How creators fit right into the evolution of advertising

As one year ends and another begins, you cannot help but look back. Here's looking back at how advertising came to be what it is today - keeping pace not just with technology but economic and cultural contexts. It was the creative ingenuity of people in the field who mastered both the art and science of it - redefining its purpose, scope and channels at their disposal.

Before Mass Media (till 1930's)

Purpose: Inform; Competition was limited. All businesses needed to do was tell people what they sell and where.

Scope: Local; Rare national companies except government ones

Channel: Newspapers, Hoardings, Physical Mail

Context: Capital, supply and demand were constrained except in a few centres of industry

Advent of Mass Media: Radio, Television (1930's - 1980's)

Purpose: Inform and Influence; The rise of 'Influence' - Storytelling, Characters or Symbols, Emotional benefits were sold to build loyalty (or lifetime value); National brand consciousness came into being.

Scope: National (+ Regional); A company could for the first time reach a national audience and in many cases across countries

Channels (new): Television, Radio, National Newspapers

Context: Post WWII technology boom began - telecom, medicine, transport, energy and more. National consciousness took shape. Mass Media could now transform capital into brand behemoths. Conception of global brands starts through western channels that are broadcast to more countries.

Internet (1990's - 2010's)

Purpose: Target, Inform and influence; Inbound targeting was now possible for the first time based on what the users were doing in their homes and workplaces.

Scope: True global shift. A company website or digital ad could now be accessed anywhere at a very low cost. Persona based marketing/selling on top of geography and income.

Channel (new): Search, Ads, Websites

Context: Rise of tech platforms, smartphones, e-commerce, OTT, global icons, and brands. Businesses, marketing and selling became mobile and personal. Truly global products (and not just multi-national operations) come into being like pieces of a puzzle coming together.

Mobile + Social + Web3 (2010's - Present)

Purpose: Target, Engage, and Influence; Digital crowded with competition - Ads now seen as intrusive. User attention becomes expensive to buy. Engaged social buying takes shape - authentic reviews, trusted referrals, user generated content become go to for users.

Scope: Personal / Private (Rise of Privacy). Users now want brands to i) reach them where they dwell (platforms) ii) earn their trust iii) in a way that's engaging and not intrusive (unwanted ads/cookies are a no - over 2 in 3 Gen-Z's skip ads/use ad-blockers); Big tech moves to end tracking without consent. Apple pitches privacy as its differentiator.

Channel (new): Enter Community, Creators and Influencers. They do exactly what's needed. The customer finds who they trust in places they dwell. They tell us what they trust them about and also when they've lost their trust. You just need to read the signals.

Context: Social, Mobile, Web3. Community, Buying, and Finance - are all mobile, diverse, decentralized. Customer Loyalty cannot be taken for granted when capital, technology and disruption is abundant. No one platforms owns all - new platforms come and go as we speak. You find where your audience is present, who has their trust, and build on it.

Old channels won't go away soon but newer brands are more and more frequently built here. Buying is increasingly social and based on information and trust. Influencers use platforms to become merchants of trust - a double edged sword they'll have to wield carefully - when they master the skill of authority and trust.

The Influencer has always been there. But never before could anyone, anywhere build influence so fast in a field they love and wield it.

Are you ready to read the signals?

PS: Ylytic works with creator businesses to maximise their creator outcomes and RoI using authentic data and analytics. We are giving out free trials for our early customers. Ping me to know more.