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The Self- Proclaimed Bastard Child of Advertising
Just like most of you, we missed Josh Spear speak last night. If you wonder what you would have heard, our friend from Integer, James Pelz, who’s also the President of Art Directors Club of Denver sent us his thoughts on last night’s event.
To start off, trying to summarize all the knowledge Josh Spear and his partner Aaron Dignan, from Joshspear.com and Undercurrent dropped on the group gathered for the Art Directors Club of Denver is an impossible task. They know way more about the mind of a blogger to fit into a couple of hours, much less try to even relay it back to you here. Following them as they both relayed their no-holds-barred style of consulting and new world view to the crowd gathered was both entertaining and a bit disorienting. They danced along the digital frontier, relating stories on the edge about a vastly better connected generation that is far more engaged than any before. It wasn’t so much that they shared any new technology that no one knows about, it was more a deep dive into the psyche of the blogosphere.
So instead of trying to fit every topic they touched on and covering it in the detail they did, I’m not even going to try. Here are only a few of the points you missed out on if you weren’t there.
Interruption
The digital age is way too busy to be interrupted, there are too many ways for them to be connected. No, that doesn’t quite state it. There are too many ways that they need to be connected that they are not interested in any brand that gets in the way. Brands must find ways, have content to be involved, to make the brand worthy to be sought out or to be included. As Josh put it, that’s a 180 degrees from what the traditional shops will tell their brands to be – discovered and not, well, advertised. Put your brands in a position that consumers will want to find them, will want to include them.
Acceptance
People will only put up with advertising to get what they want, they will never embrace it. He believes the next step in the evolution of advertising is to pay to avoid it. There are going to be two choices in the future – pay for a premium experience where members will pay dues in order to not have advertising interfere with their experience or allow for a lesser experience where they will trade cheaper, more accessible services and goods for a more interrupted experience. Of course, brands can choose to be part of that premium experience.
Infinity
There will be a premium placed on infinite experiences, experiences that don’t end. Gone will be the way of the campaign. Traditional campaign advertising seems to be too short term, it’s too interested in six-month periods. Consumers are looking forward to experiences that have no end, they live in a world where there is no limit of space. The digital generation isn’t interested in limitations or short-term experiences.
Get Involved
If you are looking to venture into the communities of those connected, ask the communities how to do it first. Don’t assume anything. The quickest way to not be accepted is to not understand the rules. But even more important, get involved. You can’t begin to know how to talk to them if you haven’t been among them.
By the end of the event, it was clear to everyone in the room, there is a reason that Josh has been sought after worldwide to share his knowledge and insight. It was a great opportunity for Denver to get a peek into the future, and from a homegrown talent that has truly hit the big time. We may not have been given the silver bullet for the future of advertising, but we came out with a more defined vision of the future.
I’d be kicking myself if I missed it.
568 days ago / / Link
So satisfying to know that Josh is getting the word out in an articulate manner – can’t wait to read his book!
which I’m sure will be on a par with Flow and any Faith Popcorn publication…if it’s available only on-line?...that’s cool too.
Signed: Somewhat Willing to be Dragged into the Age of Blog
— Sari Max-Fiss · Dec 16, 08:33 AM · #