Required Reading: Life After the 30-Second Spot

As far as Joseph Jaffe is concerned, traditional advertising, led by its poster child, the 30-second spot, is dead. Old-school advertising and marketing in print and on radio and television aren't nearly as effective as they once were. In his new book, Life After the 30-Second Spot, Jaffe offers a bold mix of alternatives to traditional advertising and a set of new, revolutionary concepts that advertisers and marketers can follow for years to come. CRM's Colin Beasty spoke with Jaffe about his new book and how companies can energize their brand. CRM magazine : In the book you say old-school ad campaigns focused mainly on print, radio, and television aren't nearly as effective as they once were and that marketers need to change. Why is that? Jaffe: If you believe that the 30-second spot, the workhorse of the television advertising business, is failing, which is the hypothesis of the book, it's like a domino effect. The question then is how are company brands going to introduce themselves and maintain relationships with consumers over time? There is just too much clutter right now, creativity [stinks], and consumers aren't as dumb as they used to be. As consumers, we just don't believe the empty promises and lies of marketing. The advertising/marketing industry has failed to evolve with these changes. Right now, with all the clutter, studies have shown that consumers can only remember two ads and one brand from the night before. Marketers need to address these changes. CRM magazine What are some things marketers need to do to start driving their brands to consumers? Jaffe: I talk about three new roles that marketers need to accomplish. Old-school advertising was built around the traditional roles: to inform, to persuade, to remind. In my book, I introduce three new roles: to empower, to involve, and to demonstrate. What better way to drive home a company's brand and show consumers a new service or product than by getting them involved and showing them face to face. Maybe that's practical, maybe it's not. To accomplish these new roles, I give 10 approaches to use. Overall, marketers need to think of themselves as painters and think of the canvas having expanded greatly because you can now communicate through many different devices: mobile phones, broadband, gaming, DVDs, etc. While marketers have this expanded canvas, they also have this expanded set of paints and brushes to create a masterpiece. Do I advocate one approach above all? Not at all. It's about the ability to create a more efficient and effective targeted message. CRM magazine: What do you think readers will find most interesting about your book? Jaffe: I think readers will find Chapters 7, 8, 9, and 10 the most interesting because that section of the book focuses on the solutions to today's marketing problems. Each one of those chapters has revolutionary concepts that all begin and end with the consumer. They show how the consumer has changed and recognizes the fact that the consumer is in control and empowered. Marketers have become powerless. That said, I think if consumers are given the right message, in front of the right person, in the right place, and at the right time, the answer marketers will get will be the right one. Other Page Turners:

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