The CP+B buzz machine is running wide open. Gushy feature stories in USAT and Business 2.0 in rapidfire. Seems the Burger King win makes them legit for the mass media. Love many of the ideas here, and think Alex B. is dead on with his quip: "The future of advertising is that it doesn't exist." The future I hope he speaks of involves an increasing relevance and knowingness about customers, less reliance on the :30 spot and the outdoor board and more connection and education through the product itself. In a world full of great recommendation engines, why would you risk alienating me with irrelevance? One dreams. One dreams also that the ads behind home plate go away.
Another recent piece -- Ries valuing PR for brand building over advertising -- hits a similar point, but overstates, I think, the role PR might have played in the success of a JetBlue, a Google, a Body Shop, a Starbucks. Not that PR hasn't been well-used in these examples, but pace Bogusky, it's probably more a function of the overall branded experience with the product. The contact points multiply. Call it PR or integrated marketing (or simply marketing) that manages them effectively, but it's not simply about getting great press. (Ries link via PR Opinions )
Posted by Brian at March 29, 2004 04:12 PM | TrackBack