Recently I received an email from a technology company touting they owned the social amplification space. Is this the new term for social media or social footprint or social influence? It made me think about our ever-changing landscape in marketing and advertising and how agencies are constantly churning out new terminology and catch phrases as quickly as my daughter downloads a new game app on my phone. (Not the free ones I might add).
Terms such as product placement morphed into brand integration that is now branded content, leading us to the world of integrated campaigns and integrated agencies — now turning back into specialists. Or field marketing which is now labeled hyper-localization or event marketing/special events/tours are packaged under experiential marketing which is at the crossroads of digital, social and branded added content.
The rapid mutation of marketing terminology is well questioned in a recent Adweek article bringing us back to the very objective of what it is we marketers do. I agree that the advance of digital and social technologies have forced us to modify how we engage with the consumer and build their trust, but at the end of the day we’re still focused on providing a unique experience leading them to action. (Advertising is a slightly different animal but the bottom line objective is to activate the consumer). How we go about influencing the consumer is an open canvas and that is where we need to concentrate our efforts.
For 23 years I’ve seen terms come and go. Perhaps it’s the industry’s need to make us appear smarter to our clients, or maybe they need to feel like they’re buying the bright, new, shiny object that will set them apart from their competition? Whatever the reason I believe that we tend to overcomplicate the simple matters and oversimplify the labyrinths. Marketing and promotions is a passionate industry filled with imagination, innovation and leading-edge technology. We influence the way people think, communicate and engage with brands and each other.
Don’t get me wrong, here at The Regan Group we have adapted to the growing terminologies to keep up with the industry’s trends and client expectations. But what I continue to instill in our core values is that a well-executed promotions and marketing campaign will enhance a brand’s experience and activate its consumer. When using research, technology and good marketing strategies and tactics it doesn’t matter what you call it, it just matters that it works and it works well.
