Comments on: the multi-billion dollar suicide pact between clients and television http://gapingvoid.com/2005/08/08/the-multi-billion-dollar-suicide-pact-between-clients-and-television/ "cartoons drawn on the back of business cards" Wed, 23 May 2012 20:07:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: AccMan Pro http://gapingvoid.com/2005/08/08/the-multi-billion-dollar-suicide-pact-between-clients-and-television/#comment-7295 AccMan Pro Wed, 19 Oct 2005 03:08:59 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1679#comment-7295 <strong>Mood swings</strong> A hoary old fart reader got in touch with me today to say he'd started a firm's blog. Fabulous I thought. Someone gets it! Then, almost immediately, I fell into the pit of despair. The firm has only given a qualified 'yes' in the sense they want it kep... Mood swings

A hoary old fart reader got in touch with me today to say he’d started a firm’s blog. Fabulous I thought. Someone gets it! Then, almost immediately, I fell into the pit of despair. The firm has only given a qualified ‘yes’ in the sense they want it kep…

]]> By: The Work Better Weblog http://gapingvoid.com/2005/08/08/the-multi-billion-dollar-suicide-pact-between-clients-and-television/#comment-7294 The Work Better Weblog Thu, 15 Sep 2005 11:58:25 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1679#comment-7294 <strong>Ad Agencies are Paid to Make the Uninteresting Interesting</strong> After the MIMA Online Communities Salon tonight I overheard; “Ad agencies are paid to make the uninteresting interesting.” Reminded me of something Hugh said; “For marketing hand-made cheese that was matured in sixteenth century s... Ad Agencies are Paid to Make the Uninteresting Interesting

After the MIMA Online Communities Salon tonight I overheard;
“Ad agencies are paid to make the uninteresting interesting.”
Reminded me of something Hugh said;
“For marketing hand-made cheese that was matured in sixteenth century s…

]]> By: Below Belief http://gapingvoid.com/2005/08/08/the-multi-billion-dollar-suicide-pact-between-clients-and-television/#comment-7293 Below Belief Mon, 15 Aug 2005 13:01:20 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1679#comment-7293 <strong>Do you think it's all getting a bit tired?</strong> ... this commercialism? The marketing, the advertising. Spending time in the US is making me more sensitive to how tired the advertising facade is looking these days. How weak, broadcast sales messages are falling on deaf ears; failing to engage... Do you think it’s all getting a bit tired?

… this commercialism? The marketing, the advertising. Spending time in the US is making me more sensitive to how tired the advertising facade is looking these days. How weak, broadcast sales messages are falling on deaf ears; failing to engage…

]]> By: Justin Kownacki http://gapingvoid.com/2005/08/08/the-multi-billion-dollar-suicide-pact-between-clients-and-television/#comment-7288 Justin Kownacki Sun, 14 Aug 2005 16:01:54 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1679#comment-7288 If every employee of Bud was handed the keys to a blog, you'd see a number of pro-Bud blogs (which would feel like propaganda) and a number of anti-Bud blogs (which would be incendiary, car-crash fodder for the bored, and would get their authors fired, bringing Bud huge awareness via the follow-up discrimination lawsuits over free speech). Blogs are personal by nature. A conglomerate like Bud cannot be personal by nature. It must be an authority to be trusted by its consumers, and consumers of a megabrand don't want to know how it works. In fact, I think it's almost antithetical. It's like trying to convince them that your 17 million employees operate a mom and pop store. Who are you trying to sell? Big corporations won't be able to navigate new media as successfully as smaller businesses, but they'll find a way to appear successful, if only because a few of them will be able to squeeze enough of their propaganda into magazine and such that would otherwise not write two sentences about, say, a Bud blog. Example: Bud is seriously considering running a reality show about the making of its next Super Bowl ad? So let me get this straight: an hour of prime-time programming will be dedicated to promoting THE MAKING OF AN AD for A MULTINATIONAL CORPORATION, and will be paid for BY OTHER ADS, all so that the viewing public can... what? Feel a personal connection to the success (or failure) of THE QUALITY OF THE FINISHED BUDWEISER SUPER BOWL AD? Tell me if this makes anyone else throw up in their mouths just a little. If every employee of Bud was handed the keys to a blog, you’d see a number of pro-Bud blogs (which would feel like propaganda) and a number of anti-Bud blogs (which would be incendiary, car-crash fodder for the bored, and would get their authors fired, bringing Bud huge awareness via the follow-up discrimination lawsuits over free speech).
Blogs are personal by nature. A conglomerate like Bud cannot be personal by nature. It must be an authority to be trusted by its consumers, and consumers of a megabrand don’t want to know how it works. In fact, I think it’s almost antithetical. It’s like trying to convince them that your 17 million employees operate a mom and pop store. Who are you trying to sell?
Big corporations won’t be able to navigate new media as successfully as smaller businesses, but they’ll find a way to appear successful, if only because a few of them will be able to squeeze enough of their propaganda into magazine and such that would otherwise not write two sentences about, say, a Bud blog.
Example: Bud is seriously considering running a reality show about the making of its next Super Bowl ad? So let me get this straight: an hour of prime-time programming will be dedicated to promoting THE MAKING OF AN AD for A MULTINATIONAL CORPORATION, and will be paid for BY OTHER ADS, all so that the viewing public can… what? Feel a personal connection to the success (or failure) of THE QUALITY OF THE FINISHED BUDWEISER SUPER BOWL AD?
Tell me if this makes anyone else throw up in their mouths just a little.

]]> By: Olivier Blanchard http://gapingvoid.com/2005/08/08/the-multi-billion-dollar-suicide-pact-between-clients-and-television/#comment-7287 Olivier Blanchard Sun, 14 Aug 2005 14:37:35 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1679#comment-7287 1) With so many programming choices offered by cable/sattelite services, it's difficult for TV ads to reach a whole lot of people... compared to twenty years ago, when only a handful of channels were available. 2) Most people I know spend more of their TV time than ever on commercial-free channels (HBO, Sundance, IFC, Starz, etc.) I hardly ever see TV ads anymore. I have to actually make a point to hit some networks at primetime to see what's new. 3) Tivo. 4) TV commercials are too fast to influence anyone. You can't tell a story in 30 seconds. Sorry. You can't get me excited about a product that fast. Commercials can be fun and entertaining... but that's it. They're only a small portion of a much broader media strategy... and a hell of a lot less effective, in my opinion, than POP marketing. Very cool blog, by the way. :) 1) With so many programming choices offered by cable/sattelite services, it’s difficult for TV ads to reach a whole lot of people… compared to twenty years ago, when only a handful of channels were available.
2) Most people I know spend more of their TV time than ever on commercial-free channels (HBO, Sundance, IFC, Starz, etc.) I hardly ever see TV ads anymore. I have to actually make a point to hit some networks at primetime to see what’s new.
3) Tivo.
4) TV commercials are too fast to influence anyone. You can’t tell a story in 30 seconds. Sorry. You can’t get me excited about a product that fast. Commercials can be fun and entertaining… but that’s it. They’re only a small portion of a much broader media strategy… and a hell of a lot less effective, in my opinion, than POP marketing.
Very cool blog, by the way. :)

]]> By: How to Save the World http://gapingvoid.com/2005/08/08/the-multi-billion-dollar-suicide-pact-between-clients-and-television/#comment-7292 How to Save the World Sun, 14 Aug 2005 03:46:30 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1679#comment-7292 <strong>Five Links About Freedom</strong> Stand Up for Freedom: The ACLU is sponsoring a contest for young people (17-29) to write essays and 30-second public service announcements on the importance of freedom. Five Links About Freedom

Stand Up for Freedom: The ACLU is sponsoring a contest for young people (17–29) to write essays and 30-second public service announcements on the importance of freedom.

]]> By: Mr. Snitch! http://gapingvoid.com/2005/08/08/the-multi-billion-dollar-suicide-pact-between-clients-and-television/#comment-7286 Mr. Snitch! Sun, 14 Aug 2005 02:33:15 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1679#comment-7286 It's probably true that Velveeta and Budweiser have to move such a great volume of product that blogs won't cut it. They just don't move the needle enough. On the other hand, amazing things are being done to promote movies online. Wedding Crashers and The Aristocrats found ways to cut through the clutter. While blogs might not be central to beer-selling they surely would help steer traffic to beer-moving web pyrotechnics. It’s probably true that Velveeta and Budweiser have to move such a great volume of product that blogs won’t cut it. They just don’t move the needle enough. On the other hand, amazing things are being done to promote movies online. Wedding Crashers and The Aristocrats found ways to cut through the clutter. While blogs might not be central to beer-selling they surely would help steer traffic to beer-moving web pyrotechnics.

]]> By: Albert Ross http://gapingvoid.com/2005/08/08/the-multi-billion-dollar-suicide-pact-between-clients-and-television/#comment-7285 Albert Ross Sat, 13 Aug 2005 14:19:04 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1679#comment-7285 Ummm - they COULD try to brew something that is actually palatable? Ummm — they COULD try to brew something that is actually palatable?

]]> By: Exclusive Concepts' Internet Marketing Blog http://gapingvoid.com/2005/08/08/the-multi-billion-dollar-suicide-pact-between-clients-and-television/#comment-7291 Exclusive Concepts' Internet Marketing Blog Sat, 13 Aug 2005 00:58:22 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1679#comment-7291 <strong>Weekly Roundup</strong> <p> Keyword rich content : in titles, url of page, in outbound links, in bold tags, in heading tags and in the first few sentences....  Stephen Baker writes about Google's new patent and smarter algorithms in Advice on how to optimize your site for se... Weekly Roundup

Keyword rich content : in titles, url of page, in outbound links, in bold tags, in heading tags and in the first few sentences.…  Stephen Baker writes about Google’s new patent and smarter algorithms in Advice on how to optimize your site for se…

]]> By: Ric http://gapingvoid.com/2005/08/08/the-multi-billion-dollar-suicide-pact-between-clients-and-television/#comment-7284 Ric Wed, 10 Aug 2005 18:36:59 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1679#comment-7284 What I think is happening is not so much that blogging is not good for big companies, and advertising too expensive for the little guy - it's more that the period in which it was necessary to get big to be successful is winding down, and blogging is a symptom of that, just as "open-source business" (see earlier post on gapingvoid) is. NOT that big business is dead, per se ... but that small business now has the werewithal to take some of that business away successfully. One of the 'small' tools - blogging. This shift will probably mean the end of SOME big businesses (but not necessarily all), and the growing success of smaller, 'Long Tail' businesses. I think we all hope so anyway - it's seems to be a popular theme around here! What I think is happening is not so much that blogging is not good for big companies, and advertising too expensive for the little guy — it’s more that the period in which it was necessary to get big to be successful is winding down, and blogging is a symptom of that, just as “open-source business” (see earlier post on gapingvoid) is.
NOT that big business is dead, per se … but that small business now has the werewithal to take some of that business away successfully. One of the ‘small’ tools — blogging. This shift will probably mean the end of SOME big businesses (but not necessarily all), and the growing success of smaller, ‘Long Tail’ businesses.
I think we all hope so anyway — it’s seems to be a popular theme around here!

]]> By: Mitchell Caplan http://gapingvoid.com/2005/08/08/the-multi-billion-dollar-suicide-pact-between-clients-and-television/#comment-7283 Mitchell Caplan Wed, 10 Aug 2005 03:30:01 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1679#comment-7283 TV is not dying, it's just changing. Americans are not going to give up that big screen in their living room, but how they consume the content that is on it is going to change. How marketers evolve their use of this screen is the biggest challenge facing Madison Avenue. TV is not dying, it’s just changing. Americans are not going to give up that big screen in their living room, but how they consume the content that is on it is going to change. How marketers evolve their use of this screen is the biggest challenge facing Madison Avenue.

]]> By: Craig Danuloff http://gapingvoid.com/2005/08/08/the-multi-billion-dollar-suicide-pact-between-clients-and-television/#comment-7282 Craig Danuloff Tue, 09 Aug 2005 20:44:10 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1679#comment-7282 Can we substitute 'change' for 'die'? Just because blogging isn't right for everything doesn't mean those things are doomed. Blogging provides a great way to share passion and information on lots of things - like custom suits - good for you, and good for all of us. But for the last 50 years I didn't hear the beer companies saying 'custom tailors are dead' just because they couldn't afford TV. You're the best Hugh, but I think this one's a bit over-stated. Can we substitute ‘change’ for ‘die’? Just because blogging isn’t right for everything doesn’t mean those things are doomed. Blogging provides a great way to share passion and information on lots of things — like custom suits — good for you, and good for all of us. But for the last 50 years I didn’t hear the beer companies saying ‘custom tailors are dead’ just because they couldn’t afford TV. You’re the best Hugh, but I think this one’s a bit over-stated.

]]> By: Stumax http://gapingvoid.com/2005/08/08/the-multi-billion-dollar-suicide-pact-between-clients-and-television/#comment-7281 Stumax Tue, 09 Aug 2005 12:33:33 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1679#comment-7281 So Budweiser and Velveeta lose in the new media space, but handcrafted cheeses and microbrews win? Sweeeeeet! I wonder if the reason we get such bland megabrand products isn't as much a function of the medium in which they advertise as anything else. If you've got to throw millions of dollars into reaching the mass market, your product has to be innoffensive as possible to as many people as possible. So, water it down, remove any distinctive tastes, and load it with chemicals so that it'll keep during shipping. The feedback loop of clever advertising (which leads people to give greater preference to "belonging to the group" over aesthetic considerations) and the dynamics of mass consumption (in which experimentation and distinction are disfavored) leads over time to a product of blended expectations and desires, a product that thrills nor offends no one. (I wonder if that's true? I wonder if there's any way to track advertising and product formula changes over time?) True or not, I hope you're right, Hugh. I'll be happy to have more distinctive food, clothing, and entertainment choices available to me. So Budweiser and Velveeta lose in the new media space, but handcrafted cheeses and microbrews win? Sweeeeeet!
I wonder if the reason we get such bland megabrand products isn’t as much a function of the medium in which they advertise as anything else. If you’ve got to throw millions of dollars into reaching the mass market, your product has to be innoffensive as possible to as many people as possible. So, water it down, remove any distinctive tastes, and load it with chemicals so that it’ll keep during shipping. The feedback loop of clever advertising (which leads people to give greater preference to “belonging to the group” over aesthetic considerations) and the dynamics of mass consumption (in which experimentation and distinction are disfavored) leads over time to a product of blended expectations and desires, a product that thrills nor offends no one.
(I wonder if that’s true? I wonder if there’s any way to track advertising and product formula changes over time?)
True or not, I hope you’re right, Hugh. I’ll be happy to have more distinctive food, clothing, and entertainment choices available to me.

]]> By: teeveedubya http://gapingvoid.com/2005/08/08/the-multi-billion-dollar-suicide-pact-between-clients-and-television/#comment-7280 teeveedubya Tue, 09 Aug 2005 10:57:26 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1679#comment-7280 adam: "for the cool clean taste that won't fill you up and never lets you down...make it a bud light". that's bud light not budweiser. but your point is well made. adam: “for the cool clean taste that won’t fill you up and never lets you down…make it a bud light”. that’s bud light not budweiser. but your point is well made.

]]> By: Adam Saunders http://gapingvoid.com/2005/08/08/the-multi-billion-dollar-suicide-pact-between-clients-and-television/#comment-7279 Adam Saunders Tue, 09 Aug 2005 09:07:40 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=1679#comment-7279 It is obvious that the penetration of T.V. ads is shrinking, and advertising dollars are shifting to new media. However, this doesn't mean the big brand like Budweiser are at any kind of a disadvantage in reaching their customers, and infecting their minds with the desire for "the cool crisp taste that never lets you down." Big corporations have more power than ever to control the delivery of their content, and statistically track the effectiveness of their campaigns. They know you and they can market directly to you. This means that the corporations that understand new media are going to win big. REALLY BIG. It is obvious that the penetration of T.V. ads is shrinking, and advertising dollars are shifting to new media.
However, this doesn’t mean the big brand like Budweiser are at any kind of a disadvantage in reaching their customers, and infecting their minds with the desire for “the cool crisp taste that never lets you down.“
Big corporations have more power than ever to control the delivery of their content, and statistically track the effectiveness of their campaigns. They know you and they can market directly to you. This means that the corporations that understand new media are going to win big. REALLY BIG.

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