Do You Need to Pay to Play?
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I cut my teeth in my media career on the paid media side of the media fence. It seemed that there was something inherently simple about the ability to pay to get placement in front of a brand’s target audience.
I began my career at Digitas and then moved on to Morpheus Media. It was at Morpheus Media that I discovered that paid media was, in fact, an art; an art that, in the digital world, increasingly leveraged science. It was a this cross section of art and science that I found a new way to look at planning and buying media; and it was not simple at all. Creative media strategy became my M.O. and I preached the gospel of this ideology day in and day out.
As the world of paid digital media became more precise, and laser sharp targeting became the rule (as opposed to the exception), I began to notice something; many planners and buyers were becoming dependent on automated tools, and were fixated on creating consumer connections through science. The art seemed to be diminishing. While the science portion of targeting was compelling to me, I realized that the industry was beginning to weigh heavy on the side of science, and while I strongly believe (d) in the power of targeting–I felt that I needed to do my part in pushing the industry forward. I decided I would focus my time on the art of media+marketing. I would spend more time on something that was being lost in the science of media; emotion.
Fast forward to 2009.
I know stand with one foot weighted more heavily on the marketing/PR side of the fence. I listen as the PR 2.0 zealots preach the gospel of earned media, conversation and community. I have drunk the Kool-Aid and truly believe that 10 relationships are more important than 5 million impressions.
Do I believe there is no place for paid media? Absolutely not!
Do I feel that paid media is inherently less effective than earned media? Again a resounding, no.
I have begun to draft a construct that I feel represents the interplay between paid media and earned media. This construct is, by no means complete, but I wanted to get it started in order to get feedback. Do you see things in here that make sense to you? Do you feel you can build on this construct?
This diagram was meant as a conversation starter, now I want to hear from you.
I’m torn between the light and dark
Where others see the targets
Divine Symmetry
–David Bowie
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Tags: Digitas, earned media, paid media, PR 2.0, Social media, targeting
Mar 08, 2009
I think there is something to be said for paid media planning and creative strategy (of course, I’m a media planner). The tools and precision targeting materials we use are just that — tools. I think there are still plenty of planners out there who see the art in it. Maybe we just need a reminder from time to time that no machine can truly predict how people think – it’s our human touches on media plans that make them really spot-on.
That said, I would make the organic conversation portion of your diagram a little bigger. If there is anything I learned from the ridiculous amount of conversation around the whole Skittles debacle, it’s that brands are beginning to recognize the importance of organic conversation, even if they maybe aren’t displaying it in quite the right way just yet.
I’m not really sure how your diagram is supposed to flow, but I think that truly great media and communication, planned using tools and gut feelings, will help to create that conversation that can be oh-so-important to the amplification of brand equity. So, if that’s what you’re saying, I like where you’re going with this.
Mar 09, 2009
thanks Jen.
I guess there is not really a flow to the diagram; it is supposed to represent an ecosystem. I am simply trying to exemplify how things related to one another.
I do love your feedback and agree that the human touch is most important.
Do you want the PPT file to re-jigger the map?
Mar 10, 2009
I like the main point that Earned Media amplifies Paid Media. But its cyclical too. When you create something great, pay to get it exposed, that sets off the earned media.
I think you create stuff. You pay to get it to your disseminators (paid niche media, or your owned channels if you have them. i.e. widgets, website, email, blog). If its good, you’ll earn some media. Which will amplify your navigational media (Saved by Zero, $5 dollar footlong, Last Burger King for 6 miles, etc…)
Mar 10, 2009
Greg
I think I may need to revisit my slide; as, what is being demonstrated in the slide is aligned with what you are saying. I think that when conversation/stories are organic, they make for the best extensions of a campaign.
I think we see eye to eye here buddy
Mar 10, 2009
Must be a Long Island island thing.
Aug 25, 2009
[...] paid media. I won’t argue that paid media doesn’t have a place in this mix (in fact, this looks about right to me) but public relations needs to take it’s discipline a lot more [...]