Let's smarten up shall we? (Part II)

So today in IMS seminar we were discussing the assignment and Mike asked quite an interesting question concerning the future of TV ads and the implications of that for advertising. Since this subject kind of ties in with my dissertation topic I thought this week it would be quite a good idea to discuss this!

So, as Mike was saying, because of technology developments consumers are increasingly more skeptical of TV advertising- it doesn't matter if a brand tells us their product is the best at whatever because we, as consumers, now have the power to decide for ourselves and even more dangerous than that we can discuss it online and get feedback and opinions from others users of such brand.

Who needs a TV ad when we have invaluable peer to peer reviews?

So what will happen to TV advertising? Surely it will need to adapt and perhaps even change its role- from persuader to informer if it doesn't want to lose its most valuable asset- us!

Advertiser Funded Programming could potentially be an interesting area for brands to move in to, not only to try to avoid what was discussed above but also to reach consumers when digital tv conquers the world and ads can be avoided with the touch of a button. (I know...scary!)

For those of you not familiar with the term Advertiser Funded Programming (AFP) if the funding of programmes by advertisers, generating content that wouldn't be possible to exist if it wasn't for the advertiser. Imagine a mix between sponsorship and product placement- a TV show where the advertiser creates the content. This means the consumer will no longer be forced to watch the brand but instead it will choose to watch it- it will stop (not just for 10 seconds, but for much longer) and willingly watch what the advertiser wants him to see (I know'...scary!)

The implications of this are massive and of course what seems to be quite a straight forward issue isn't at all. However, all of this will be discussed in due time- be aware!

In my humble opinion as for the 10" spot it will never die- it has been believed by many for a very long time but somehow it always manages to survive- and will continue to be a reliable and effective way to reach mass audiences. Its role might change (as it has changed in the past, it evolves with time and follows the trends) and advertisers will have to be aware of this changes in order to survive in a competitive environment.

As for the Internet- it is here to stay and the world will never be the same- but it is too soon to believe predictions and who knows if in 50 years the hype is gone and we can all go back being our true selves- not hiding in a computer with multiple personalities.

Don't get me wrong though, I know IÂ’m being quite sarcastic but it is just to emphasize the big changes our society are undertaking because of this new and wonderful technology; the possibilities are endless and the sky is no longer the limit!

We are allowed and encouraged to dream and desire and with the click of a button we can be whoever, wherever we want.