The Advertising Equation

Adrants caught my eye this morning with a bold statement that, if not already said, needed to be shouted from the rooftops. It's no longer possible to effectively advertise "at" people. The first thing that came to my mind was the blaring television (yes I do occasionally watch) commercials shouting at me to buy a car.

The people who used to sit patiently in listening to the radio commercials and waiting for their favorite shows to resume on television are not there anymore. People are now more savvy when it comes to choosing what and how they will let advertising messages in. Marketers, therefore, are finding it very difficult to reign everyone in as they once did. The media fragmentation started with cable television years ago and now the internet has exploded with social media that gives people the opportunity to entertain themselves while they are actually advertising to themselves (think of the YouTube Mentos Geyser)

It's clear that the web has dramatically changed things. If a consumer wants to be advertised to, he or she can simply go online and search for the items that are of greatest interest. And when that web experience closely meshes with what they are looking for then they will feel better about their experience overall. The old way of advertising tells people that the should be like sheep, follow the crowd and accept what we give you.

With interactive media like the web, consumers can be themselves, make their own choices, and tell others about their favorite products and services. This is the true essence of social media and people like it -- and it results in more spending for companies that have embraced the change.

For more information and insights about advertising for the people visit the Madison Avenue Journal blog by Paul McEnany.