Advertising is Going Through Menopause

Is Advertising dead? 

Hugh Mcleod @ gapingvoid says, if it's not dead - it sure has become slushy:

I was originally going to write something about the "Death of Advertising" etc etc.You know what? I can't be bothered. Seriously.  But hey, if that slushpile of an industry still works for you, then I'm happy for you. Just please, don't expect the pile to get any less slushy in future...

Slushy is a good word.  Advertising is slushy. Slushy says thick, messy, wet.  Unless it's a Slurpee, I don't like slushy. 

Now Jonathan Carson at BuzzMetrics Mouthpiece doesn't think advertising is slushy, he thinks its unfocused:

What is currently dawning on marketers for the first time ever is that they should not be focused on the middle of the bell curve, b/c in the middle of the bell curve sit the consumers who are not paying attention to their ads, not going to their websites, not calling for more information, and not buying their toothpaste unless it happens to be the one that's on sale that week.

Instead, marketers should be focusing on the left-most slice of the bell curve who DO actually happen to care about them. The people posting about brands are the folks who are engaged enough with the category to actually exhibit brand loyalty...

Advertising (and market research) isn't going away - it will just completely refocus on the little sliver of individuals who happen to have a passion for that particular brand's message. Advertising won't be about creating awareness; it will be about delivering messages which fuel engagement and brand love.

So, according to two bloggers whose opinions I respect, advertising isn't dead. - but it sure is changing.   

And that's when it hit me - Advertising is going through menopause.   Ending one phase of its life and starting a different one.  But menopause scares Advertising.  Menopause reminds advertising that it's getting old and maybe Advertising can't pro-create like it used to.  Advertising has all the symptoms of menopause:

• Hot Flashes -  Advertising is spending more money to reach less people.  TiVO, ipods, videogames, consumer generated media, etc... are splitting up the audience - there's no mass in mass media.
• Memory and Concentration problems - See Jonathan Carson above re lack of focus.
• Mood Swings - Advertising boomerangs from 'the internet is killing me' to 'the internet will save me'
• Insomnia - customers are part of the conversation now, and Advertising can't sleep because it's used to its 30-second monologues. 

Okay; there are more symptoms, but they deal with Advertising's sexual urges, and I do not want to go there.

To recap - Advertising's not dying - it's going through menopause.

Comments

[Vicki Flaugher]

Great analogy. Seth Godin did a post on his blog a day or so ago about the passion vs. pop curves and how you have to choose one or the other to succeed fully with an audience. Most marketers fall in the abyss between the two curves.

As a midlife woman, I can report that the good news is that there is life after menopause. Mostly the hassle is gone but the peace of mind settles in nicely. As a long-term marketer, I am personally looking forward to what advertising will look like post-menopause.

Thanks for an insightful and amusing post.

Vicki Flaugher

[Cara Fletcher]

I also think that advertising is going through some kind of menopause syndrom.Nawadays there are not so many good ads.I am missing the old ones.

[Jill Fallon]

I love it. Advertising going through menopause!

[David Phillips]

There was Ergoego and Alterego. Ergoego went out to Explain the relevance of the brand while Alterego went out to Advertise the brand. Ergo was in PR and Alter was in advertising. Ergo made friends and Alter is still looking.