A revolution is taking place in the way we live. Brands are part of our identity in every way, shape and form - from the clothing we wear to the shows we watch to the foods we consume – brands are everywhere. Now, we all have an opportunity to take more ownership and responsibility for our own lifestyles and choices by influencing how brands will look and by supporting or not supporting the changes made by companies …”the ad has been liberated” through social media.
Everyone has some level of freedom to be an active participant in the companies that they invest in on the web; be it through time or money, people can have a big influence on the products and services that are out there. “The traditional distinctions between producer and consumer and between mass communication and individual communication are dissolving, and with these, traditional models of media management...” Managers need to understand why consumers are interested in generating their own ads, what kinds of ads customers create and how they can best respond to what is going on.
Consumers create ads because they like to create, because they enjoy it; they want to learn, to self-identify, to have a “public sense of accomplishment” and to be part of a community. People like to be able to have a say in what is going on in the world that they live in.
People are very clever. They love and know the products that they use and they come up with innovative, fun ways to share this information and feelings with others.
Managers need to pay attention to the demands, interests and concerns of their users in order to survive today. They need to constantly re-evaluate what their business is doing and what they have to offer in order to satisfy their customers needs and wants. “The ad is liberated. Managers’ thinking will have to be as well.”
I think the point about ads being liberated is an interesting one. To the same extent advertising and marketing campaigns are starting to incorporate current events, news and social media into their ads. Have you ever watched an ad and thought that it was creating an "inside joke" between the company and the viewer? In some respects, while ads might alienate someone who doesn't necessarily know what 'trending' is on Twitter, those that do might find an ad that mentions it to be funny. I think advertisements are changing the way the speak to viewers in a way that they assume that we know much more than we used to. An interesting thing to think about.
ReplyDeleteI think it's an interesting idea for managers to use the information from user generated ads to get a sense of what the public wants from their company or product. I think consumer generated ads is a really cool way to see how consumers think about the product or what they associate use of the product with. When I think about creating an ad myself, I would definitely relate the ad to my personal experience with the product. I think that this could be a great advantage for companies to gain this insight.
ReplyDeleteI agree that brand managers need to think about consumer-generated advertisements as part of their overall marketing strategy. I think this article was especially relevant to marketers in that the authors focused on actionable strategies and tactics to handle this new, important and powerful innovation. Whether you stick to one strategy or combine different strategies for different situations, I think it is important to develop a plan of action to manage your brands ads online.
ReplyDeleteI don't watch TV. So, I don't know much about the ads there. And magazines I pretty much skip over the ads.
ReplyDeleteBut I like to read certain products ads. Example:
Throw the WeSC Bongo Headphones over your drums before you board your bus downtown. These 'phones rock super-cushy, noise-canceling ear cups to drown out the sound of the drunken hobo at the back of the bus, while the burly 40mm power drivers crank your jams to epic proportions. With an extra-long cord, these phones make you as comfortable on your tables as your urban chariot, and the gold-plated plug ensures the best connection you'll find anywhere.
The description makes the product more fun.
Or this one for FourSquare (snowboard gear):
Good style is hard to define, but easy to see. There are not set rules, but the formula is the same whether linking lines through the park, tucking into the tress or hanging out after a rad day on the hill. Elements like progression, creativity and skill each play a part, but a smooth flow elevates some clearly above the rest. Studying these talented few - those who make even the hard look easy - gives Foursquare a template and potent source of inspiration.
It gives you a better feel for what the company is all about. And creates a stronger connection between the product/service and the individual style.
Amy, as you know, I really had some issues with this article. You mention in your blog that "Managers need to pay attention to the demands, interests and concerns of their users in order to survive today." When was this not the case. When Coke came out with new coke more than 20 years ago, consumers revolted. Companies have always had to be concerned about their customers, just today the turn around time for reaction is almost none existent.
ReplyDeleteIf companies decide to include, self made ads into their ad strategy, they are still driving that decision. If a self made ad goes viral, they will react to it in the same way they react to a complaint, brand image problem, recall etc. How are self made ads driving businesses strategy. Just because someone creates an ad, does not mean that a business will or must alter its communication strategy.
Businesses like threadless are based on a collaboration model, companies like Nike or Kellogg have built consumer collaboration platforms, to actively include the consumer into the product development or other business processes. However,businesses have always been focused on customers.
Do you really think that Nike will change the way it makes ads, because of outward influence from self made ads? That just does not make sense to me!
I think Nike, for example, has gotten A LOT of negative attention in the past ten years:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/1020-01.htm
http://www1.american.edu/ted/images4/bignike.jpg
And I think that did make the company very responsive to how Nike looks to the public.
I'm not sure how that would translate into terms of customer created ads, but I think it would probably make Nike more sensitive to customers concerns than before.