From Seth Godin:
Traditional advertising is inherently selfish. It interrupts in order to generate money (part of which pays for more interruptions). That approach doesn't work at a cocktail party, or at a funeral or in a social network.
Traditional approaches to advertising make brand managers ask of the medium "What can you do for me?"
And this is where most awareness-interest-desire-action and other similar models fail in the new ad environment that we are in.
Non-traditional, new approaches to advertising compel brand managers to ask themselves "What can I do to make this medium more relevant to its innate audiences? How can I make myself more relevant to my audiences using this medium whilst respecting its innate position amongst audiences?"
A lot of people equate the traditional approach with TV, radio, press, and magazines. And a lot of people equate the non-traditional approach with all things digital - from internet advertising to SNS/social web advertising to search to digital content management.
However, I disagree with this 'delineation'.
One can have a traditional approach even whilst using a digital medium. And similarly, one can have a non-traditional approach with non-digital, traditional media.
It is the thinking that needs to change - not the media that are being used.
The distinction between digital planning and non-digital planning is not the same as the distinction between traditional and non-traditional planning.
Traditional planning can happen on either digital OR non-digital media. And the same is true of non-traditional planning.
What really matters is the thinking.
And as Seth Godin says: Traditional advertising thinking is inherently selfish.
Non-traditional advertising - the new way of thinking that could be implemented on both digital and non-digital media channels - is empowering.
And no: non-traditional advertising is NOT solely a property of digital advertising.
After all - when all is said and done - it is still about reaching business, marketing, and communication objectives that matter.
Not whether digital or non-digital media are used.
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