Will advertising really evolve from "big ideas" to individual conversations?

The idea
This is the idea that we are now immune to big branding ideas and advertising.  The theory goes that the perfect antidote is web-based and is called (dependent on who you are)

• conversational marketing
• engagement marketing
• targeted advertising

This was one of the key ideas from the research that we did.  I have a future piece on this topic. But I wanted to blog it now because with uncanny timing two of my favourite bloggers have coincidentally written about the same thing on the same day from different starting points.  (Far out and weird man).

V 

Nic Brisbourne thinks that big brand “ideas” won’t work in the age of the web because the general public can complain in blogs that drinking Pepsi won’t make them play like David Beckham.

Russell Davies (who works in the advertising industry) thinks targeted ads will never be that compelling, and there will still be a role for brand ideas from the “great communicators” in the ad industry.  His hypothesis of the “uncanny valley” is brilliant.   

These ideas make for fascinating ruminations and theoretical late night debates on what the future holds.  However, most of my readers seem to be entrepreneurs and therefore more interested in what these trends in the market can mean for them as pragmatic business creators.

I think there are some fascinating opportunities for start ups in these areas, though the jury is out on who “VC-backable” they are.  More in my forthcoming posts.

Comments

[PaulSweeney]

Daniel Waterhouse from 3i had a good piece on advertising industry at FOWA London http://www.slideshare.net/carsonified/daniel-waterhouse-fowa-oct07/

Looking at the big picture, Daniel seems to have some reservations as to the ability of Online Advertising entities (outside of the GYM) to cash in, and out, of this sector.

Similarly, Umair over at www.Bubblegeneration.com has a great post "Research Note: On Selling Out (The So-Called Fansumer)" where he says that people engage with each other, not with brands, not with companies. They may actually like a product but that does not translate into wanting to be a "fan" (a la beacon).

[Russell]

hello, many thanks for the kind comment and the link.

I have to say, though, I bet Nic and I aren't that opposed. I don't believe in 'big brand ideas' either. Brands that are building genuine connections at the moment are doing it through small, but telling , human gestures - often built into the product, not the marketing. (think of Innocent's on pack copy).

I'm just not convinced that the kind of automated conversation promised by Facebook apps etc is the answer either. It's just as artificial as the big brand idea - just swapping spurious relevance for spurious entertainment.

[Russell]

hello, many thanks for the kind comment and the link.

I have to say, though, I bet Nic and I aren't that opposed. I don't believe in 'big brand ideas' either. Brands that are building genuine connections at the moment are doing it through small, but telling , human gestures - often built into the product, not the marketing. (think of Innocent's on pack copy).

I'm just not convinced that the kind of automated conversation promised by Facebook apps etc is the answer either. It's just as artificial as the big brand idea - just swapping spurious relevance for spurious entertainment.

[Jeff Paul Internet Millions]

I dont think that advertising evolve in big ideas in any individual conversations and i just ask whats the work of advertising in any individual conversations ?