What is advertising? I get asked this question from time to time, mostly from family that is interested in what I do. I tell them it is a melting pot of a few aspects:
1. Advertising: the activity or profession of producing advertisements for commercial products or services.
2. Marketing: the action or business of promoting and selling products or services
3. Voice: sound produced by vertebrates by means of lungs, larynx, or syrinx; especially: sound so produced by human
4. Story: an account of past events in someone’s life or in the evolution of something
Oddly enough, as a marketing professional I spend a lot of time thinking about what marketing truly is and how it has evolved. When getting down to the nuts and bolts of advertising, I don’t think one can put a single definition on marketing a business. Just as everything usually does it has changed, and it continues to do so in front of our eyes. I do not believe that marketing has always evolved as fast as it has today, granted I am only 26, however I am allowed to speculate.
From around 1920-1940 advertising revolved around the door-to-door salesmen, peddling the product or the company they worked for. 1940-1960 was the era of the Marketing Department, 1960 through the 90’s brought the introduction of agencies. 1990’s-2010 is recognized as relationship marketing and today, 2010 to present, marketing is widely viewed as a social media. Que brand advocates that make up the social media presence.
As this “era” develops it is smart for a business owner, or a marketer to evolve and not remain stationary. People now more than ever are using smart phones, tablets, television, and computers in unison. The amount of technology we have access to is remarkable. In a report published by MilwardBrown called AdReaction 2014, the average multiscreen consumer is consuming seven hours of media in a given day; the majority of which is on a smartphone. This trend does change over the course of the day and as trends change so should the way you look at giving your business its voice.
Multi screen behavior may seem like a technological advancement that could be equivalent to rocket ship development, but honestly, its not that bad. It can be as simple as optimizing your website for mobile use. Yes this may cost you a little money up front, but you are truly investing in the longevity of your business. One may ask “is it really worth the investment?” Yes, it really is because the user experience is different from screen to screen and can set the tone or initial impression a person has about your business. Multi screen interaction allows brands to connect with customers in new ways. A marketer does not need to completely ditch the marketing efforts successfully used in the past; they just need to diversify their tactics. These efforts should not be looked at as simultaneously connecting consumers, but rather consistently connecting consumers to the products or places they love.
It is no secret that television used to be the primary outlet for people to consume media. Google published a report stating: research is showing over 77% of television consumption is happening with a smartphone 49% of the time and a PC or tablet 34% of that time. Now, more than ever, people are starting to shop online using more than one device. People are starting the process on one device – maybe a tablet – and have the ability to finish on another – such as a desktop or retail location. The ease of mobile use is allowing people to access the brands they love on the go. Technology is developing so rapidly that it is literally shaping the way we live our lives and view brands and products.