Online Advertising's Stunted Growth
The interactive industry must make fundamental changes to the way it strategizes, sells, buys, and provides online advertising. Here are five places to begin.
The interactive industry must make fundamental changes to the way it strategizes, sells, buys, and provides online advertising. Here are five places to begin.
This is my last column for ClickZ, and it’s been a great couple of years.
A lot has happened since my first column in June 2005. Video advertising continues to blossom, and rich media is a standard part of nearly every media plan. Online advertising spending continues its ascent, with nary a sign of letting up. Consumer habits are evolving, and social media is a daily part of their lives.
A rosy picture, isn’t it?
Not so fast.
This industry, including publishers, agencies, and marketers, is stunting its growth and limiting its potential. You wouldn’t know it by all the M&A activity surrounding these captains of industry, but, trust me, it’s a big problem. It’s like the interactive industry is an advanced second grader the school doesn’t know how to handle, so he’s placed in third grade for half the day. The student may be recognized as intelligent, but he’ll have a difficult time being socially accepted.
If we are to advance on our own merits, we must make some fundamental changes to the way we strategize, sell, buy, and provide online advertising. The following are but a few items we must address before we can be officially labeled “mature”:
Once these standards are established and accepted, they’re supposed to change periodically. Update them frequently.
Take these suggestions and run with them. Share them with your colleagues. If we heed them, we can keep this industry hurtling forward responsibly.
Thanks so much for your readership over these last few years. I’ve always appreciated your thoughts, your feedback, and your attention.
Stay tuned for my replacement. You’re going to love him.