I say GREAT! to the death of traditional advertising!

Maybe the youth of our country will finally again have a shot at originality, and not be brainwashed from birth that there is a pre-scripted slot into which they must fit.

Traditional advertising agencies had figured out too well how to manipulate young minds during the last few decades.

We’ll be better off as they have to again start more-or-less from scratch.

Advertising reminds me of prostitution. I acknowledge its existence and probable permanance, but it seems dirty to me. In so many of it’s forms, advertising seems intended to deceive or distort instead of inform.

… and lest I’m not being clear, I’m refering to the death of advertising in the hegemons television, radio, and print.

“Mommyblogger” is a word?

I heard about Advertiser where working on sending them to your cell phone or gps. As you drive by a company it sends one to you. A San Frans company was working on doing this.

Any word?

As long as humans drink the lies, there will be advertising.
The only difference now is the age of the big brand is over.

Advertising has no meaning when you have a middle class that has been financially taken over-the-coals by our corporate state and the “trickle down” optimism that has finally been exposed for what it eventually reaps. You can advertise, advertise, and advertise but if you bury your consumers in the employment misery of outsourcing and flat wages advertising is useless – even if you outsource it to cut costs.

Advertising = brainwashing. If you don’t recognize that it’s brainwashing, then it’s working.

What about product placement? Should media have to disclose when a item is paid to be placed in movie?

Mommy blogger, have you sold any products that were sent to you?

One of the problems with these Mommy Bloggers, and one of the reasons companies shower them with “loot,” is that they are all positive; they’ll only provide positive reviews of products they like.

But what makes this any different than the gold old days of advertising when companies would shower magazines with loot in exchange for photo spreads featuring only their products?

If a blogger is being “honest” then they will post bad product reviews alongside good ones. This lets their readers know their ethics and integrity and prevents them from merely being a mouthpiece for the companies that court them.

This isn’t the death of advertising, it’s just found a new way to get its biased message across.

I blog reviews of children’s books. I do both positive and negative reviews. My readers appreciate that service.

Trust isn’t earned with one great post/review/radio show. It’s earned over time.

I trust Tom Ashbrook because I’ve been listening to him and this show for years. I trust various bloggers because I’ve been reading them for years.

US-TV ads are embarrassing; run not by the creative people in the agencies, but by the marketing people, saying; can you make it more stupid, more. The magazine quality is way, way down (Gourmet, Vogue, Bazar…) and there are too many (look how many bridal magazines are there!). But the fashion and cosmetics ads are staying, you can’t replace them with a product review.
I wish your reporting would be less sensationalistic.

“…the right to be let alone – the most comprehensive of rights and the right most valued by civilized men.”
~ Louis Brandeis, Olmstead v. U.S., 277 U.S. 438 (1928), dissenting.

So much for this gem of wisdom. As our values go, so goes our rights.

Traditional print reviewers receive many, many products for free all the time, including wine, diapers, and everything else. And their reviews of these are equally suspect.

Can I trust reviews I read of prducts on places like Amazon?

I am of two minds about this topic. First of all, it is an essential conversation to have at this moment. Thank you, Tom et al. For me, this picks up a conversation I first witnessed in an episode of Frontline, The Persuaders, surveying the last several decades of corporate messaging and the connection to political lobbying and mass persuasion. I recently had a job that took me down to my state’s legislature frequently. I saw it first-hand, folks. Believe me, messaging matters. He who frames the debate, controls it! We must all grow in sophistication in order to discern which perceptions to trust, in this age of infinitely malleable media.

On the other hand, this topic always reminds me that, well, to quote Wordsworth:
*The world is too much with us late and soon;
Getting and spending, we lay waste our power*

In other words, if I may be so bold as to paraphrase this 200-year-old nugget of wisdom: Human beings are so much more than consumers, at least if they strive to be alive at all. It seems to me that Americans are more like the batteries in The Matrix than any other culture in the world. And it’s true, isn’t it. We spend well. We’re good at it. We practically invented *consumer* advocacy.

Am I wrong to fear the complete commoditizing of life itself in the land I love?

As much as I agree that traditional advertising is a Bad Thing, I can’t help feeling that the Internet is worse. The invasive tracking of our every click, the insufferable bloggers, the bird-brained tweeting, the pathetic need for Facebook “friends” that you don’t even know. It makes me feel sentimental for cigarette ads on TV. At least you were being lied to by professionals.

I have been in Medical Device and Pharma/Biotech industry for about 25 years. I have a pharmacy degree along with a Business degree.

Just a note. the Gov’t has recently cut the promo items that a Company can give to a Medical Professional to nothing, not even a pen, or pad. Think what you may of this practice. The only alternative is food, and “Educational Forums” I.e. Dinner and cocktails with a paid talking head.

In the past years I have aguired some dilly Items, just to name a view, artificial flem, PROSTY, the dancing prostrate, Vaariouse human antatomy parts, Dr. Frankenstein look out!, Thermos in Pill shapes,clocks, high emd pens, books CD players, you name it. I’ll miss them!!

Wow. Nobody’s used the word “viral” yet? The practice of paying “tastemakers” to go to public places and loudly order Scotch X or Custom Liquor Drink Z is about a decade old, IIRC.

As a bit of an ad geek–lots of good reading out there and lots of preserved paper from the 20th century–I don’t know if the age of retro/snark (which I gleefully participate in) is ever going to go away, making “slice of life” obsolete.

(Disclaimer: In and out of radioshot.)

Not all advertising lies.
Not all advertising is propaganda.
Trust me…I wrote a lot of it.
Cheerios is made from oats.
Bounty was better at picking up spills (Maybe not today)
And Transformers transform.
Every weekend in this country and around the world religious leaders lie, or tell lies…pick one. Religions promise miracles…so do some products.
You put money in the offering plate, you buy a product.
Both can make you feel happy.
Yes too many MBA’s haven’t the foggiest notion what makes good advertising cause they believe bad research (I’ve proven it)
Yes some advertising should be outlawed (like prescription drug ads on TV…Now outlawed in Canada)
Some advertising is great…I can look at that Geico Caveman walk by the poster in the airlines terminal a thousand times and not get tired of it.
Some stinks “More Ovaltine , Mom)..and sells.
There’s good and bad in everything…bankers, stockbrokers…the rich
But if you owned a small business…you might find advertising useful.
If you don’t like propaganda…don’t watch Fox. Don’t listen to politicians.
Advertising of one sort or another will never leave.
Pets, and instrumental music never lie.
On the other hand people……..

Bravo, Alan! Well said.

Bravo, Alan! Well said.

…and I truly miss my creative job in advertising.

All I can say is I love NPR and all of its fine personalities who give us so much thought-provoking programming and entertaining shows! Whether listening to their live radio broadcasts or enjoying their daily offerings at my leisure through their convenient podcasts, I am always delighted to hear the diverse viewpoints and unique artists presented. From Fresh Air to This American Life; Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me to A Prairie Home Companion and beyond –and let’s not forget our own On Point–NPR delivers programs of the highest quality, all without the interruption of commercial advertisements!

If you don’t like advertising feel free to turn off the tv and read a book.

Advertising is legalized misrepresentation and invasion of privacy.
Unsolicited presentations showing only attractive aspects to achieve acceptance, be they pertinent aspects or not. In politics it’s called campaigning.
Why are our privacy rights given away automatically?($$$)
Why doesn’t an advertiser need my permission to bother me? Why do we have to spend time delisting and protecting our phone numbers, computers,addresses,and everything else?
Consumer protection indeed!
Joe

[...] in point: Driving to work this morning I was listening to On Point with Tom Ashbrook at WBUR in Boston. The entire hour was devoted the question “what’s next for [...]

We got Tivo at home several years ago, during that time I’ve watched literally no more than half dozen commercials. Zip, zip, zip!

By the way, I work as a producer of TV commercials. It’s history…including my job at some point in the next year or two..

I’m amused at the hatred of advertisement here. Do you guys have no free will? All Coke commercials do is remind you of soda, it doesn’t point a gun to your head.

Commercials paid for network tv and thats going. Classifieds paid for newspapers and they’re already dead. There’s a legitimate question about how news organizations are going to pay for there work now. For the most part, I’d guess they won’t. Outside of NPR, how many models of pay for news are there?

Incidentally, I’d love to hear about this utopia where advertisement doesnt exist. North Korea sounds so lively and free.

Not one to turn down an opportunity to read something for free, I just tried to download those free chapters from
“The Chaos Scenario” from your onpointradio.org site as well as from the book’s blog site and received both times a message that this document was corrupted and could not be repaired.

My Adobe couldn’t read it. Now, maybe it’s my Adobe reader but on the chance that the corruption is truly in the author’s document, I think he should know that his chaos scenario is sending out its own corruption messages before one word is consumed by the reader.

I guess this really is a tricky subject.

The Internet simply exposed the inefficiencies of all ‘past’ advertising models (print, television, radio, etc.) – How could anyone truly measure the effectiveness and return on investment from these ‘past’ advertising models? You can’t! The Internet, and more importantly the ‘convergence of content’ to 100% digital will create, and is already creating, a new form of ‘messaging, delivery, and communities’ – The user now has the choice and those who know how to create dynamic digital content (for the user) will provide the platform to bring ‘buyers and sellers and communities’ in a completely different way than the ‘past’ advertising models – At last!

The agencies that have, and will fail, refuse to embrace the technology. Funny, the biz has always been about paying someone to tell you how much you need…(insert brand here).

Kudos on this show. I would love to see the collapse of mainstream advertisement and see the rise of green advertisement.

I am not happy with the Internet situation. I do not feel that is a solution either nor do I feel that the younger generations should dictate our future. But as some of us choose to be more eco-friendly and live green lifestyles, I think there are opportunities to have more conscientious and honest print, television, radio advertisement that promotes green practices and products.

I don’t think the collapse of big banks, big media industries, giants of this or that will destroy the American economy. I welcome the end of the era of giants and monopolies. Though the giants would love for you to believe that myth, crafted by them of course. What I would love to see are more fair trade companies in this country and crafts co-operatives in this country, more small sustainable farms, more local-based companies that honor the environment, more value on humans and their unique gifts they have to offer and less emphasis on mass produced products that pollute the earth.

I believe this green economy is possible, but we must let the old one die first.

Patricia
Washington State

[...] What’s Next for Advertising? By clivepurchase A great (radio) broadcast last night from Tom Ashbrook (On Point radio) – What’s Next for Advertising? [...]

The worst types of Commercials produced in the world is from USA. They all scream just one thing “Discounts, Sale, Savings”, only a person with low IQ can sit and watch it..

Outside USA, mainly the advertiser raises the pitch to tune you in emotionally, and make you buy it, and its a real fun to watch them or read them..

If anyone disagrees, please visit YouTube which has some really good advertisements, mostly from outside USA.

Advertising doesn’t embarrass me. Predictable comments like these do. THANK YOU to Ed (“I’m amused at the hatred of advertisement here…”), and Alan (“Not all advertising lies…”) for a bit of wit and insight. And a few others for your thoughtful comments.

The generation that trusts blogger reviews have built a relationship with those they trust, and understand that many times reviews can be fake or paid. It’s big business that’s trying to understand how it works and how they can fit in. Some brands are getting it right, and others are not.

Advertising isn’t dead, it’s just found a new outlet. Big agencies are going to have to shift their efforts to understand digital media, and how to make it work authentically for their clients. If not – they will be left behind.

To me…
1. Ads are an infringement on my constitutional right to privacy. The bombardment through all our senses through use of psychological studies to bend our minds, use subliminal messaging playing on use of sex, violence and dominance, power plays, and opulent glitz, the danger and pathos is striking.

2. We cannot get away from ads except if we are in an isolated location – and even there trash still awaits in the bushes and as road litter. Even the middle of a desert or out in the wilds will have road signs- not to tell us how to get from one location to another, but what beer to drink, which hotel to stay at, and more than we ever would want to be sold. Promoters use every conceivable natural resource to drive home our greed and in the process, consume planetary resources which could certainly be used for better than the “newest, best”… whatever.

3. But it goes beyond invasion of privacy and inocuous mind bending, trash and consumption: when people from other cultures view our TV, ads on the web etc. – no wonder the U.S. is looked upon as trashy, smutty, and even evil – by people who have sensibilities that treasure other than materialism, how can we be respected globally.

4. And then there are our kids – by the time they are 3, or is it 18 months now, they are already geared into the system of immediate gratification, materialism, and fluff. The gameboys, gimmicks, and “gotta haves” in the life of a child show us how hooked we allow our children to be as spoiled, thing-focused persons – not as people who have values focused on people, community, country, and, horror of all horrors, even maybe GOD – by whatever definition that does not include “the almighty dollar”, or the center of one’s universe found in the latest purchase.

5. One of the saddest parts of the cumulative effects of the promotion of “stuff” is that, in a democracy where all people are supposedly created equal by their maker, even a professional hard-working median-wage worker such as myself sees not an egilitarian society portrayed by almost all the hype and media behind ads – but one that excludes all but the extremely wealthy. No wonder kids go for the quick take – even at the end of the gun and through such as drug sales to get supposedly, “the good stuff” of life.

6. Some might say our economy would be ruined without ads, look at all the jobs lost etc. – Well yes and no. If there were not ads (like in other societies and unlie ours), other/ more jobs would exist which would far better contribute to the better wellbeing of our society and planet.

We have the yellow pages if we need something fixed or want to get something. Our congress and state legislatures surely can work on diminishing the “greed factor” so prevelent in something that is more dangerously inocuous than meets the eye -in advertizing by whatever stripe, color, or media.