The end of content-free advertising?
April 28th, 2008 by Hugh KennedyBurt Helm has an interesting piece in the new BusinessWeek about how many advertisers are now offering free services to lure people into looking at, interacting with, or forwarding on their brand information. Anyone who has used Free411 rather than spending $1.50 to get a simple number is a consumer of these new ‘useful’ ads. A few cool examples:
* Being able to text live to a sports event screen, a la wiffiti
* Being able to send ‘goodbye’ photos from behind security to a digital billboard in an airport’s departures area (the idea of distance is demolished a little more every day, it seems)
* Being able to contact an avatar on your mobile device to get you a cab or a designated driver because you’ve had a few too many.
The more you contribute as part of your sign-up, the more information the company takes away. The longer you look at the screen, the longer your brand impression. Etc.
In the BtoB world, we’ve clearly got deep roots in providing valuable content in exchange for a prospect’s attention. In one case, years ago, we convinced HP to postpone another glossy brochure and go with a buyer’s guide for the technology category that was lightly sponsored by the brand. It was more work-intensive to put together an editorial board of doctors and nurses, but the result was so popular it was reprinted twice and placed on a national regulatory recommended reading list for healthcare information systems.
The same rules apply online, of course: give someone content they couldn’t find elsewhere or that makes them more competitive and they will be more loyal to your brand. Amending that list for the Web 2.0 world is in order, too. You can also connect with:
* content that allows people to connect with their peers and exchange that information
* content that allows people to test their skills in real time
* content that allows for co-creation or near real-time collaboration with a brand
The list could probably go on forever. The point we like to make is, don’t just interrupt someone. Inform them. Educate them. Inspire them. That’s got to be a part of the brand territory now.