Make it Remarkable

Seth Godin, my favourite marketing guru and agent of change states that in order for advertising to work and be successful in today’s market, it must be remarkable. And by that he means, that it must be both amazing and initiate “remarks”, thus creating dialogue.

This is the one thing that I constantly struggle with. So often, clients are afraid to take a risk, afraid to try something different out of fear of failure. They may be worried about stocks and share holders, they may be worried about taking on something new and experimental before it’s been tested to death (by which time it will probably be dead) and they just don’t want to try.

Well… isn’t doing something “average” failure in itself? Isn’t doing something the same way you’ve always done it, in a sense a failure? A failure to innovate, a failure to change, and a failure to create really great content that is mandatory for survival on the social web.

Doing something “good” is not okay. Doing something the same way you did it last year, because it seemed to go well, is not okay. Where’s the innovation in that? The market is different than it was last year.

Social Media has changed the way we view and perceive advertising. The whole approach has changed, and yes, even in a year! There are companies out there who are not afraid to change, who are not afraid to innovate and who are taking risks in Social Media that other companies are simply too slow or too fearful of taking. These are the companies that will succeed.

The one thing you can count on is change, so why resist it?!

Is TV Uncool?

In the age of digital media and hand held wonders, is it any real surprise that people are becoming less and less interested in television? I find myself forever choosing peace, quiet, and internet over the obnoxious and intrusive untargeted ads, which for some reason are MUCH LOUDER than the television programs themselves.

I would choose my Mac any day over the boob tube! Think about it… I can have whatever I want WHENEVER I want it on the internet. I can find the info that’s important to me, I can watch videos that interest me, I can view ads that are related to my life and have some personal relevance to me.

With TV it seems a bit like a lottery, like “OH LOOK WHAT’S ON”. As if you should be happy and feel lucky that something you’re interested in just appeared on television.

Maybe if TV was more customized, for example, if I could choose the shows that I only want to see on my television, and the ads that are only relevant to me… It might have a bit more appeal.

Sure there’s all these fancy TVs on the market, and On Demand, and HD TV, but SO WHAT?! Does that stop the Cialis commercials, or the annoying ACT NOW infomercials from gracing my screen?! No!

Until TV is 100% customized, I think the cool factor will be somewhere between Richard Simmons and Martha Stewart. So I will continue to revel in my online geeketry and spread my binary love… occasionally turning on the boob tube for a session of Rockband of course!