So brand marketing is dead!
Believe it or not, I think that's pre-mature. My perception is that marketing is both about demand generation and demand fulfillment. Demand generation is what Apple does with its iPod commercials on TV. Demand fulfillment is what Apple (or some e-tailer) does when it buys the keyword "iPod" on Google.
My other perception is that demand generation is damn harder to do well - otherwise, Converse (Nike), Apple and Starbucks wouldn't stand out to us. Demand generation has been done with most media - magazines, TV, billboards (Unilever's recent Dove Soap campaign was launched on billboards) - but its not clear that there have been successful demand generation campaigns launched solely online. As part of a broader demand generation campaign sure (Apple's cool PC vs Mac ads on WSJ and elsewhere as a complement to their main TV campaign) - but not SOLELY online.
Does that mean online is only good for demand fulfillment using tactics like lead generation, keyword buying and CPC (performance)? I don't think so - I just don't think the media is mature enough - heck, most of the innovative marketers who innately understand how to use the Internet for demand generation are probably all under 18 right now. And, any marketers old-enough today who COULD do it probably fall-back on what media they know (TV, radio, magazines) when they produce the original ideas. I don't think this is bad - I just think its the way it is - and the way it is will change as new generations of original marketing thinkers grow up.
Btw, I think all of the same above about content. All of the original content thinkers now fall-back on media they know but, over-time, innovative online content ideas will come as the generation who is capable of doing them get old enough to have a regular job.
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