Whether writing about a highly politicized issue on blogger, creating a group for like-minded people on Facebook, or producing a spoof of a product on YouTube it appears that everyone has something to say these days. The rise of the self-proclaimed critic is beginning to gain momentum and it has communication practitioners standing on edge, particularly in an era where viral marketing reigns supreme. So how will communication professionals respond to their newfound critics?
The solution to the problem is quite simple; if you can’t beat them join them. At least that appears to be how the advertising industry is responding to critics according to an article in AdWeek. Advertisers have already begun to concede to claims that their message is not on cue, but they contend that the true value is the product not the message. Through observing real-time criticisms in venues such as Myspace and YouTube advertisers are capitalizing off of their critics by recrafting advertisements and reframing their products. This has been the successful strategy for the makers of Head On, the most recalled and hated commercial of 2006. The three clips below show how this new cycle of advertising works.1. The Original Advertisement
3. The Response to Criticism Advertisement
While this may appear to be an unusual approach, the real question is whether it is an effective one. It appears that these spots are effective in garnering the audiences attention in a more positive fashion. However, the implications of this new strategy could be catastrophic for the field of communications. Essentially, what is being sold to consumers is not a product, but the idea that communication is unimportant and it should be ignored. It is already hard for many communication practitioners to break through the clutter in order to get their message to their audience. This new approach only promises to create a big headache for the field of communications that perhaps can only be treated by “Head On. Apply Directly to the Forehead.”
--Greg
1 Comments:
Thanks Greg (this was an amusing post).
If viewers can ever get past the annoying “Apply directly to the forehead” voice, they may be tempted to think critically about the product and its success rate. A Washington Post Claim Check suggested that, "No published studies show that HeadOn or any of its ingredients alleviate headache pain." That's enough to give me a headache. Maybe that’s the company’s key to generate revenue. Give your listeners a headache so they’ll go out and purchase your product. Either way, we’ll all be amused to learn that this commercial won the worst-commercial of the year according to a MSNBC online poll.
J.L.
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