When was the last time you saw an ad, drove to the store and bought the product?
Don’t tell anybody, but advertising doesn’t work anymore. Ads don’t change minds because we’re numb to being pitched. After blitzing us with commercials, banner ads, robocalls, and video interruptions, we’re just too overwhelmed to be bothered.
Still, advertisers make gross impressions, not a meaningful connection. They celebrate a 1% click-through rate, even though the top reason people click a web banner is ‘by mistake’! They focus on reach, while the goal is authentic engagement. It’s just not working. And that’s evidenced by the downtrend in ad spending, from traditional to digital media.
Apparently, advertisers never read Seth Godin’s book, Permission Marketing. He advises, “Finding new ways, more clever ways to interrupt people doesn’t work. Work with your market, not against them. In the long run, you’ll lose people when you try to “trap” them instead of engaging them.”
Here’s my take: Earlier this year, more than 100 advertisers each spent $5 million to buy Super Bowl ads. Can you remember any? Did they inspire a purchase? Of course not.
Soon, advertising won’t be judged by reach, impressions and clicks. Instead, the barometer will be: Did your message resonate? Did it reverberate and spread? Or was it lost in the clutter?
As my friend Nick Michaels said, “In an over-communicated world, don’t add to the noise. Take the opposite approach and slow down. Invite people to lean in and discover you. Be the whisper that screams”…as Nick does here.
Next: Are You A Good Fit?
Bravo! Agree 100%!