Gen Y is done looking at ads. We know every trick. We’ve seen every advertising method. Most of us don’t even watch commercials anymore, especially with the channel return button and now TiVo. As for print: who actually reads magazine ads? Don’t most of us quickly flip through them until we find what we’re actually interested in? Well, the companies who put these ads out are starting to realize this. At the recent “Ad Age’s Digital Conference” in New York, a financier named Fred Wilson shone light on the younger generation’s lack of interest in advertisements. He believes in order to be effective, advertising needs to be “earned” not “paid.” This means that instead of paying to have ads on T.V., agencies need to earn Gen Y’s trust through Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, and other online social networks.
Some companies, such as Burger King and Kogi BBQ, have gotten a jump start on this new philosophy. Recently, Burger King launched the Whopper Sacrifice campaign on Facebook. Apparently if you deleted 10 people from your friend list, Burger King would reward you with a free Whopper. It may sound silly, but it worked. About 233,906 people were de-friended with the application. I’m sure one could re-friend them later, but honestly; would you want to be friends with a person who dumped you for a pound of meat? A less cruel use of social networking has been Kogi BBQ in Los Angeles which alerts its Twitter followers where their traveling Korean taco trucks are going to be next.
Is this new way of advertising efficient? I think so. Companies know they need to advertise online and pop-up ads aren’t cutting it. Companies still need to inform us about their product but in a way that does not look like a commercial. I know, in a way we are being deceived. By deleting ten friends for a free Whopper we are allowing advertisement to reach us. But with an ad savvy generation, this is the only method that works. We may not watch commercials anymore but if we see an application on Facebook for free food we’re hooked. Companies have to earn our trust with deals and free things on social networks, we become fans of the company and then we will eventually buy our own Whoppers or whatever they’re selling. The days of buying ads are gone, as Fred Wilson said: companies need to earn their publicity.
Some companies, such as Burger King and Kogi BBQ, have gotten a jump start on this new philosophy. Recently, Burger King launched the Whopper Sacrifice campaign on Facebook. Apparently if you deleted 10 people from your friend list, Burger King would reward you with a free Whopper. It may sound silly, but it worked. About 233,906 people were de-friended with the application. I’m sure one could re-friend them later, but honestly; would you want to be friends with a person who dumped you for a pound of meat? A less cruel use of social networking has been Kogi BBQ in Los Angeles which alerts its Twitter followers where their traveling Korean taco trucks are going to be next.
Is this new way of advertising efficient? I think so. Companies know they need to advertise online and pop-up ads aren’t cutting it. Companies still need to inform us about their product but in a way that does not look like a commercial. I know, in a way we are being deceived. By deleting ten friends for a free Whopper we are allowing advertisement to reach us. But with an ad savvy generation, this is the only method that works. We may not watch commercials anymore but if we see an application on Facebook for free food we’re hooked. Companies have to earn our trust with deals and free things on social networks, we become fans of the company and then we will eventually buy our own Whoppers or whatever they’re selling. The days of buying ads are gone, as Fred Wilson said: companies need to earn their publicity.
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