Perhaps one of the most prevalent trends in advertising now is the movement away from the traditional to the innovative, with clients all looking to put the edge on how they speak to consumers. Differentiation is the key, and the methods diverse. Initially, high creativity levels took the lead. Longer format, multi-million rand productions were the result, with symbolism, parody, hyperbole, music, editing, grading, camera angles and treatments all striving for the elusive ‘x factor’ that would make one product more acceptable to the consumer than another.
Of course, coupled with this were the pure, simple, and ever-so-clever ads that left one saying, ‘I wish I’d thought of that!” But things have moved on rapidly, and today, although great creative ideas will always be aired and recognised, clients and agencies are striving to define the next generation of communication.
The forces driving the change are obvious. Technology is evolving at an exponential rate – according to Moore’s Law, the processing power of computer technology doubles every 18 months. In the last century, the world’s population has trebled, and the use of energy and raw materials has grown by a multiple of 10. The world is smarter – 2 percent of Americans had completed high school in 1900; today 76 percent have a high school diploma. There are 140 million PCs in the world.
With this background, plus the fact that consumers are seeing competing products as intrinsically the same, the drive is on to do it differently. To credit the consumer with intelligence, to engage them with the product, force some interaction, and most often to reward them for participating, either actively or passively, with the advertising.
So we’re finding massive promotions, often linked to rewards. Air miles or eBucks have become a whole new consumer currency.
Sponsorships have also witnessed enormous growth over the past couple of years – the Absa Cup and Absa Road to Riches, Coke throwing huge money at Idols, and Samsung taking hold of prime viewing time on Monday evenings on SABC 3 with the Big Night In. Not only is there the brand association – ‘owned’ chunks of very viable marketing space – but, if worked properly, the marketer can end up with product placements, endorsements, and promotions all built into a single packaged concept at a highly competitive price.
It is no longer unusual to find unique solutions for the client. Media people have to stretch their minds beyond measuring effectiveness in terms of 30-second sound bytes and full-page adverts. Media is now part of the negotiation of the communication spectrum: it takes a defined client problem and tailor-makes the solution. And most media owners are incredibly supportive – invariably it adds a new dimension to their sales kit, shows innovation, and guarantees them a large chunk of cash.
But the solutions don’t stop at sponsorships and interactive promotions. They extend into interviews, the creation of programmes, featurettes, and ‘new media’ – bespoke solutions for specific campaign objectives, holistically conceptualised across various media types.
And we can certainly expect more as media channels multiply and technology advances. The Internet, a dismal ad medium but a great communications tool, is just the start.
Harry Herber is group managing director of The MediaShop.