This is the sexy end of spectrum where we see experiential marketing, digital, social and mass media marvelously orchestrated, compelling trans-media story telling, awards being won… Is this end of the spectrum the big win? I love this video poking fun at it all:
Of course it really isn’t as simple as a just running a newspaper ad anymore – ads and audiences don’t cut it. Here’s an interesting counterpoint: this campaign from the TVB was designed to show the power of television, but it clearly also illustrates no medium stands alone.
No doubt amazing things can happen when a big idea grounded in a consumer insight & on brand is powered by a well thought out combination of paid, earned & owned media. Check out this award winner.
However, there are lots of challenges at this end of spectrum: nervous advertisers who want to see proposals but are reluctant to fund them, agencies expert in some channels but not all (and not always able to partner effectively), the incredible cost in labour to project management these campaigns, the importance of the illusive big creative idea, and maybe most importantly, the uncertain outcomes – will consumers get involved and will this time and money payout?
The payout is a big question. It’s a challenge to measure the effectiveness of each individual element and it’s a challenge to measure total campaign effectiveness; it’s almost impossible to measure the contribution each element made to whole. I’ll be exploring metrics at this end of the spectrum at the eMetric Marketing Optimization Summit. Look for me at the Transmedia and Multi-Channel Media Experiences session on April 29th.
