Turning on the computer this morning we see that Kraft Singles is trending. Odd, because you’d think that the presidential debates would have been right up top. Kinda makes you wonder, “Does Kraft pay for such visibility?” Why, yes, Virginia.
Ad blocking rose nearly 50% in a report just out. And the iOS9 will feature ad-blocking support for mobile, the primary tool for communication now. Consumers have fallen out of love with advertising. We’re not quite sure when that was…the exact day. But, the career that drew in the likes of Jay Chiat, David Ogilvy, and other Mad Men, has morphed into an amalgamation of online talk channels or, social media. Ads are so last decade.
So, how to get your product, service, event or message out? Get others to talk about it in their conversations online. Easy, right? Not so. Whatever you do, forget full-page takeovers, pop-ups and video surprises. There is such user hatred for them, such a negative takeaway, that we predict those formats will die.
We marketers search for the hyper-connected, the trend-netters. These are digital extroverts spreading trends and experiences. If you can get them to use, review, endorse and share your message, you may find the feedback and results overwhelming.
Our advice is to develop story-driven branding. Give them something to talk about. They may even shift your story to suit their needs. And, isn’t that just the research you need.