RemixableMediaandtheAdvertisingIndustry

byWernerIucksch

“[Kids]aren’trebellingagainstthemarketers;theywanttobethemarketers.That’stherebellion.”

RanaReevescreativedirectorofShrineCommunications

(inMason, 2008, p. 226)

Introduction

Therisingprevalenceofremixablemediaiscreatingabigchangeinthewayadvertisingagenciesoperate.Consumershavealwaysinfluencedadvertising,butremixinggoeswaybeyondit.Theworkagenciesdeliver,thekindofprofessionalstheyemployandthelevelofcontrolovertheworkarebeingimpactedbyit.Thisessaywillexploretheramificationandimplicationsofremixcultureintheadvertisingworld.

Thistopiccanbediscussedinanumberofways,suchashowtheincreasingpopularityofremixablemediaisshapingtraditionaladvertising(i.e.TV,radio,print,billboards,newspapers)intermsofvisuallanguage,format,values,etc;orhowconsumer‐ledinitiativesareaffectingbrands(e.g.aretheomnipresentuser‐generated“Priceless”parodiesdamagingMasterCard?).However,thisessaywillfocusonaparticularfacetofremixableculturethathasadeeperimpactonhowtheadindustryoperates:theflourishingofadvertisingcampaignsthataremeanttoberemixedbythepublic.

Asafirststep,tounderstandhowadvertisingpracticeischanging,itisimportanttounderstandhowtheyusedtooperate.

Thetraditionaladvertisingprocess

Traditionaladvertisingagencieshaveafairlysimpleproductionprocess.Basicallytheygetabrieffromaclient(e.g.productlaunch)andthroughitsvariousdepartments,theagencywoulddevelop(inthisexample)thefollowingdocuments:

1) Astrategicproposalshowingwhatisthebestwayofsellingtheproduct(whataretheopportunities,importantconsumerinsights,valuesthatshouldbepresentinthecommunicationandhowtotakeadvantageofthem).

2) Creativeexecutions,materializingwhatthestrategyisallabout(theadsastheywouldappeartotheconsumers:filmscriptsinstandardlength,printmock‐ups,etc.)

3) Amediaplandescribingwhere,whenandatwhatcostthecreativematerialshouldbeplaced(e.g.3x30secondinsertionsonChannel9News/dayfor2weeks).

Ifapprovedbytheclient,theexecutionswouldbeproducedanddisplayedasagreed.Everymessageaboutthisnewproductwouldbepositive,astheadvertisercontrolsthem.

Mostoftheimpactofremixablecampaignsimpactinonpoints2and3,aswellasproduction,asitisdiscussedbelow.

Theremixingimpactontheprocess

Asmanymarketsaregettingcommoditizedwithlackofdifferentiationbetweenbrands,manyadvertisersseethephenomenonofremixcultureasanopportunityto(re‐)buildstrongconnectionswiththeirclients,hopingtoincreaseloyalty,brandequityandsales,becauseofremixingengagingnature.

Thebrandthatendeavoursintocreatingcampaignsthatpromotesremixing,however,isconfrontedwithaseriesofissues:

A) ConvincingtheaudiencetoengageinameaningfulwayB) FindingwaysofreducingtheriskofnegativecontentC) Distributingthenewremixedmessage

Thesearenotalltheissuesandtheyoverlap.However,thisseparationdoesallowdiscussinghowtheprocessischanging.

A)Convincingtheaudiencetoengageintheremix

Usersknowthatwhentheyareengageindoingavideoforabrand,forexample,theyarebeingadvertisedtoandunderstandthecommercialpurposesofthebrand.Theywanttohavesomekindofreward(e.g.fame,fun,money)anditcanleadtoacompletelymeaninglessexchangeforthebrand,ifmarketing‐savvyusersjustharvestrewardofferedbybrands,givingnothinginreturn,forexample.

Thereisanendlessnumberofwaystoengageconsumersintoremixingcontent,varyingdramaticallyincomplexityand,therefore,itsimpactonhowtheindustryoperate.Belowaresomeofthesewaysandtheirimplicationforagenciesandmarketers:

1) Togivegreatamountofmediamaterialtoenabletheremixinginapre‐definedway.HyundaiUSA(2009)launchedthe“EpicLap”campaign,in

whichwebsitewithfootageofatestdrivewassetuptoconsumerstoletthemedititastheywish.Inthiscasethebiggerchallengeisnottoproducethematerial,buttomaketheremixtechnologyavailable.Adagenciesdon’thaveahistoryofdevelopingtoolsforconsumers,butithastochangetomakeinitiativesofthiskindviable.

2) Tofocusonextensivecontentonthemesrelevanttotheconsumerandrequestingcollaborationtokeepitinteresting.SpriteAustralia (2008)isagoodexample,asitscampaigndiscusses“unsaidtruths”generatingongoingparticipationwithdirectreferencefromtheaudienceindifferentmedia.Advertisingagenciestraditionallydon’tmasterthisformat,fortheusualdistributionandproductionchannelsmakescost‐prohibitivetomakelongerstories.Gettingliberatedfrominternalizedoldproduction+broadcastingmentalbarriersisachallenge.

3) Ifthebrand/productcountswithsomesympathyandengagement,suchasentertainmentproducts,thereisthepossibilityofgoingverydeepwiththeremixablecontent.Thelaunchoffilm“A.I.”,forexample,hadateasermaterializedbytheinteractivereal‐timepuzzle“TheBeast”(Jenkins, 2006, p. 123),encouraginguserstoremixandcreatecommunitiesaroundthefilm.Theskilltocreatethiskindofinteractionisclosertothatoffilmwritingthantoadvertisingcopy;thekindofsoftwarenecessaryisdifferent;themetricstoanalysesuccessaredifferent.

B)Findingwaysofreducingtheriskofnegativecontent

CorporationsarelookedatsuspiciouslyontheInternetfortheyusuallystandforhierarchyandcontrolandthesearevaluescompletelyoppositetothoseprevalentinmostInternetcircles(Dijk, 2006, p. 33).

Whenacompanyissponsoringthecreationofcontentaboutitselfitisperfectlypossibleforuserstomockthecompanyinmanyways.GMwasoneofthefirstcompaniestosufferwithitastheyenabledconsumerstoeditanduploadbrandedvideosdirectlytotheInternet.ManyuserstookthechancetoprotestagainstGMinstead(Huba, 2006).

Therealsoaremanycopyrightissues.AnygivenconsumermayuseunauthorisedsongsofU2toremixavideo,forexample,thepotentiallawsuitsarerarelyworththerisk.Legaldepartmentshavetobemoreinvolvedandcaneffectivelyimpactonthecreativeprocesslikeneverbefore.

Asanorm,therefore,mostcompanieswilltrytocreatesomekindofrestrictionthatallowsthemtofilterexcesses.Examplesincludeallowingtheremixedversiontobeuploadedtothecompany’swebsiteonlyand/orlettheremixbecomesharableonlyafterapproval.

However,thatisnotalwayssatisfactoryandfeasible.Consumerscangetveryfrustratedbyrestrictionsandwhentheremixedcontentistextandstillimages,it’smoredifficulttostopusersfromspreadingwhatevertheywant.Thisiswhythemarketershavetounderstandwelltheirroleinthecommunityofcontentgeneratingusers.It’simportanttokeepaconstantandrespectfulpresence,notonlytalking,butalsolisteningand,mostimportantly,collaboratingwiththecommunity(e.g.newproducts,content).ThesearethefundamentalstonesofInternetculture(Castells, 2001, pp. 37-63)andshouldbeembracedbymarketers.

Thisisafull‐timejobtowhichadvertisingagenciesarealsoadaptingtoexecute.Theadvertisingworldworkswiththelogicofcampaigns,withwell‐definedbeginningandenddates,thishastobechangedbecausethemanagementofameaningfuldigitalpresencemustbeongoing.

3)Distributingtheremixedmessage

Inmanycasesthebrandswillwanttheremixedmessagestobedisseminatedasafundamentalpartoftheoverallstrategy.However,asusersutilizeanetwork(e.g.internet)tospreadmessagesandthisisverydifferentfromtraditionalbroadcastmedia.Barabàsi(2003)demonstratedthatinnetworksit’sparamounttodetectwhoarethehubstoreachthetargetaudience.Gettingthehubstoagreetohelpdisseminatethemessageisnotsimple,becauseitdoesnotdependonlyoncommercialinterests,butalsosocialrelationshipsbasedontrust.Thereachofacampaignisneveraspredictableasintraditionalmedia.

Thisisasignificantshift.Socialmediais“wordofmouthonsteroids”,butthelogictomakeuseofitisnotstraightforward,manythingsareimportanttomotivatepeopletoforwardtheirremixandcompaniesarelearningwithusers,suchastheadagencyFallonWorldwidethatrecentlypreparedacasestudyoftheusergeneratedvideo“KittensInspiredbyKittens” (Kelly, 2008)toshowhowitmanagedtoreachmorethan4millionviewsand1.5millionGooglecitations. (Spicer, 2009)

Conclusion

“Remixablecampaigns”withoutadoubtischangingthewaytheadvertisingindustryoperates.Thisis,however,adoubled‐edgedswordthathastobewellthoughtbeforebeingunleashed.Theindustryisstilllearninghowtouseitnowandgetscutfromtimetotime.Embracing“remixablecampaigns”withouthavingdoneagoodjobintheareasmentionedcanhaveharmfuleffect.

However,thetremendousopportunitiestogeneratemoredistinctiveandmeaningfulrelationshipswithconsumersareclear.Inordertoseizetheopportunitiestheindustryhastoadjusthumanresources,formats,controlmechanisms,legalframeworkand,mostimportantly,mindsetfrommarketers.

Thisprocesstendstobegoodforadvertisingagencies,marketersandconsumers.Despitepotentiallossesintheway,theindustrymightfinditself

renovatedintermsofcapabilitiesinthenearfuture.Advertiserstendtogainrelevancefromconsumersastheystarttogetitright.Andconsumersmayfindthebrandsmoreinterestingthantheyaretoday.

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