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Predictions

by Mike Masnick

Thu, Jun 21st 2007 6:41am





Want To Get Into Advertising? Learn Some Math And Anthropology

from the changing-times dept

Earlier this week, we discussed the pending demise of the 30-second TV commercial. There was an interesting comment in the original article that we didn't touch on, however. The reporter looks at how the advertising world is changing and states: "the art of advertising is turning into the science of advertising. Agencies now need math guys." Now, a Wired article about the future of the ad industry has a different suggestion, saying that the ad industry is in need of anthropologists who can better understand social networks and how viral ideas flow. Both are probably true -- and both show how far the advertising industry has to change. Obviously, there still needs to be a focus on creativity -- but rather than just throwing stuff out there to see what sticks, the next generation of advertising is going to involve a much better understanding of what happens to the message after it leaves the agency. While that might be tough on some traditional advertising types, it means there's actually a tremendous opportunity for folks to reinvent what advertising is, getting away from the tired old ideas of intrusive, annoying "pitches" into something that's much more compelling, interesting, useful and effective.

16 Comments | Leave a Comment..


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  1.  

    free online video advertising

    identicon
    Jason Jenkins, Jun 21st, 2007 @ 7:07am

    Also finding ways to reduce advertising costs will also play a major role in THE future OF ad planning and buying. Websites such as www.videogavel.com, will give any website a free pre roll web address video ad. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS REGISTER.

    THX
    JASON JENKINS
    www.VIDEOGAVEL.COM

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  

    Re: free online video advertising

    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Jun 21st, 2007 @ 7:40am

    Also finding ways to reduce advertising costs will also play a major role in THE future OF ad planning and buying. Websites such as www.videogavel.com, will give any website a free pre roll web address video ad. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS REGISTER.

    THX
    JASON JENKINS
    www.VIDEOGAVEL.COM


    When your master plan for ads involves hijacking blog threads, I have to question the effectiveness of your advertising abilities.

    Just getting people to click your site doesn't mean it's generating revenue.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  

    Re: Re: free online video advertising

    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Jun 21st, 2007 @ 7:41am

    PS: Please kill your web designer.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  

    Re: Re: Re: free online video advertising

    identicon
    Cowardly Anonymous, Jun 21st, 2007 @ 7:58am

    Maybe kill is a bit extreme, but some torture should be involved! Reminds me of the porno popups you used to get in the early days of search engines before that kind of stuff was filtered and blocked. yuk!

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  5.  

    Godawful Web Programming

    identicon
    Fred Flint, Jun 21st, 2007 @ 8:12am

    I doubt if JASON JENKINS (yelling loudly!!!!!) will ever return to Techdirt, now that he's delivered his crappy advertisement page to our eyes.

    That's the worst web site I've seen in years. Keep up the lousy work, Mr. Shill.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  6.  

    Re: Re: Re: Re: free online video advertising

    identicon
    Another Coward, Jun 21st, 2007 @ 8:26am

    I suggest the designer be stripped and forced to spend the weekend immersed in a leech-infested swamp.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  7.  

    Re: Re: Re: free online video advertising

    identicon
    ehrichweiss, Jun 21st, 2007 @ 8:35am

    Seconded. I've taught 9 year olds to make better pages than that.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  8.  

    Welcome to the 90's

    identicon
    Phillip, Jun 21st, 2007 @ 8:38am

    Advertising agencies have understood these realities for a very long time and many employ anthropologists (they call them account planners). The problem lies within the clients of the ad agencies being averse to change. Ad agencies are ready and many of them are well on their way to changing the game completely (see Weiden + Kennedy or Crispin Porter). Great thoughts too bad they're a little over a decade too late.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  9.  

    ad creativity

    icon
    slimcat (profile), Jun 21st, 2007 @ 8:59am

    With maths through differential equations and a bachelors degree in Anthropology, this would be right up my alley. Fortunately, I'm retired and I would rather body surf the Farallon Islands than be involved in advertising.

    If I were a big ad honcho, I'd be looking for bright young people who are involved in social networking, regardless of their education. They would have the best insight into what is cool and acceptable within their group.

    Just my two cents worth.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  10.  

    Times are a changin

    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Jun 21st, 2007 @ 9:07am

    It would seem that that technology is forcing several markets into a do or die situation. Music/movie distribution, advertising, even the porn industry is a little frightened of technology now that lots of porn can be found for free and now that recording technology has improved so much anyone with a video camera and net connection can be a porn star.



    While that might be tough on some traditional advertising types, it means there's actually a tremendous opportunity for folks to reinvent what advertising is, getting away from the tired old ideas of intrusive, annoying "pitches" into something that's much more compelling, interesting, useful and effective.


    While that might be tough on some traditional recording studio execs, it means there's actually a tremendous opportunity for folks to reinvent how content is distributed, getting away from the tired old ideas of restricted, lockdown media into something that's much more compelling, interesting, useful and effective.


    I just had to.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  11.  

    Re: free online video advertising

    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Jun 21st, 2007 @ 9:10am

    After looking at that I feel like I just saw the video from The Ring and now only have seven days to live. Such horror.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  12.  

    Worried

    identicon
    Michael Long, Jun 21st, 2007 @ 9:10am

    I, for one, will be worried once they start needing biochemists and genetic engineers...

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  13.  

    Not that big a change

    identicon
    Petréa Mitchell, Jun 21st, 2007 @ 9:49am

    This isn't as revolutionary an idea as you might think-- very large companies have been hiring anthropologists to help them with marketing for a while. It helps offline too.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  14.  

    Re: Worried

    identicon
    Norm, Jun 21st, 2007 @ 11:18am

    Fast food that is chemically engineered to make you refinance your home!

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  15.  

    Wrong path

    identicon
    Another AC, Jun 22nd, 2007 @ 11:06am

    Advertising is notoriously inefficient (I know half of my advertising dollars are wasted, I just don't know which half). Employing math and/or anthropology might increase the efficiency a little, but I'm pretty sure it won't be a dramatic increase. We need a better, probably completely different, way to bring buyers and sellers together. I don't really know what the answer is, but more of (approximately) the same probably isn't it.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  16.  

    Re: ad creativity

    identicon
    Anna Thompson, Mar 7th, 2009 @ 10:59am

    are you hiring?!!! ;D

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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