Advertisers – Making The Most Of It. (Part Two)

Roy Edmonson, Marketing Director of Levi-Strauss gave a paper entitled “Using Media to Mass Market a Cult”. He began by asking us to ponder whether the contrasting yet popular programmes such as Ab Fab and Coronation Street are of mass appeal or cult status … Cults are generally seen as having a more select appeal, yet why are Levis seen as a cult when they sell so many a year?

He tried to explain this. It is crucial to keep the jean’s values relevant to youth; rebellion, freedom, sexual confidence and independence. Levi’s advertising appeals to the qualities they desire, helped by the consistency of teenage problems throughout the years. Cult status is created by supporting cult activities, and not doing the obvious. He showed two Levi’s ads, one from 1985 and one from 1995 to highlight both their consistency and individuality. “The way to move forward is by being different”.

Mike Colling, Media Director of WWAV Rapp Collins – “Forget the rest – isn’t it response that counts? Mike gave a demonstration of the way WWAV are dealing with direct response ads. Times have changed from the old days of direct marketing; then it was just direct mail, but now different media is being used more and more, ie inserts and direct response television. This means direct marketing now in turn requires more research, to provide a currency and a “window on the world”.

There are four basic requirements;

* data at individual level

* links back to ad events

* links to actual transactions

* data available in or close to real time

So WWAV have built a system that links scheduling, media research and client data in the same database. The advantage being that with direct marketing research the data is real behaviour; with traditional media research it is claimed behaviour. The database of client data is specific, so to get more breadth this is overlayed with media research data. This allows better analysis of market opportunities, and eventually allows answers to the questions what, when, where and how. What it can not answer yet is why, and Mike ended his paper with a plea for more research to create a better understanding of the why, and therefore the entire consumer/media relationship.

But it was the final paper of the day, and the Internet, which created most debate on day one of the conference. Robin Hunt, Guardian New Media Lab, delivered a lively and provocative personal synopsis of the new media revolution.

The current Internet generaion is becoming more knowledgeable, but the next generation will be truly sophisticated – “digital kids”. The net enabled the consumer to extract specifics about his or her personal world, not the world, Hunt asserted, but products must offer “content, contacts and community” to succeed. All media in the future will have to provide individual information for individuals.

There followed mixed views from the floor; Christine Walker (Zenith) raised doubts about the speed and ease of information retrieval via the Internet, while David Atter of Tango revealed that his company had invested £250,000 in their new web site. Nobody asked how, or indeed why, Tango had spent so much, nor suggested that Christine simply invest in a faster line.

Robin Hunt’s theory that “everyone becomes their own editor” because of the Internet was challenged; choice of any media makes you your own editor; the net has just increased choice considerably.

It was generally accepted that new technology, led by PC access in the home was creating a “very divisive environment” (Jon Wilkins, BMP); Internet users tend to be rich, but longer term social issues were also raised; the Internet is a closed medium, offering no shared experiences.