Disruption necessary to meet consumer needs: ad:tech panel

November 7, 2007

ad:tech 2007

NEW YORK – In an age of disruption, where the degree of risk aversion is proportionate to the degree of vulnerability, agency, media and brand environments need not be afraid of risk taking.

That was the key message from panelists Nov. 7 at an ad:tech New York  session titled, “Innovate or Die! Thriving in the Age of Disruption.” They discussed why disruption is necessary in order to meet consumer needs.

“At the end of the day consumers respond to ideas,” said Paul Woolmington, founding partner of British communications strategy service provider Naked Communications.

An interesting development in advertising is marketing as service, which is creating products that provide a service, he said. For example, Nokia is creating music services and this is going to be a disrupter. It’s not about serving ads on the mobile phone. It’s about serving a community on it.

“Ads can be intrusive in a good way,” said Jason Hirschhorn, president of Sling Media Entertainment Group, San Mateo, CA.

An example of this is with the Showtime cable network’s Dexter, a series about a serial killer. Advertisements appeared in the inbox as an image with text saying, “Jason Hirschhorn, you’re next” – looked as if it was written in blood. Tactics like these pique consumer interest.

“You have to take a risk to improve an idea,” said Brad Jakeman, former executive vice president of creative strategy at Macy’s Inc., Cincinnati.

Mr. Hirschhorn said that with every campaign marketers need to show the consumer an experience. Consumers are transfixed by getting an idea.

Companies need to set aside money to make mistakes and learn from them, Mr. Woolmington said.

“Doing the same thing over and over again means you are going to lose your job quicker,” he said.