In the Netherlands we have now involved ourselves with ‘online’ for some 15 years. It has been the biggest development in the media landscape since the invention of television. What started with hobbyists creating HTML pages, has become a versatile industry. Segments that arose over time – such as search, gaming and mobile internet – are now markets in themselves. And just when the developments in our industry seem to crystallize, new businesses appear specializing in segments such as yield management, augmented reality or social hub-influence.
These days, it is not only expected of advertisers and agencies that they develop integrated advertising campaigns using all existing and new opportunities. They are also expected to ensure buzz and conversations. And to work on distinctive, relevant services that make their brands tangible and give them a permanent place in the media consumption of the target group.
After all, in the rapidly changing media landscape, paid media aren’t the only media we have access to. We can also explore paths in earned and owned media. Employing these provides the ability to make full use of the power of social media and to work on valuable and lasting brand relationships with consumers. But that does require – now more than ever – that choices are made.
As complexity increases, logically, the role of strategy becomes more important than ever. Finding all-round thinkers who understand positioning, brand development, marketing- and communication strategy and the operation of specific media is an almost impossible task. Hence this will probably only succeed by putting together a team with complementary talents; prepared to work together and make informed decisions based on clear objectives and arguments.
Apart from this, two other issues have become even more vital than before. As far as I’m concerned, these are casting and directing. Of course, there are still parties who promise full service, but this is no longer possible to deliver. This means that based on the formulated strategy and planned activities as set out by the advertiser, different parties should be selected, almost per project, to deliver the best possible work.
All this can only be achieved with even tighter directing. Strategic direction and creative supervision are necessary in order to exploit all of today’s possibilities in an efficient and effective way. After 15 years of internet, more and more advertisers are experiencing the complexity of the current media landscape and the need for brand direction is becoming more explicit. The really interesting work is only just beginning.
Jeroen de Bakker
Tags: augmented reality, brand strategy, gaming, hub-influence, mobile internet, paid, search, strategy, yield management
Jeroen de Bakker is a media entrepreneur and co-founder of Lab 1111 and BrandWebbing. He is an adviser and publisher in the field of brands, media & technology. Jeroen lectures at Brand Management, the Academy for Management, University Groningen and at the European Institute for Brand Management about digital branding and media-innovation.
Mary Hoogerbrugge is a brand-driven strategist and co-founder of 'De Positioneerders'. She is board member of SWOCC and lectures at Brand Management, the Academy for Management, University Groningen about branding, brand research and integrating on- and offline communications. She was executive strategy director at FHV BBDO.
