Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Cool is cool, digital or not

So I just watched Michael Phelps win his 10th gold and at the commercial break Visa had a spot ready to go congratulating him. I was shocked, and it wasn't just me.

Within 8 minutes there was a bunch of mentions on Twitter. Tweeters included @jannygirl (over 500 followers), @designmom, @ederdnover, @lbbinc (all over 200 followers)



B/c of social media when you surprise, delight, inspire, entertain, motivate, enlighten, or teach people its so easy for them to tell EVERYONE (not just those within shouting distance) and sometimes they do.

The Phelps thing was so obvious, on point, and cool. Working in digital marketing its so easy to get caught up in a lot of jargon, tactics, and techs. Getting a spot ready to go in advance of Phelps making Olympic history was just a cool idea, not a digital thing to it.

Social media makes cool ideas everywhere more effective. Is the growth of digital media going to make TV advertising less important? I'm not sold on that. But I do think it will make weak TV advertising less important.

3 comments:

Luke M said...

It's weird to me that everyone is so surprised. News segments are pre-recorded all the time.

BG said...

I loved it too ... although I think only advertising people are truly "twittering" about it...
On an aside - being superstitious - if I was Phelps - I'd be pissed! Nothing like recording the commercial 6+ months ago to jinx it... ;)

Greg March said...

Bg, as always thanks for commenting.

Not sure that its only ad people twittering. The most popular person twittering re: Visa and Phelps was a massage therapis (says her linked in page.)

That said twitter probably over index's against ad nerds.

BUT the main point I was trying to make was as social media proliferates, it increases the value of good advertising everywhere. When its easier to communicate with your fringe friends, the echo effects of good ads is stronger.

But your right that the effect isn't HUGE... Yet.