Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Is Display Dead?

I just read an amazing stat from the IAB:

In 1997, the average click through rate on online ads was 2.1%

In 2001, it was 0.5%.

And in 2008, it was 0.1%.

The media and advertising industry has to get ahead of this, and fast. What do you think is the underlying issue?

The rise of social media? Inconsistent and limited online ad formats? Lack of truly entertaining content from brands? All of the above?

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Getting Past Viral


Here is a great post from the people at Big Spaceship on how marketers need to re-think how they approach viral communications. The core idea is not a new one: you need to give more than ask in return to be a successful brand in today's world. There are some interesting thoughts about what motivates people to share content with their friends, and how so many marketers expect people to do this on the brand's terms.

http://www.bigspaceship.com/blog/think/getting-past-viral/


I especially like this quote (it's my motto for new work in 2010):

"We need to understand that effective marketing is no longer about making consumers serve our agenda, but finding meaningful opportunities to serve theirs."

That's a great filter to use in evaluating communication ideas that attempt to be "viral."