I’d like to revisit the broader idea of mass marketing and it’s role, if any, in a future post. But I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to quickly comment on a piece by Dave Morgan (CEO and founder of New York-based Simulmedia) published on Ad Age yesterday entitled “Sorry, the Internet Can’t Fix TV’s Reach Problem.”
Apparently I am one of those that adheres to a “not-so-insignificant school of thought in the media industry that reach on TV doesn’t matter so much anymore.” I must confess that I would much rather find myself in the not-so-significant minority but in this case I can’t.
I certainly don’t disagree with his premise that TV is a highly effective medium (you know, the old sight, sound & motion bit.) There’s plenty of evidence that it works, and works well. Nor do I disagree in theory (I have never seen any evidence pointing one way or another) that the industry tends to talk not walk when it comes to effective targeting on TV.
What I do disagree with is that for TV to be effective, it has to reach everyone. Aren’t we paid to differentiate brands from their competitors by finding unique, relevant and effective ways to engage with consumers? Doesn’t that happen when we understand what makes the consumer of one product different from another and then exploit that difference in where we place our message? That’s not possible in a world where everyone is watching the same programs.
We are a diverse culture (and getting more diverse each and every day) and our media landscape should reflect that diversity. And that means more TV shows reaching fewer people. So where’s the problem? In my view it gives us infinitely more opportunities to be smarter (meaning more effective and efficient) about where we spend our client’s money.
More to come.
Northampton Consulting 