Advertising.
The very word conjures divergent but strongly held views, depending on who utters it, and how. Ask a creative and it's more art than science. Ask a client and it's all about return on investment. Ask a pigskin fan while blocking his game and it's a major pain in the ass. Ask a media activist and it's cognitive dissonance. One thing is clear--it is increasingly difficult to communicate an effective brand message in today's seen-it-all, heard-it-all, multi-channel environment.
Poorly executed ads may drive people to forever loathe a brand. A well executed campaign can drive people to purchase. But a brilliant ad campaign has the power to turn jaded consumers into evangelists for the brand. This type of viral, word-of-mouth response to advertising is almost always the objective, but rarely the outcome. For such results demand fortitude, instinct, bravery, resolve, trust, and several more intangibles that tend to make the parties involved step off.
Yet, there are those whose passion for the business is unwavering. I used to count myself among this sometimes unruly but generally well-meaning contingent. I also used to believe creativity was king and creative recognition the only thing worth striving for in the ad business. Now, I see how much more there is than clever copy and breakthrough creative concepts. Putting the power of Conversational Media to work for good causes, products or services raises the bar in new, surprisingly positive ways.
Storytellers needed.
Every product or service has a story to tell. How well that story is created and then recreated in each new marketing campaign has much to do with the long-term success of the product or service.
Branded stories are told in every medium imaginable today, from TV advertising to bathroom advertising to product placement. With the rise of the internet and the consequent rise of web logs, the storyteller's stage is set like never before. Now branded communications can truly reach people where they live. Sure, people have lived in front of their TV sets for five decades, but they're existence there has been passive. In front of computer screens, people are living engaged, thoughtful and interconnected lives.
Ad agencies and the client companies that hire them, in my opinion, need to hire storytellers capable of weaving a narrative thread on a daily basis. Some of these storytellers will emerge happier from their copywriting perch inside agencies. Others will come from the blogosphere. Still others might be cherry-picked from the best writing programs like Iowa Writer's Workshop. Wherever they come from, they're sorely needed. In five years time, I predict having a resident storyteller on board the corporate ship will be a given.
Connecting the dots.
What's exciting is that there are so many intriguing new places to share a brand's story. By employing customer-facing blogs, companies can engage prospects and loyalists alike with authentic, timely dialogue. Instead of "putting a face on the company," blogs put a human voice, or voices, on the company. If there's room for honest exchange on a branded blog, you have a real time, real people communications model that empowers the customer while informing the brand.
From a creative standpoint, blogs and wikis provide space for interesting writing from a variety of sources. But let's look at internet radio for a moment. An internet radio station can deliver a soundtrack in tune with the brand's lifestyle. But that's not all, the station can also be a vehicle for proprietary content development. For example, talk shows can be developed and/or more dramatic, soap opera-style shows. This direction is a plus for everybody. The customer benefits from better brand-sponsored content, the client benefits by cultivating more brand loyalists, and the creative community benefits from increased revenues and the joy of tackling new challenges.