Freaking Marketing

P&G Digital Ad Czar Says Facebook Isn't Media. Say What?

Procter and Gamble's interactive marketing chief doesn't think social networks like Facebook are advertiser-worthy.

Check out this Ad Age story with Ted McConnell's remarks (you'll find some of Ted's comments below, followed by my comments on his comments).

"I have a reaction to that (social networks' inability to monetize their sites) as a consumer advocate and an advertiser. What in heaven's name made you think you could monetize the real estate in which somebody is breaking up with their girlfriend?"

A corporate behemoth with revenue bigger than the GDP of some countries pays you big bucks to separate consumers from their money. I'm sure you want to do right by them, but do you really consider yourself a consumer advocate? And I'll take a shot at why social networks think they could monetize that real estate: because they're offering a rich experience for consumers at no charge, and to keep delivering it they need to make money. Just like the TV networks your company has paid billions to over the years.

"I think when we call it 'consumer-generated media,' we're being predatory. Who said this is media? Media is something you can buy and sell. Media contains inventory. Media contains blank spaces. Consumers weren't trying to generate media. They were trying to talk to somebody ..."

Ted, if I found a way to put the Preparation H logo on your Charmin toilet paper (Hey, there's an idea!), it would be media. Consider Facebook ads: It's media that's bought and sold, and they have inventory. And why should we even debate whether Facebook is appropriate and viable for advertisers? Shouldn't they just test it and let consumers vote with their dollars?

"So the targeting is fanstastic. You can really do amazing things. But I'm not so sure I want to be targeted like that ... I don't think everything every consumer says to someone else and writes down is somehow monetizable by the media industry."

OK, but since you also alluded to the shortcomings of "spray and pray" advertising (something your employer's done a bit of in the past), why not embrace permission-based advertising that respects consumers' privacy limits while cutting waste by being more relevant?

What do Freaking Marketing readers think?

End Command and Control Management as We Know It

When I started working full-time after college, my generation, the Baby Boomers, weren't really running things. We were largely answering to the Greatest Generation: World War II vets who saved the world when they were young. They certainly had their strengths, but their shortcomings as managers were bigger than Iwo Jima.

Ask a boss why he'd want to do something in a seemingly pointless way and you could hear, "Because I said so." Raise the idea of running a bold experiment and the reply might be, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

It all seemed so very retro, because it was. These aging men (they were mostly male) learned the practice of management while serving in the military in the first half of the 20th century. At an early age, it was drilled into their heads to not question authority, and to blindly follow orders.

One problem: The business world ain't the U.S. Army.

I always thought my generation would behave differently when we were finally in charge, but for the most part, it never happened. And the Gen Xers didn't do much better.

This is a major contributor to the dysfunction we see in so many marketing groups. Marketing is always a difficult game, and if we we're not challenging the status quo -- and the boss -- we're going to be making senseless mistakes.

I've encountered countless marketers who refuse to disagree with the boss -- not because they think he's right. Because they're afraid.

If you're the boss and everyone seems to always agree with you, you're failing to leverage the skills of your colleagues, and you're missing out. Bigtime.

What can employees do to get everyone working in more open, collaborative, grown-up ways? 

President-Elect Obama

Today an African American friend said, "I'll be able to look my babies in the eye and say, 'You can be anything you want to be.'"

Yes you can.

Our Crazy Idea: Huge Election Eve Rally for Obama

What if, on the eve of the presidential election, supporters of Barack Obama stage the biggest integrated rally in history? I could just hear Anderson Cooper saying, "With less than 24 hours before Americans begin voting, we're seeing massive rallies for Barack Obama in major cities across the U.S. and around the world."

Think that would be pretty fucking awesome? Good. We need your help. Immediately. This weekend, with Josee Lapointe of Twelve String Productions, we threw together a YouTube video, launched a Facebook group, and reached out to some organizations that may be interested in organizing rallies.

But to make this thing actually happen, we need volunteers to get press coverage, push the right social media buttons, and talk Matt Damon into appearing.

Please email me or add a comment here if you're interested in helping. Thanks.

Grab This Widget

I've been holding out on ya. Last year I created the Freaking Marketing widget and never bothered sharing it.

If you're not familiar with widgets, you may want to start studying up on 'em, cuz they're among the hottest pieces (pun intended) of Web 2.0.

The idea is simple to grasp (pun intended again). Basically, a widget is a portable piece of code you paste onto any HTML-based Web page. It instantly opens up all sorts of fun possibilities. 

For example, now you can instantly add Freaking Marketing to your Website, blog, iGoogle page, or any other spot you control on the Web. Give it a go by clicking "Get Widget" now. Go ahead -- you have my ok. In fact, I insist.   

The Grossest Ad of 2008

I'm calling this one early, because I don't believe anyone will find a more disgusting ad this year.

When I first eyed the banner for Woodward's Mycocide NS Antifungal Care Kit, I thought the finger on the right was an "after" photo. But upon closer examination (and after gagging repeatedly) I realized it was different fungi on a different finger in dire need of Mycocide.

The "got fungus?" headline, which probably caused a sharp decline in milk consumption among online adults, is almost as gross as the photography. And check out the thoroughly disgusting product packaging on the landing page, below the talking foot illustration (which in all seriousness could have been a more productive visual in the banner ad).

Is this advertising effective? It may be profitable, but I don't think it's optimal. Toothpaste advertisers learned decades ago that you generally move more tubes by showing gorgeous -- rather than decayed -- teeth.

What do you think of this ad? And what sort of award should I send Woodward Laboratories?    

Palace of Versailles Finally Gets Some New Art

I think Jeff Koons' "Balloon Dog" works at least as well in the Palace of Versailles as I.M. Pei's Louvre Pyramid, but not everyone agrees with me. The National Union of Writers of France, a group devoted to "artistic purity," is protesting.

Maybe they should call in the ultimate "decider" of what belongs in a public museum: Rudy.

See a multimedia slide show here and tell us what you think.   

Jessica Alba Strikes a Provocative Pose for Declare Yourself

Shocking! Outrageous! Scandalous! Give me a freaking break.

Conservatives are predictably outraged over Jessica Alba's advertising for Declare Yourself, a voter drive aimed at 18-29 year olds. The campaign features the tagline "Only You Can Silence Yourself" and a tearful Alba in bondage photograpy by Mark Liddell. The multimedia end includes videos with Zac Efron (High School Musical), America Ferrera (Ugly Betty), and Jazzy Jeff (The Fresh Prince of Bel Air).

Was the clothing-free photography the "correct" thing to do? Right now, 7,320 web pages reference this advertising (make that 7,321 after this post), and the press release went out yesterday. If Declare Yourself wanted millions in free publicity for their cause -- an honorable goal -- score this one a major win.

Voter apathy is appalling. High voter turnout is exciting.

So ... are you for or against this campaign? Tell Freaking Marketing readers where you stand.

Maybe We Should All Try This (See Seven-Second Clip)

It worked for Dicky Fox of Jerry Maguire fame.

Gates / Seinfeld Microsoft Ad is Money Out the Windows

Brad Brooks, the corporate vice president for Windows consumer product marketing at Microsoft, said this 90-second ad was merely a "teaser." I think it was just a huge waste of money.

Ironically, the world's biggest philanthropist, who meticulously contributes billions to global development and health initiatives through his Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, could have put his enormously valuable time (and Microsoft's big bucks) to way better use.

Let's say this effort, fully loaded, ran a cool ten mil. Bill Gates knows as well as anyone that a donation of that magnitude through an organization like Project Mosquito Net could literally supply one million insecticide-treated bed nets to impoverished Africans, and keep lots of kids from needlessly dying of Malaria.

Brooks said Microsoft wants to "engage customers in a conversation and dialogue in a humorous and intriguing way." Gates' adbuddy, superrich comic Jerry Seinfeld is funny, but aside from the ambiguous promise of a "delicious" future, I didn't see the point of this thing.

Did you?