Adventures In Digital Marketing

Lots of stuff going on recently about a battle between digital and integrated or even ATL agencies.

Over at Brand Republic Robin Grant commented on an article over at the Sunday Times in which John O’Keeffe of BBH says that nothing is more important the the idea.

Robin went on to comment that in his opinion (as well as that of an anonymous friend) "is he [John O'Keeffe one presumes] on crack?" This was, I believe in response to this part of O’Keeffe’s comment:

It’s not difficult to find people who can press the right buttons

Which I guess is true enough if you’re talking about the shortage of staff, but I don’t think he is.  I think he’s saying that the idea isn’t king, and that digital is a difficult field to work in because of technical difficulties.  Taking further from the quote, that it IS true that people who work in digital "have some kind of technological advantage".

This couldn’t be further from the truth.  Digital is a piece of cake to do.  It’s not hard.  it’s not harder than making a TV ad, or producing a load of posters.  You just get the right people with the right skills and away you go.  It’s not as black art in any way.

But without a good, solid, intelligent idea behind it, off of which all the formats fall from, then you could be the best digital coder/designer in the world - but your work/campaign will still suck.

The idea IS king. 

Anyone who says anything else is hiding from the truth and trying to shield themselves behind a techy cloud to appear more mysterious.

Forget about it being digital.  Forget how things work.  You don’t know how a printing press works or a TV camera, but you don’t regard those as a dark art.

Idea, Idea, Idea, IDEA!

That’s where the real digital challenge lies in regard to getting one over on ATL or anyone else - come up with the best ideas and you WILL rule the roost.

Howard
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