My Days of .Com
Future of Interactive Advertising

Mihai, chiar nu am nimic cu tine, nu ne cunoastem personal, nu se intersecteaza in nici un fel interesele noastre. That is for a start.
Ce insa ma frapeaza este – nu stiu cum sa ii zic – naivitatea ta .

Am lucrarat 10 ani in advertising si online in agentii mai mici si mai mari si nu vorbesc doar din carti sau pentru ca asa mi se scoala mie.

Ce mi se pare insa e ca pornesti de la doua principii gresite:

1. Serving the client – tu nu existi ca sa servesti clienti. Tu existi ca sa servesti branduri, sa servesti produsele de care se ocupa clientii si sa le promovezi ca atare. Nu esti nici sclavul clientului, nici supplierul lui. Esti CONSULTANTUL lui, ceea ce e o mare diferenta. Managerii si executantii clientilor vin si pleaca si se orienteaza doar pe obiectivele lor trimestriale si anuale – foarte putini gandesc pe termen lung. Pentru ei conteaza sa isi ia bonusul la sfarsit de an. Deci nu ii servesti pe ei ci produsul lor.
Apoi intra in ecuatie consumatorul sau utilizatorul pe online. Esti acolo ca sa servesti consumatorul, more demanding, expecting personalization bla bla bla cred ca stii poezia.
Eu in ecuatia ta nu vad nicaieri brandul sau consumatorul.

2. Nu este un egal intre interactive si comunicare online. Interactiv-ul este un tool al comunicarii online, inventat tocmai pentru a relationa cu utilizatorul. Dar nu e singurul tool. Exista multe alte moduri pe care probabil deja le practicati

Si la final, lumea va sti ca “there is a better way” in momentul in care cineva va reusi sa demonstreze ceva pe piata asta. Deocamdata majoritatea campaniilor online sunt more or less esecuri si avem o serie de site-uri promotionale si alte lucruri de acest gen abandonate prin “universul online dot ro”.

Daca vorbim de advertising online, cred ca ar trebui sa ne gandim mai mult la strategii si campanii de brand pe termen lung, versus promotii si alte activitati pe termen scurt. Acolo apare adevarata “inovatie” in online marketing.

Hi Katie.

First of all I would like to thank you for your comment.

Second – I understand your point of view and I agree that I may be wrong.

However, you are making some basic assumptions that lead you to wrong conclusions:

a. client = marketing manager, brand manager etc.
b. you’ve learned everything there is to learn in 10 years of experience.
c. you think I understand the term “interactive” as just online.
d. this blog is a .ro interactive advertising blog.
e. interactive advertising is just like the old advertising, but with a little twist.

In my opinion, this assumptions are wrong because:
a. I do not think of the client as the person/persons in charge with briefing the agency but the economic entity that holds the brands, just as well as the people this entity is interacting with (aka the “the consumer”).

Example – it is not Lipton or Domestos an Interactive agency should serve, nor Unilever’s Marketing Manager, but Unilever as a whole, a company that has to foster jobs for its employees, make sure it’s profitable for its investors, deliver quality products to it’s customers. The “Consultant” as you call us should understand all these needs, even at a basic level.

b. 10 years of experience in advertising is not that much. Ogilvy worked his whole life in this and never mentioned his experience but rather demonstrated. So did Burnett, so did Bernbach and other people that invented what you call today advertising.

By the way, did you know that the forefathers of advertising used to help the client make product, financial, HR decisions? Because they knew so little about advertising they had to know everything there is to know about the company.

Today every junior that red a book or two can say he is a mastermind of advertising. It’s only when he or she understands that actually understands nothing then he or she has had a breakthrough.

c. there is no statement here or probably on the whole blog that says “Interactive is Online”. In my opinion the best kind of interactive advertising is people chatting about a company’s products, services etc.

Technology, and mainly Internet, has helped shape a new kind of consumer behavior, new needs and even a new side to human psychology.

Interactive is a whole lot more than just online and banners (which is, in my opinion, the laziest way of doing interactive advertising). But you already know this about us, as you already reviewed our work so kindly.

d. This is not a blog directed at the .ro online or interactive industry. We, as an agency, and me, as an individual, have strong global ambitions, which you can mock and laugh at but which will eventually come true.

That’s why I write my posts in an imperfect English and I would suggest you do the same here (regarding the comments).

e. Interactive Advertising is not the Conventional Advertising. Stop being so condescending and you might find out some new things.

There is a reason why conventional agencies – powered interactive agencies pop up like that. There is something new there and they want to explore.

The media is convergent and soon you will see internet-powered magazines, IPTV with HD TV capabilities, you will have your breakfast recommended by your interactive refrigerator and others.

Soon, advertising will have to fit in this frame. Will you, with your 10 years of experience, fit here?

I will not argue on my experience. It was there because you at some point challenged it in a different context . Fine you’ve got the weak point and you have built your case around it. I guess you are a good “debate team player” .

It is very nice everything you have put on paper and I wish you good-look with your global aspirations. No mocking now.

Well, I’m not an interactive advertising business owner, so I can only state my “gut” feeling about what the relationship with the client should be.

Although I agree that the client doesn’t have to understand the company, in some cases I believe he’s entitled to know if what you’re doing for him impacts him or his company in any additional ways other than the end-result.

I’ll give you an example from my line of work again: in search engine optimization, there are shady ways to increase a client’s rankings fast, but all the way potentially harming his brand or his long-term success in the search results. I always make sure that my clients know the implications first-hand, even when not resorting to any shady techniques.