It Ain’t the Media it’s the Motion

Are media budgets starting on their inevitable shrinking as they have gone past their prime? 

Is data the new black? Is small the new big?

No, not big data, which is merely a wishful statistical representation of those who might be, but data so big it needs no big data massaging.  Is it time for data to be big and media be small?  Is less finally going to the new big?   200B mobile ad impression going into 400m mobile devices EVERY day is certainly the headline for go big or go home.  Does size really matter or does effectiveness really count? This argument has taken place in many realms, but as it pertains to media, where effectiveness is measured in the hundredths of a percent, bigger media and media buys doesn’t really mean better. Better needs to be defined by goals with happy endings, in this case selling more and spending less.

Is TV advertisings time  as glamourous and big over?

I had an ad agency pitch me once on an ad campaign for a wireless product that they believe necessitated a large local media spend with the pitch being, “you are only new once and should spend big.”  Still didn’t get what he meant, but we used data to discover the neighborhoods that needed our products and used door hangars at great success.  It used to be that when a brand was on TV they were really big and going somewhere. Has it become the desperation move when growth has ceased.   Is the big medium turning into the next mall? Is it now true that those in the know don’t want to be a member of our own club?

Media based on activity and participation vs content

Since the beginning of recorded advertising time, content drew like-minded people to a location, printed matter, radio, tv, digital and social media. News alert, it may have been about the eyeballs vs the articles or shows….shocking!  We have been segmented and sold by what we read or view (although I have yet to meet a Nielson household) which is at best a proxy for what we might end up physically doing.  I’m not talking about where we “check in” which is the physical masquerading as social media, but real participation.  Showing up is more than 90% of life…..in marketing it is the small thing available big that will help us buy small.  Think of the movement, less advertising and when it does come, it may even be relevant.  If we were all what we click……imagine what the world would really be like.  It isn’t, yet media sales depend on it, not humans.

Square pegs can fit into round holes!

All of our products are square pegs in a world of round media holes.  It can work if it’s a really big round hole, but who wants that. Big audiences are very easy to get our heads around….after all, they are big, there are a lot of them and if you believe you need to consume 100mm of them before lunch in order to drive the sales numbers then big is better.  Spend big, sell little and having no answer as to why will be replaced by Spend Less, Sell More, Know Why.  The bridge between brand advertising and its beautiful images and experiences must be economically tied to direct and shopper marketing not with more impressions, but with data intelligence.