The Paradox of Media

Ok, cheap entertainment here …but check out this ad for bear costumes (wink). All kidding aside, this was served up elsewhere and as a ding on advertising, but the pitfall exists everywhere in all forms of brand communication: Borrowed interest (exactly as I am doing here with this post) to gain viewer attention, balanced against the hope that a brand’s compelling benefits will be shared, received and accepted. Video clip:



This, by the way, is why I don’t believe in Super Bowl television ads. Sure, sometimes they accomplish tremendous brand awareness, but for every infamous ‘1984’ Apple Macintosh commercial, there are far too many more ‘ads for moonwalking bears.’ The temptation for advertisers is to believe, that with so many eyeballs watching, a brand can and should do something spectacular. But more often, a brand’s advertising investment can be more effective by sticking to its USP and being smarter with media dollars. And before the cheers come loudly from the digital folks, the pitfall exists there too. Obviously, not all online connections or clicks are created equal. Even when an online audience is actively ‘searching,’ paying close attention, attentive within the published content (as in counting passes), consider the collective impact of static banner ads, repulsive pop-ups and pop-unders, animated Flash ads and expandable ads, as the focused viewer seeks to expeditiously reach/review desired content (count the passes). If you think people can TiVo through inconvenient television ads, you should see how fast I click past/around unwanted online ads, as I speed-surf to absorb (or post) my desired content.

Will social networks evolve us to a new environment to ultimately yield a different consumer communication result? They certainly empower consumer voices now. But what about the future of this environment? One possibility, a paradox, is that the earliest brands now becoming associated with these online networks, if well chosen, may be embraced by most members. But when the 500th brand shows up on the site, it may find a profitable, but empty party, as members say ‘I’m outta here.’ The social network sites are still trying to figure out how grow beyond being a charity event for their audience. How will they do this and what happens then? A person on the corner giving away free stuff is the greatest salesman in the world ...unless he has to charge for it.

Maybe they should just try the public television model: “Won’t you please donate, if you’d like to continue receiving this fine programming (space)”? ;-) ...Until then, we will not escape a world with advertising clutter.