Media glance: Christmas 2008.

As a result of the prior entry and using it as a backdrop, here is what I saw. 

A BBM/Neilsen report, said last week that TV viewership reached an all time high. Considering the media divide and audience attention deficit, plus the population density in 2008: It is a significant finding to align to. In the industry we live in, the typical reaction is to saturate the medium with noise and bulk messaging! Bare in mind, that this is why advertising conglomerates make their profit and where media broadcasters make their living. 

And here is the first crack! In the media/advertising world pricing is based on metrics as it is the clients (ROI) measurement. These metrics are developed and paid for by the same media company or advertising conglomerates, while not just TV and in pursuit of IMPRESSIONS, they also stand true for Radio, magazines, news papers, OOH, internet and not in the same terms but based on the same nature in Experiential marketing tactics (brand activations, events and sponsorships). The sole purpose of these UNBELIEVABLE metrics is to sell CREDIBILITY or better off to support the price tag of their time slot or media package. The point is that we as people still suffer from BRAND slapping in very invasive ways through every media possible. Media (moguls) consider as creative opportunities to wrap public transit cars in a brands image or to own massive downtown walls for the purpose of polluting the visual city scape on behalf of a brand. They actually have the courage to sell interruptions on drivers in traffic in the form of billboards, transit shelters, even benches. To tighten a bit more the bolt, media companies dare to offer (DIGITAL) billboards and/or video screens in malls, elevators, food courts and WASHROOMS with the premise of attention grabbing vehicles for their intended target. "Guys! You are being invasive and a pest instead of engaging and creative." 

 

And the icing on the cake: Internet. web 2.0 and mobile!!! Hahaha, this is like the killer punch in the lower liver just above the crotch.... Advertisers and announcers still think that invading  our personal individual space is smart and effective, but look at GM, Coke, Pepsi and Rogers. People are starting to dislike this players and slowly they are trying to get it. It takes more than fixing a banner add on yahoo or creating a facebook group to be cool and relevant. Like people, brands must have character and when faking it; it looks awful. The result of these practices are just harmful and counter productive, since they actually scare people away. And yes, business like politics is PERSONAL, it's about ME as an individual and WE as collective arrangement in culture. Far from a herd or even a small crowd like that represented in the famous super-bowl Apple spot. We want real connections through meaningful engagement and trust me: IT WORKS!!!

And after many, many years, retail windows are still attractions where people floc sidewalks to get a glimpse of the happening. It creates excitement and children get their taste of the Disney experience in the main city store. Since back in the sensory experience from brands, let go in the mall..... Even in rough and uncertain economic times, these galleries of urban culture are stacked with people. And to prove it, though some retailers have reported a slump in sales, conglomerate commercial establishments reported an increase in sales in the past 2 months. Yes, I know, black monday and cyber tuesday where disappointing, but keep in mind that the left engine of north american economy is spitting blood.  

Again: The world still turns and the show must go on. Are we going to watch it from the stands OR going in the pit to move it through??? Remember that energy doesn’t disappear, it changes it’s form!!!