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[ the Journal ] 9 J video and print at the same time, but we especially liked using a digital idea and keeping it as simple as possible – usually digital is very complicated. You have to take your iPhone, take a picture of a bar code or a visual, then you will be sent a code to download something else … It’s a laborious process, and it wouldn’t work with our target market because they don’t have the patience for it.” That’s not the only thing the ad does well, according to Miller. He gives the agency the thumbs-up for getting people to play with the ad – “and if they’re playing with it, they’re spending time with it, which means they’re talking about it”. There can be no greater achievement for a marketer operating in what he calls the ‘participation economy’, where brands’ ultimate goal is to create a dialogue with the consumer. “Monologues don’t work any more. If brands don’t allow their products to have conversations with the consumer, their advertising might just be worth forgetting.” Knight concurs, and this is one of the reasons why he believes convergence and integration are poised to assume a greater role in marketers’ arsenal – especially in an age of clutter. But, he says, what would make this trend even more impactful would be the integration, not of media, but of purpose. “This ad was a prime example of brand building. But suppose it had contained a link through which consumers could book a real test drive, or a lead that managers could follow up on – in that way, it would do more than raise the brand profile, it would also generate sales.” This is the way marketers should be thinking, Knight maintains, especially since the technology available makes data capture a simple exercise. He’s certain that this is, indeed, the direction in which advertising will head in future. “It’s inevitable that such convergence becomes more commonplace – the norm, even. And there are so many ways marketers can take advantage of the trend. We may see combinations of TV and mobile, TV and Web, even Web and social media – there really are a lot of avenues to explore.” This opens extremely welcome opportunities for marketers, making for deeper, richer media engagements. That said, Johnson warns against convergence for its own sake. “Integration may become more prevalent, but I don’t think we should be looking out for it and chasing it – you need to be sure exactly what your message is and how you want to reach people; and then find the right medium.” In other words, the approach should be to find a breakthrough idea and then find the medium that best expresses it, rather than focusing on ideas specifically intended for either print or digital. Above all, Johnson cautions against using technology simply because it’s there: “Use it when it works and it’s powerful, otherwise you’re just showing off. In such cases it becomes meaningless and people won’t engage with it.” There are other shortcomings to consider, too. In order to achieve its goals, convergence – especially of the print/digital variety – needs to be enticing. It’s certainly not an alternative to clever creativity, especially since you’re essentially asking people to give up their time in order to interact with the ad. For this reason, the ad must also be easily accessible. “The degree of your audience’s curiosity is a potential limitation, because if the ad isn’t compelling, or if the brand isn’t especially exciting, it simple won’t work,” Knight comments. He demonstrates his point: would an ad for a significantly less sexy motor brand, with few features, have attracted nearly as much interest? Like Johnson, he highlights the importance of ensuring that, as with traditional advertising, the strategy fits the target market. Are you sure they’re the type of people who are open to trying new things, and will take the time to investigate a new approach to marketing? More to the point, do they have the technology required to do so? Going back to Knight’s example of using convergence to advertise a less luxurious brand – would the people buying such a brand necessarily own smart phones? Meanwhile, Miller maintains that there is room for more convergence in South Africa. In fact, he says, the country is behind its international counterparts when it comes to mining the opportunities offered by integration, with TV, print and radio continuing to take precedence. That’s largely because digital penetration continues to be a problem – but, as Miller points out, technology changes at such a rapid pace that it won’t be long before access to screens and Wi-fi become an affordable option for all South Africans. When that happens, brands that haven’t jumped head first into creating media-first ideas will find themselves playing catch up. “Marketers must consider that integration is important because it allows people to spend time with the product before, during and after the purchase has been made. As I said earlier, we’re living in the participation economy where time is the new currency. The more time people spend with a product, the more likely they are to make repeat purchases.” BY LISA WITEPSKI Advertising @ work ADRIAN MILLER JASON KNIGHT

Navigating the converging media space (part2)

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[ the Journal ] 9 J

video and print at the same time, but we especially liked using a digital idea and keeping it as simple as possible – usually digital is very complicated. You have to take your iPhone, take a picture of a bar code or a visual, then you will be sent a code to download something else … It’s a laborious process, and it wouldn’t work with our target market because they don’t have the patience for it.” That’s not the only thing the ad does well, according to Miller. He gives the agency the thumbs-up for getting people to play with the ad – “and if they’re playing with it, they’re spending time with it, which means they’re talking about it”.There can be no greater achievement for a marketer operating in what he calls the ‘participation economy’, where brands’ ultimate goal is to create a dialogue with the consumer. “Monologues don’t work any more. If brands don’t allow their products to have conversations with the consumer, their advertising might just be worth forgetting.” Knight concurs, and this is one of the reasons why he believes convergence and integration are poised to assume a greater role in marketers’ arsenal – especially in an age of clutter. But, he says, what would make this trend even more impactful would be the integration, not of media, but of purpose. “This ad was a prime example of brand building. But suppose it had contained a link through which consumers could book a real test drive, or a lead that managers could follow up on – in that way, it would do more than raise the brand profile, it would also generate sales.” This is the way marketers should be thinking, Knight maintains, especially since the technology available makes data capture a simple exercise. He’s certain that this is, indeed, the direction in which advertising will head in future. “It’s inevitable that such convergence becomes more commonplace – the norm, even. And there are so many ways marketers can take advantage of the trend. We may see combinations of TV and mobile, TV and Web, even Web and social media – there really are a lot of avenues to explore.” This opens extremely welcome opportunities for marketers, making for deeper, richer media engagements. That said, Johnson warns against convergence for its own sake. “Integration may become more prevalent, but I don’t think we should be looking out for it and chasing it – you need to be sure exactly what your message is and how you want to reach people; and then find the right medium.” In other words, the approach should be to find a breakthrough idea and then find the medium that best expresses it, rather than focusing on ideas specifically intended for either print or digital. Above all, Johnson cautions against using technology simply because it’s there: “Use it when it works and it’s powerful, otherwise you’re just showing off. In such cases it becomes meaningless and people won’t engage with it.”

There are other shortcomings to consider, too. In order to achieve its goals, convergence – especially of the print/digital variety – needs to be enticing. It’s certainly not an alternative to clever creativity, especially since you’re essentially asking people to give up their time in order to interact with the ad. For this reason, the ad must also be easily accessible. “The degree of your audience’s curiosity is a potential limitation, because if the ad isn’t compelling, or if the brand isn’t especially exciting, it simple won’t work,” Knight comments. He demonstrates his point: would an ad for a significantly less sexy motor brand, with few features, have attracted nearly as much interest? Like Johnson, he highlights the importance of ensuring that, as with traditional advertising, the strategy fits the target market. Are you sure they’re the type of people who are open to trying new things, and will take the time to investigate a new approach to marketing? More to the point, do they have the technology required to do so? Going back to Knight’s example of using convergence to advertise a less luxurious brand – would the people buying such a brand necessarily own smart phones?Meanwhile, Miller maintains that there is room for more convergence in South Africa. In fact, he says, the country is behind its international counterparts when it comes to mining the opportunities offered by integration, with TV, print and radio continuing to take precedence. That’s largely because digital penetration continues to be a problem – but, as Miller points out, technology changes at such a rapid pace that it won’t be long before access to screens and Wi-fi become an affordable option for all South Africans. When that happens, brands that haven’t jumped head first into creating media-first ideas will find themselves playing catch up. “Marketers must consider that integration is important because it allows people to spend time with the product before, during and after the purchase has been made. As I said earlier, we’re living in the participation economy where time is the new currency. The more time people spend with a product, the more likely they are to make repeat purchases.”

BY LISA WITEPSKI

Advertising @ work

ADRIAN MILLER

JASON KNIGHT