Engage or Enslave?
Do we sometimes feel trapped by the dogma that ads are only effective if they compel action or sell? Can promotional messaging simply have the power to influence emotion, alter opinion, or just be?
“Change is the only constant”(Heraclitus)
A 2,500 year old simple quote, that is powerful and very valid. It describes our era of interactivity in advertising which did not exist before the internet age that started about two decades ago. Brands who got stuck back in time are probably obsolete today and only the brands who embraced change survived till this day.
Traditional advertising is a one way of communication, that might still be effective with some consumers, but for how long? Where as digital advertising is a multi communication path, that give s opportunity for brands to interact and engage with customers. The more engaged, the more organic exposure the brand gets. That shift in advertising gave an opportunity for brands to spend less and get more. A great example is Hidden Valley Ranch Keg, whereas the brand launch a limited edition Keg of Ranch, sold it online for $50 and create a hype about it. The campaign drove in 1 week 3 million impressions and 460,000 social shares. It also gave the opportunity to start-up brands to expose themselves.
Today's consumer has higher expectations, simply because he/she are exposed to the world through their hand held devices, whether phones, pads or computer. They have access to unlimited source of information, products & choices. They set the standards and they set the trends. They would choose brands that are fun & engaging, brands that would give them a voice, until they turn into advocates of these brands with the power of influence others.
The greatest example is the famous Ryan ToysReview a YouTube channel with 13+ million subscribers. Ryan is a child YouTube star. His channel releases a new toy review video every day, many of which have become very popular, with "Huge Eggs Surprise Toys Challenge" receiving over 1.26 billion views as of April 2018, making it one of the most viewed videos on YouTube (Huge Eggs Surprise Toys Challenge Inflatable water slide Disney Cars Toys Paw Patrol Spiderman. YouTube. Retrieved February 2, 2018.). According to Forbes' magazine, Ryan is the 8th highest paid YouTube entrepreneur, having brought in $11 million in revenue between 2016 and 2017. (Berg, Madeline. "The Highest-Paid YouTube Stars 2017: Gamer DanTDM Takes The Crown With $16.5 Million". Forbes. Retrieved 3 February 2018.)
The emergence of YouTubers and other influencers is a great example how the industry changed. But with these growing online noises, will interactivity remain effective? Or will it wear another face?