On Sunday evening, 97 million people made a statement about the future of media and advertising and that is: "if you build it and make it interesting, we will come!
It has become sport in the marketing world for the "digirati" to proclaim the death of all things traditional. TV is dead. Magazines are dead. Radio is dead. Ad agencies are dead. But I ask the question: Why must anything die?The hard, cold reality is that people, like the 97 million who watched Sunday's Super Bowl, look to media for entertainment. Yes, there are now many more choices and digital platforms have indeed changed the face of our world. And, to be clear, I love surfing YouTube for a bit of entertainment. But, I get much more enjoyment out of watching an episode of Boston Legal and I truly look forward to the 500+ pages that come wrapped inside the September cover of Vanity Fair. Yes, ads and all.
We need to stay focused on the difference between information and entertainment. When advertising is at its best, it is a perfect blend of these two elements. And are we "engaged" by good advertising? Without question. Advertising has always been about engagement, despite the fact that the digirati have co-opted the term to describe the role of non-traditional platforms in today's marketing mix. Our business has always been and will continue to be about engagement. It's just that today, we have expanded the engagement continuum by adding a higher level of information and greater actionability.
Indeed, I would agree with the digital pundits who argue that not a single, incremental six pack of Bud Light was sold as a result of the brand's $10MM plus investment in Super Bowl commercials. But 97 million people were entertained (to a degree) by the spots and by the free Super Bowl coverage they engendered. And, for that, I believe Bud Light earns a lot of points with beer-drinking consumers.
Now...where's my February Vanity Fair??
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