As 30-Second Spot Fades, What Advertisers Will Do Next

[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Brian Steinberg at brian.steinberg@wsj.com and Suzanne Vranica]
It finally sank in on Madison Avenue in 2005 that the 30-second commercial is fading as a means of hawking products and services. Audiences are splintering off in dozens of directions, watching TV shows on iPods, watching movies on videogame players and listening to radio on the Internet. All these activities cut out the usual forms of sponsorship and take place when and where consumers -- not media executives -- choose. The upshot is that any advertiser with an urgent message needs to start planning now to reach consumers in new and unexpected ways. Some already have. Here are some of the strategies more advertisers will be trying in the coming year: 1) advertising everywhere, 2) mobile devices such as cellphones and video iPods are fast emerging as new ad vehicles, 3) advertisers seeking to market new TV shows, movies and songs are exploring other media, 4) marketers have become obsessed with finding ordinary people to endorse, criticize or simply spread the word about new movies and new products on blogs or other consumer-created media, and 5) going well beyond buying a single TV spot or ad page in a magazine, advertisers want ideas that bind their messages inextricably with the media outlets they choose.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113624334456335918.html?mod=todays_us_ma...
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* When Product Placement Goes Too Far
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Joe Mandese]
Product placement sometimes goes too far and violates the unspoken trust the media, advertisers and agencies have with consumers. But at least one advertising executive believes branded entertainment will ultimately transform the way Madison Avenue does business. While the debate over branded entertainment is swirling within television circles, it's heating up in other media, too. It's particularly controversial in the print medium, where rigid editorial content policies appear to be easing up as marketers and agencies pressure publishers to mix branded mentions into their stories.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6295746?display=Advertising&r...
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