Interactive Seven 2009 Supplement - Marketing Week

MWIB_260209_p027 19/2/09 17:36 Page 27
INTERACTIVE ONLINE
Interactive
brand
experiences
People don't separate the
message they receive from a
brand based on where they
see or hear it. The Internet
Advertising Bureau states
that the internet now
accounts for 18.7% of the
total UK advertising market,
with press display at 19.3%
and TV at 21.7%. What we do
online either adds to or
takes away from the overall
brand experience.
The challenge for brand
owners is two-fold. Where
do you put your message; and, once you have the space, how do
you get a smarter and more selective consumer to engage with
your content?
Herein lies the opportunity. Digital production is everevolving
and more accessible than ever before, so every brand
has the option to create richer and deeper brand experiences
online. Campaign ideas can be created and expressed
seamlessly across a growing spectrum of media – perhaps for
the first time, ideas can be boundaryless.
Online advertising provides different spaces to build a
brand experience. What makes digital advertising different and
exciting for both brand owner and consumer is that online ads
aren't static. Consumers can interact with the content, play
games within the space, watch multiple video streams, buy
stuff and even change the ad themselves.
In today's digital age, concepts for online advertising are
increasingly being put at the centre of the campaign rather
than an afterthought. Brand storytelling can happen in
different spaces that are linked together, with digital providing
the richest part of the story.
Online advertising is by far the most measurable, reactive
and immersive advertising medium. Data and return on
investment are part and parcel of any digital offering. Better
still, you don't have to wait until the end of the campaign to
find out how it went. Data is immediate, optimisation is in realtime.
Technological versatility also allows for effective
campaigns to be rolled out globally and easily personalised to
the end audience.
Brand owners have always known that it takes great
branded experiences to engage audiences. Embrace the
opportunity to find new and innovative ways to do this through
digital advertising and you will get great results.
Steve Sponder, Chief Digital Officer, Five by Five
W: www.fivebyfivedigital.com
E: Steve.sponder@fivebyfivedigital.com T: 023 8082 8520
‘Channel Me’
calls the tune
Social media may have opened up
a two-way dialogue between online
marketers and their audience, but
making maximum use of budgets
remains the sector’s greatest
challenge. By Joe Fernandez
Brands are increasingly looking to complement offline
promotions with online campaigns, as internet marketing
continues to gain momentum. Broadband penetration
is now 60% in the UK, and the web is proving
an effective way for businesses to motivate customers and
maintain consumer interest in their brands.
New media, and particularly interactivity, is now regarded
as a key way for marketers to engage audiences, with traditional
TV and press ads usually featuring a call to visit a website,
and technology such as mobile phone text messaging or
the red button on digital TV increasingly being adopted in
campaigns.
To enhance this promotional technology, brands have to
invest significant amounts in online marketing. Guy Wieynk,
European managing director of digital agency AKQA, says:
“We are seeing ‘Channel Me’ as the most significant development
for marketers. Consumers are creating their own
unique media based around
their friends, family, interests,
content and news they
choose.”
Nick Blunden: Marketers
must focus on real value, and
bringing that to their market
Social networking
In the past year, online marketing
has changed from
being purely about branded
websites and microsites to
offering advertisers targeted
campaigns.
Leading this online development
have been the social
networking websites, which
have enabled brands to communicate
with fans in an easy
manner.
MySpace UK managing
director Anthony Lukom
claims: “The huge popularity
of social networking has
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