Old Meets New
By David Fishman

Recently in New York there was a panel discussion held as part of Advertising Week in NYC at the Museum of Television and Radio. This panel was filled with individuals who have been in the advertising arena for 40+ years. Notables were Phil Dusenberry and Ed Ney who come from the hey day of advertising when everything was centered on Madison Avenue.

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 While most of the panel hailed from an era before the Internet and before even color television was an exciting ad platform. The discussion and topics ranged from offline to online and had some exceptionally striking comparisons from one medium to the other. 

The offline advertising arena is going through a choppy sea of changes as a result of agency consolidation. Similar to the online world, both areas are rapidly experiencing an expanding media landscape wrought with uncertainty and hope for a more secure future. The most recent change in the offline advertising world was the last large independent agency, Grey Global Group, was snapped up by WPP Group. A major question raised often in the online industry is the same one raised by this panel. Does this consolidation help or hurt the industry? A resounding and almost unequivocal voice from these former and current agency bigwigs was that the holding company model offers more ways for agencies to service large marketers, which also have been growing and consolidating.  

"It provides us with the reach to serve more clients," said Keith Reinhard, chairman and president of DDB Worldwide. "The important thing is that we always keep creativity at the center. You can't just say 'Big is bad.'"  

Opportunity was a key concept as the panelists ranged widely over issues facing the industry, from media diversity to the threat from digital video recorders like TiVo, which allow viewers to zap ads. The sheer amount of media choices available to today's consumers, for instance, makes planning ad placement that much more important. Just like online agencies worry about spam blocks, pop blocks, etc… and the overwhelming display of media the same is true for the offline media groups. The difficulty for both is how to engage the consumer in a way that leaves a lasting positive impression. For the online agency the simple choice is through search engine as it is the least intrusive. However, perhaps thoughts of viral programs and other intriguing, fun and exiting ways is the best way to go. As many of the panelists discussed; it’s the placement of the media that is the most challenging aspect. 

The speakers agreed that clients are looking for more ideas from agencies about how to reach consumers than they did in the past. While they agreed that the latest craze surrounding branded entertainment hearkens back to the early days of TV and radio, they said that in the future agencies would need to find more strategic ways of incorporating brands into programming. Certainly almost every online marketer has experienced a client asking them to help brainstorm and develop ideas. The offline industry is experiencing the same needs from their clients. "Product placement is in an embryonic stage," Mr. Dusenberry said. "Agencies have to take more control over shows."  

One of the more humorous comments came from, Jerry Della Femina, chairman-CEO of Della Femina Rothschild Jeary & Partners, said, "We've evolved from a business where you had to do one thing well -- advertising -- to a business where you have to do a lot of things badly." The agency that is an advertiser, publisher, and broker seems to be doing allot of things…hopefully NOT too poorly. 

 
David Fishman
dfishman@ileadmedia.com