In today’s OnLine Spin, Joe Marchese of socialvibe posts some provocative thoughts about the battle looming between marketing disciplines over who deserves appointment as a brand’s Social Media A.O.R. The importance of this struggle intensifies exponentially when you consider how technology could soon make all media social media. If that’s true, whoever wins could evolve into the overall AOR for all marketing efforts. Leaving the losers as useless and dated as as external dial-up modems.
Joe outlines how industry players from widely-varied disciplines–from PR to media to creative to search and all the way up to holding companies–could vie for this role, and makes a compelling argument for someone to coordinate a truly client and community centric offering with clear goals and value. Do this fastest and you could win.
To put it bluntly, traditional agencies have been sleeping through the revolution in social media. We gotta wake up and act, now. We must throw ourselves into this battle with full abandon if we hope to maintain a position anywhere near the center of future marketing actions. To do this, we must consider and implement all sorts of possibilities, from re-purposing the classic AE role to creating cross-functional partnerships between junior planners and AE’s and even to scouring the web for bloggers who are already brand fans with the intention of ‘freelancing’ them in this role. The point is we must act on this opportunity immediately, even if we make mistakes along the way. Because despite what some may claim in this space, there are no clearly-defined experts. Not yet. But they will emerge very soon.
Our jobs demand we deliver strategically-applied inspiration and creativity everyday, so the problem for traditional agencies will not be in rallying solutions to win the battle. The challenge lies in recognizing that there is a battle to be fought at all.
I think not only is the challenge recognizing that there is a battle, but also that in many ways these same traditional agencies are the best equipped to fight and win the battle if they change as you so often propose. Because at their core is still the most important “weapon”; the ability to understand and deliver the brand message.
I am discussing this very issue with Dr. Grow this afternoon! I lead the NSAC IMC team and we’re currently mapping this out.
Today’s lead news in AdAge: the partnerhsip between Ashton Kutcher, Facebook and Cheetos for a new web series. The idea that all media will become social media. became a reality for me with the Facebook/CNN live feed of the innauguration.
http://adage.com/madisonandvine/article?article_id=134307
It is true the new media landscape changes hourly. Broadband has flattened the world, but I wonder if it has flattened it too much. Three days after the Superbowl, the wireless at my office is still running slower than the dial up dennisr61684 mentions in his blog. Why? Because so many people are interacting with Sunday’s TV commercials and the sites they popularized. As the social media becomes more a part of everyday life, will we begin to see continued internet congestion during the pre-rush hour recurring daily? If this digital commuter crush is really brought on by bored office workers hungry for advertainment, it seems that marketing here is no longer an opportunity, but another cost of entry.
Whatever the cause of the recent sluggishness of popular site it is a very real sign of the new boom. And agencies are all looking for the answers to these new challenges. Digital agencies are looking for traditional creatives to drive ideas into their techno-literate work and the latest hired guns at traditional agencies are all web-saavy gurus trying to fit into the to an ad guy landscape. The good news is this entire industry is still idea driven and media is still the vehicle. If you are a thinking marketer, you will opportunity to contribute. AOR’s will be the agencies that present the best idea-driven platform for brands to spread their message.
Here’s another example to add to david’s comment. A few months ago my wife’s company, a mid-sized advertising agency, instituted a policy which restricted Facebook use to before and after work only. During lunchtime is also permitted.