Take the Advertising out of Advertising

I must first apologize to those in the advertising and pr fields. I do not like advertising or public relations. I avoid advertising like the plague. I do not watch network television, aside from professional football. I dvr all of my shows specifically so I can speed through the ads. I do not read magazines, because I would rather not spend my hard earned money on a publication in which at least 75% of the content is advertising. I try to avoid buying clothing that is advertised. I am sick of advertising and managed public relations campaigns. I want something authentic, something real. That is why I see the future of advertising as taking the advertising out of advertising.

Amazon.com's user recommendations and user generated lists are far more successful models for advertising than any other form. I am more likely to listen to a real person who has bought a product than any managed and contrived advertising campaign. I am even more likely to rely on the opinion of someone I know. I think that facebook and other social networking sites can be the vehicle for massive amounts of user generated ratings, information, and suggestions that will be a far more effective form of "advertising" than traditional ads could ever be. Not only is this information more effective, but it costs a fraction of what a traditional ad campaign would. This idea is completely Long Tail, which I believe will be the savior of the media industry. User generated niche content is the answer to the future of advertising.

Auto makers such as Chrysler and VW are wisely going down the path of customization. The option of personalizing one's vehicle is a brilliant idea that other companies should follow. There are over 300 million people in the U.S.; people want to stand out and be individuals. People do not want to own the same car as their neighbor, they want to own "their" car. This creates a brand that the consumer actively experiences instead of passively consuming a mass produced product or message. The article on the guerrilla campaign Trent Reznor compiled for the release of Year Zero laid forth a challenging blueprint for the future. He created a grass-roots campaign that embraced fans and included them in an overall experience that transcended the music in a way that was stunningly brilliant. Year Zero is also a great album that I would highly recommend listening to and allowing yourself to absorb it as a complete work of art.

It all boils down to time. I simply do not have the time to sit through advertising. What's even worse is that fact that most products/services being advertised to me are things that I have zero interest in consuming. I heavily research my interests and purchases, which is a far better way for me to consume information. I need access to information on my specific interests and luckily the Internet provides that very thing. User generated content in the forms of reviews, comments, and suggestions, customization, and creating a grass-roots authentic experience should be the future of advertising.