New media, new language
Technology is changing the way we talk
Wednesday, 1 November, 2000
Ever heard of the TiVo?
Television advertisers have and it’s making ’em sweat. This US-madebox sits on top of your TV and records hours of programmes onto a digital hard drive. Among itsmany nifty features, TiVo allows consumers to filter out ads — a service likely to be used as aselling point when it’s launched in the northern hemisphere later this year. You can hear TVviewers celebrating already, but for advertisers and marketers the technology is scary.
It gets worse. Adfilter (www.adfilter.com) is software designed to remove advertising from Websites. Its UK designers claimed in August to have 50,000 downloads. That’s no surprise. But oneUK radio station refused to accept Adfilter promotions on its Web site. That’s as silly as US TVnetworks refusing to run ads for a new Nike cross-trainer shoe last year. The series began on TVand finished on the Nike Web site. Network executives argued the series would drag TV viewersaway from the box and onto the Web.Fact is, technology is changing consumers’ ability to filter out unwanted, unsolicited material fromtheir media consumption. Rather than fear it, advertisers need to embrace the change and think ofnew ways to deliver their messages.
Old media:
Little consumer input into the message
New media:
Consumer modification of the message
As part of that Nike ad campaign, consumers could modify the story on the Web site to select theending.A 20-second TV experience could be turned into a 20-minute involvement — and the shoebecame the fastest--selling trainer Nike has produced. This sort of involvement is being sought byevery industry. Take music, where Warners is toying with the Auckland-based Hypertain-mentproduct, a combined music CD-Rom and Web site. Fans can link from the CD-Rom to the site,where they play a game embedded in the video.
Old media:
Interrupted and unasked-for advertising
New media:
Solicited communication
In a world where customers are bombarded with unasked-for messages, having customers cometo you for information is something akin to marketing heaven. Sometimes called “permissionmarketing”, this sort of solicited communication is evident in the news sites that let customersselect their own categories. It’s also the principle behind the host of newsletters offered on mostmedia sites. And it’s the explanation for Virgin’s foray into the mobile phone business. Virgin nowhas 355,000 mobile network customers, making it the UK’s leading mobile virtual networkoperator. In addition to basic phone services, Virgin hopes to sell customers extra products —discounts on Virgin services (like CDs and holidays) plus links through its WAP portal to 12content partners. By buying a Virgin cellphone, the company assumes you are identifying yourselfas interested in hearing more from Virgin. (For permission marketing from hell, see “Just plainrude”, page 89.)
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