Want To Get Into Advertising? Learn Some Math And Anthropology

from the changing-times dept

Earlier this week, we discussed the pending demise of the 30-second TV commercial. There was an interesting comment in the original article that we didn't touch on, however. The reporter looks at how the advertising world is changing and states: "the art of advertising is turning into the science of advertising. Agencies now need math guys." Now, a Wired article about the future of the ad industry has a different suggestion, saying that the ad industry is in need of anthropologists who can better understand social networks and how viral ideas flow. Both are probably true -- and both show how far the advertising industry has to change. Obviously, there still needs to be a focus on creativity -- but rather than just throwing stuff out there to see what sticks, the next generation of advertising is going to involve a much better understanding of what happens to the message after it leaves the agency. While that might be tough on some traditional advertising types, it means there's actually a tremendous opportunity for folks to reinvent what advertising is, getting away from the tired old ideas of intrusive, annoying "pitches" into something that's much more compelling, interesting, useful and effective.
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  1. identicon
    Jason Jenkins, 21 Jun 2007 @ 7:07am

    free online video advertising

    Also finding ways to reduce advertising costs will also play a major role in THE future OF ad planning and buying. Websites such as www.videogavel.com, will give any website a free pre roll web address video ad. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS REGISTER.

    THX
    JASON JENKINS
    www.VIDEOGAVEL.COM

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Jun 2007 @ 7:40am

    Re: free online video advertising

    Also finding ways to reduce advertising costs will also play a major role in THE future OF ad planning and buying. Websites such as www.videogavel.com, will give any website a free pre roll web address video ad. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS REGISTER.

    THX
    JASON JENKINS
    www.VIDEOGAVEL.COM


    When your master plan for ads involves hijacking blog threads, I have to question the effectiveness of your advertising abilities.

    Just getting people to click your site doesn't mean it's generating revenue.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Jun 2007 @ 7:41am

    Re: Re: free online video advertising

    PS: Please kill your web designer.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    Cowardly Anonymous, 21 Jun 2007 @ 7:58am

    Re: Re: Re: free online video advertising

    Maybe kill is a bit extreme, but some torture should be involved! Reminds me of the porno popups you used to get in the early days of search engines before that kind of stuff was filtered and blocked. yuk!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    Fred Flint, 21 Jun 2007 @ 8:12am

    Godawful Web Programming

    I doubt if JASON JENKINS (yelling loudly!!!!!) will ever return to Techdirt, now that he's delivered his crappy advertisement page to our eyes.

    That's the worst web site I've seen in years. Keep up the lousy work, Mr. Shill.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    Another Coward, 21 Jun 2007 @ 8:26am

    Re: Re: Re: Re: free online video advertising

    I suggest the designer be stripped and forced to spend the weekend immersed in a leech-infested swamp.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    ehrichweiss, 21 Jun 2007 @ 8:35am

    Re: Re: Re: free online video advertising

    Seconded. I've taught 9 year olds to make better pages than that.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    Phillip, 21 Jun 2007 @ 8:38am

    Welcome to the 90's

    Advertising agencies have understood these realities for a very long time and many employ anthropologists (they call them account planners). The problem lies within the clients of the ad agencies being averse to change. Ad agencies are ready and many of them are well on their way to changing the game completely (see Weiden + Kennedy or Crispin Porter). Great thoughts too bad they're a little over a decade too late.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. icon
    slimcat (profile), 21 Jun 2007 @ 8:59am

    ad creativity

    With maths through differential equations and a bachelors degree in Anthropology, this would be right up my alley. Fortunately, I'm retired and I would rather body surf the Farallon Islands than be involved in advertising.

    If I were a big ad honcho, I'd be looking for bright young people who are involved in social networking, regardless of their education. They would have the best insight into what is cool and acceptable within their group.

    Just my two cents worth.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Jun 2007 @ 9:07am

    Times are a changin

    It would seem that that technology is forcing several markets into a do or die situation. Music/movie distribution, advertising, even the porn industry is a little frightened of technology now that lots of porn can be found for free and now that recording technology has improved so much anyone with a video camera and net connection can be a porn star.



    While that might be tough on some traditional advertising types, it means there's actually a tremendous opportunity for folks to reinvent what advertising is, getting away from the tired old ideas of intrusive, annoying "pitches" into something that's much more compelling, interesting, useful and effective.


    While that might be tough on some traditional recording studio execs, it means there's actually a tremendous opportunity for folks to reinvent how content is distributed, getting away from the tired old ideas of restricted, lockdown media into something that's much more compelling, interesting, useful and effective.


    I just had to.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Jun 2007 @ 9:10am

    Re: free online video advertising

    After looking at that I feel like I just saw the video from The Ring and now only have seven days to live. Such horror.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. identicon
    Michael Long, 21 Jun 2007 @ 9:10am

    Worried

    I, for one, will be worried once they start needing biochemists and genetic engineers...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. identicon
    Petréa Mitchell, 21 Jun 2007 @ 9:49am

    Not that big a change

    This isn't as revolutionary an idea as you might think-- very large companies have been hiring anthropologists to help them with marketing for a while. It helps offline too.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. identicon
    Norm, 21 Jun 2007 @ 11:18am

    Re: Worried

    Fast food that is chemically engineered to make you refinance your home!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. identicon
    Another AC, 22 Jun 2007 @ 11:06am

    Wrong path

    Advertising is notoriously inefficient (I know half of my advertising dollars are wasted, I just don't know which half). Employing math and/or anthropology might increase the efficiency a little, but I'm pretty sure it won't be a dramatic increase. We need a better, probably completely different, way to bring buyers and sellers together. I don't really know what the answer is, but more of (approximately) the same probably isn't it.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  16. identicon
    Anna Thompson, 7 Mar 2009 @ 10:59am

    Re: ad creativity

    are you hiring?!!! ;D

    link to this | view in thread ]


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