7 Advertising And Lead Generation Trends To Watch

Electronics maker LG was barred by all TV stations in Australia from televising an ad for a TV recorder that specifically promoted the benefits of skipping ads.

This was something anyone could appreciate. The ad read: “When you replay, you can skip the ads.”. After having its ads pulled, however, the company changed their ad, using instead the far less powerful: “And when you replay, you can skip straight back to the action.”

While the networks may have won this time, it’s obvious that TV recording technology is here to stay and that the power balance, at least ostensibly, will shift in favour of consumers.

1. Greater use of product placement, sponsorship and ads that aren’t ads.

Having spent some time recently watching the excellent HBO series The Wire, I’ve noticed the clever product placement of Heineken beer in the series (featured far more prominently in the series than the National Bohemian brand which is ubiquitous in Baltimore). Almost any time the brand is seen in the series, the label is faced towards the camera. In Japan, where I spent some time, nearly everything you see on TV is an ad in one sense or another. While I’d rather have ads and programming kept entirely separate, this is obviously on it’s way out.

2. More precise targeting of messages, even mass media ones.

Following the inevitable rise of TV recording technology, some industry experts have commented that advertising is not dead, but that advertisers will be forced to target their ads more precisely at viewers to make them want to watch the ads.It’s also fairly easy to conceive of a system that serves ads according to individual viewer habits and preferences, perhaps on a “pay per impression” or pay per action” model (mmmm? the Google Adwords of TV marketing?)While this concept would obviously be many times more effective than current mass-broadcast technology, it’s still “push” marketing. While there’s some mileage in this concept, search-based marketing is likely to return higher conversion rates and ROI (cf. Google Adwords Search conversion rates vs Content conversion rates - search is almost always higher).

3. Information marketing and lead generation.

Reports, White Papers, DVDs, Audio Programs, software etc. will be given away (or sold) with the aim of enticing prospects to “self-select” and allow advertisers to focus their energies and promotional dollars on high-probability prospects rather than anyone and everyone. I’m now currently conducting lead generation campaigns for companies who traditionally wouldn’t have touched this “direct marketing” stuff with a bargepole.

4. Marketing will need to be 100% costed and accountable.

If you don’t use targeted, cost effective and above all accountable marketing strategies, prepare to lose business. These include both online and offline marketing efforts.

5. PR and spin will surpass traditional marketing tactics.

Companies are already putting more of their marketing budgets into making a news worthy stories out of their offerings.

6. Tighter niches and greater specialisation.

Gaining greater “share of mind” will become even more difficult, and we can expect more focus on more highly-specialised niche markets as opposed to line-extension or diversification strategies.

7. Blue Ocean Strategies.

The rewards of value innovation will become even greater as smart companies refuse to mash themselves to a pulp butting heads with their competitors in hyper-crowded markets. Instead, the most successful companies and brands will strive to create uncontested market space - easier said than done.