worked for so long in one of the largest advertising groups in the world prior to attaining his current exulted status as Advertising Director, that he now believed his own propaganda.
And that is why this chapter is titled, “Sleeping with the enemy.” Because dear Client, that is what you are doing. Your new appointment ,let me repeat, knows nothing about the process of communication and he will, undoubtedly, still believe the old mantras that advertising agencies spout forth, including the biggest of them all, “advertising produces sales”.
Please don’t think for one moment, that my tirade starts and finishes with Advertising Agencies, there are equally guilty parties elsewhere. The Direct Marketing Agencies are becoming as pedantic as their ‘above the line’ counterparts, whereby some seem to exist to boast about their ‘creativity’."
Martin you may care to visit my blogsite: http://interactivetelevisionorinteractivetv.blogspot.com it deals with the subjects of communication,interactivity and accountability....your thoughts, opinion and observations would be most interesting.
Warm Regards
Paul
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Permalink Reply by HSMedia on -
still believe the old mantras that advertising agencies spout forth, including the biggest of them all, “advertising produces sales”.
That is a disturbing statement to say the least. If advertising does not what does? I wonder if more product placement is a better form of advertising than interrupting my viewing of 24 (which I now watch online to avoid the commercials) to assault me with a display of commercials that usually lack the interest level to actually keep me watching.
In HSDMagazine we place advertising in some strategic locations that ensure the reader actually sees the ad as such we find that to be pretty effective.
But yeah the ad men in their black suits need to get a lot more creative in what they do and how they do it.
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Permalink Reply by thebouv on -
And so do websites who want to sell banner ad space, like AdGabber for instance.
I'd much rather read about a great product, then have a picture of it thrown in as an interstitial to my online time. They're not even distracting any more -- at least you know I at least looked at it to say it was distracting. Now they're just passed by or entirely forgettable.
Especially when more and more users are going to Firefox and more and more of those find out about Ad Blocker Plus.
I'm not quite in the habit of using my DVR at home to record shows so I can watch them late with no commercials, but I'm getting there.
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Permalink Reply by FoxBrownFox on -
Thanks for posting this... it seems I am often a victim of the "talent shedding" you speak of, especially in the freelance realm.
I think I'm at my 4th conversation this month, where the recruiter expressed that my credentials were great, my interview was great, but they moved to someone junior to save money. ouch!!!!!!!!
About that fundamental change in agency thinking...
anyone remember the concept of making people FEEL something so great that it inspired them to TAKE the brand and make it their own?
It seems that the life force that created what Nike did is just one that we sit and idolize from the mantle - and not one we think of capturing and evolving.
But then.. .what the hell do I know.
Great post... glad I rolled in.
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