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2 responses to “Against “earned media””

1. 

   Richard Stacy

   September 8, 2009 at 9:22 am

   There are two things the ad guys (and their clients) need to come to terms with. First – one-to-many mass messaging doesn’t work in social media because it is not useful to the network (as your excellent study on brands in networks makes clear http://tinyurl.com/4jwdan) The connected crowd feeds of much more specific, niche information. I call this gravitational content – you need a dense mass of it that draws people to it over time, as distinct from the here today gone tomorrow firework of ads. I love this presentation which illuistrates this very well http://www.slideshare.net/gamages/advertising-fireworks-social-bonfires.

   Second – in-so-far as there is a role for advertising it is not to try to carry the entire brand narrative. So many ads are trying, and failing, to do this at present. The brand narrative (i.e. story) needs to be carried through social channels and the role of advertising is much more tactical. I first wrote about this a couple of years back – and I think it basically sitll holds http://richardstacy.wordpress.com/2007/03/27/the-future-of-advertising/

2. 

   Antony Mayfield

   September 11, 2009 at 5:07 am

   Will’s fireworks and bonfires analogy is an incredibly useful one, for sure. Thanks, a lot Richard.